Union of National Defence Employees

What Union of National Defence Employees does

The Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE), operating under the trade names UNDE and UEDN (Union des employés de la Défense nationale), is a Canadian labor union that represents civilian staff supporting Canada's Department of National Defence. Its membership spans laborers, trades, technicians, administrative personnel, ship's crews, computer programmers, and other support professions. UNDE is structured as a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), Canada's largest public sector union, and is governed under PSAC's constitution while maintaining its own elected national executive and 13+ regional and functional local chapters across all Canadian provinces and territories. The union holds triennial conventions, with the most recent documented in St. John's, NL in 2023.

UNDE's core service offering is a member-facing web platform (unde-uedn.com) that consolidates grievance assistance, an online expense claim submission system with direct deposit and file attachment, education modules for local representatives, regional news feeds, scholarships, and HR Connect liaison services for pay issues stemming from the federal Phoenix Pay System. The underlying technology is a WordPress-based member services portal rather than a proprietary platform; products and services are integrated within this single web property rather than delivered as discrete software modules. There is no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed SDK or integration ecosystem.

UNDE's business model is membership-dues-funded and non-commercial. Revenue derives from member dues (specific amounts not publicly disclosed), with the national office operating on a lean staff of approximately 7 employees in Ottawa, Ontario. Its customer segment is structurally defined as a single employer base (the Government of Canada's Department of National Defence), with active collective bargaining, grievance representation, and workplace advocacy as primary functions. The union is currently absorbing members transitioning from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to DND under a joint arrangement with the Union of Health and Environment Workers (UHEW).

Name

Union of National Defence Employees

Legal name

Union of National Defence Employees

Website

https://unde-uedn.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UNDE is a Canadian labor union and PSAC component that represents civilian employees of Canada's Department of National Defence. It provides grievance handling, collective bargaining, member education, and pay-issue advocacy across 13+ regional local chapters nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UNDE is a labor union that represents civilian staff supporting Canada's National Defence. It provides collective bargaining, grievance representation, workplace advocacy, member education, scholarship programs, and pay issue escalation services. The union operates as a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and is organized into local chapters across Canada.

Product overview

UNDE operates as a single unified member portal website serving as the primary digital platform for the Union of National Defence Employees. The website provides a comprehensive suite of member services including an online expense claim system, grievance assistance, educational resources, and regional news feeds. The core offering is the member-facing website that connects Canadian National Defence civilian employees with union services, forms, and information. All products and services are integrated within this single web platform rather than as separate modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grievances Service Workplace representation and grievance filing assistance for UNDE members experiencing workplace issues, including process guidance and advocacy on behalf of civilian defence employees.
• Education Services Training and educational resources for local union representatives including modules on grievance handling, anti-racism advocacy, and leadership development, delivered through locally selected modules.
• Member Expense Claim System Online expense claim form allowing union members to submit travel, accommodation, meal reimbursements and wage claims, with direct deposit and file attachment capabilities.
• Scholarship Program Scholarship opportunities for UNDE members and their families as part of the union's member benefits and education support services.
• UNDE Member Portal Primary website portal for UNDE members providing access to union services, member news, local information, regional chapters, and resources for Canadian National Defence civilian employees.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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 minor, core, major and moderate.

• SodexominorOthers · 1 January 2026Sodexo workers at various Canadian Forces Bases (including 15 Wing Moose Jaw) are represented by PSAC/UNDE Local 40807. Recent contract negotiations and strike activity at CFB Moose Jaw indicate ongoing labour relations.
• Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDE is a component/part of PSAC, Canada's largest public sector union. PSAC provides national leadership, bargaining coordination, research support, and represents UNDE interests at the national level. UNDE operates under PSAC's constitution and benefits from collective resources.
• Union of Health and Environment Workers (UHEW)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDE and UHEW are working collaboratively during the transition of employees from Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