What UFCW Local 27 does

UFCW Local 27 is a chartered local union of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW International), affiliated with the AFL-CIO and CLC. Headquartered in Towson, Maryland, with additional service offices in Newark and Selbyville, Delaware, it represents more than 18,000 workers across Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, making it the largest private sector union in both Delaware and Maryland. The union serves workers in retail/grocery, healthcare, distribution/transportation, cannabis, casinos, animal care, automotive/parking, financial services, and public services industries. Operations are led by President Jason Chorpenning and supported by a 24-person staff of Service Representatives and a Shop Steward network embedded at represented workplaces.

The union's core product is collective bargaining representation. Its organizing go-to-market follows a structured campaign model: collect authorization cards from 70%+ of a target bargaining unit, demand voluntary recognition or file NLRB election petitions, win the election, negotiate a collective bargaining agreement, and ratify the contract by member vote. Beyond bargaining, the union provides grievance handling, arbitration, Just Cause protection against at-will termination, and workplace servicing through assigned Service Representatives and trained Shop Stewards. A monthly Steward of the Month recognition program was launched in January 2024. The union has not been on strike since 1969 and maintains a multi-million-dollar strike fund.

Revenue is generated entirely through member dues on a subscription/recurring basis at less than $10 per week (weekly or monthly billing), with non-members who elect financial core status paying approximately 82–84% of full dues. Dues collection begins only after a contract is ratified. Member benefits include Union Plus discounts, Tickets at Work entertainment discounts, two scholarship programs (Local 27 up to $2,500; UFCW Charity Foundation up to $8,000), and free foreign language courses. The union also conducts political advocacy through its PAC and voter outreach programs. No revenue, funding, or financial disclosures are publicly available.

Name

UFCW Local 27

Legal name

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 27

Website

https://ufcw27.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UFCW Local 27 is a labor union representing more than 18,000 members across Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, providing collective bargaining and workplace representation in retail, healthcare, distribution, cannabis, and other industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Towson, Maryland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: UFCW Local 27 generates revenue through weekly or monthly membership dues paid by union members. Dues are less than $10 per week. No dues are paid until a union contract has been ratified by members. The financial core fee for non-members who elect that status is approximately 82-84% of full membership dues (after a 16-18% reduction for non-chargeable expenses such as political, social, or charitable activities).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UFCW Local 27 is a chartered labor union local that represents more than 18,000 workers across Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Its core offering is union representation and collective bargaining for wages, benefits, and working conditions, supplemented by workplace organizing services (authorization card campaigns, NLRB elections, contract negotiations), grievance representation and arbitration through Shop Stewards and Service Representatives, member benefit programs, scholarship funds, and political advocacy through its PAC.

Product overview

UFCW Local 27 is a labor union offering a unified set of membership services. The core offering is union representation and collective bargaining, supplemented by workplace organizing services to help workers form unions. Additional member services include the Union Plus benefits program, scholarship programs (Local 27's own program up to $2,500 and the UFCW Charity Foundation program up to $8,000), Shop Steward training and recognition, quarterly membership meetings, and political advocacy through the PAC. These services work together to provide comprehensive worker representation, workplace protections, and member benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Representation and Collective Bargaining Core union services including collective bargaining for wages, benefits, and working conditions; grievance filing and arbitration; and workplace representation through Shop Stewards and Service Representatives. Available to workers across retail, grocery, healthcare, distribution, cannabis, casino, animal care, automotive, financial services, and public services industries in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
• Workplace Organizing Services Union organizing campaigns to help workers form unions, including authorization card collection, NLRB election petitions, and collective bargaining negotiation support. Requires 70%+ of bargaining unit members signing authorization cards before demanding recognition or filing for elections.
• Union Membership Authorization Card Digital and paper authorization card system enabling workers to express interest in union representation, used to secure union recognition and collective bargaining rights at their workplace.
• Member Benefits Program Exclusive member perks including Union Plus discounts, Tickets at Work discounted entertainment tickets, UFCW scholarship programs, and free foreign language courses. Available exclusively to UFCW Local 27 members.
• UFCW Local 27 Scholarship Program Local scholarship program providing up to $2,500 per award to active members or their dependents, with awards based on GPA, essay content, and financial hardship considerations.
• UFCW Charity Foundation Scholarship National UFCW Charity Foundation scholarship program awarding up to $8,000 each to UFCW members or their unmarried dependents under age 20.
• Shop Steward Program Training and recognition program for Shop Stewards who serve as the union's first line of defense for workplace issues. Includes monthly Steward of the Month recognition with a $100 gift card and union swag.
• Membership Meeting Program Quarterly general membership meetings held at four locations (Baltimore MD, Newark DE, Selbyville DE, and Cumberland MD) for member participation and union governance.
• Political Advocacy Services Political advocacy through the union's political action committee (PAC), voter outreach programs, and lobbying for laws and policies benefiting UFCW members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Scholarship program offering up to $8,000 per scholarship through UFCW Charity Foundation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Major Employers (Francis Scott Key Bridge Response)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2024UFCW Local 27 joined forces with major employers to support workers affected by the Francis Scott Key Key Bridge collapse. The partnership provided immediate assurances and assistance to workers, with partnerships making a huge impact on commitment to support affected members.
• UFCW International (Affiliated with AFL-CIO, CLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFCW Local 27 is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which is part of the AFL-CIO and CLC labor federations. This provides access to national organizing resources, political advocacy infrastructure, and collective bargaining support.
• Union PlusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnion Plus provides discounted products and services exclusively to UFCW members, including credit card protection, mortgage assistance, health discounts, and other member benefits.
• Tickets at WorkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTickets at Work provides discounted tickets to UFCW Local 27 members through a collective buying program. Available online with promo codes provided by the Union Office.
• Akman & AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal services provided to UFCW Local 27 members through Akman & Associates as part of member benefits.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AFSCME: AFSCME is the largest U.S. union for public service workers and competes for the same county-government and court-worker bargaining units that UFCW Local 27 lists as part of its public services segment. It is comparable because both unions organize public-sector and quasi-public workers in the Mid-Atlantic.
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters: The Teamsters represent distribution, warehouse, food production, and trucking workers — the same employer pool Local 27 targets for its distribution-and-transportation segment. It is comparable because both unions actively compete to organize and represent logistics and food-supply-chain workers in the Mid-Atlantic.
• UFCW Local 400: UFCW Local 400 is another chartered local of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union operating in the Mid-Atlantic. It is directly comparable because it shares overlapping jurisdiction (Maryland, DC, Virginia) and is referenced by UFCW Local 27 itself for joint member programs (e.g., the Maryland cannabis shop initiative).
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU): SEIU is one of the largest labor unions in North America and represents many of the same healthcare worker categories that Local 27 organizes (hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation workers). It is comparable because both compete for the same healthcare bargaining units and bring comparable representational structures in adjacent Mid-Atlantic states.
• MCGEO (UFCW Local 1996): MCGEO is a UFCW chartered local representing Montgomery County, Maryland government employees — one of the counties explicitly excluded from UFCW Local 27's service territory. It is comparable because it is a sibling UFCW local operating in immediate geographic proximity with overlapping industry (public services) and federation affiliation.
• UNITE HERE: UNITE HERE represents hospitality, gaming, and casino workers — directly overlapping with Local 27's casino and racetrack segment in the Mid-Atlantic. Comparable because it pursues the same bargaining units in the regional gaming/hospitality industry and uses comparable collective bargaining tactics.

Broad incumbents

• AFL-CIO: The AFL-CIO is the national labor federation of which UFCW Local 27 (via UFCW International) is an affiliate member. It is comparable as the broader coordinating body providing political advocacy, voter outreach, and national organizing resources that Local 27 draws on for its PAC and electoral work.
• UFCW International Union: UFCW International is the parent federation for UFCW Local 27 and more than 1.3 million members across the U.S. and Canada. It is comparable as the umbrella national union that provides Local 27 with collective bargaining resources, organizing infrastructure, and political advocacy capacity, operating broadly across food, retail, and related industries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ufcw27

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UFCW Local 27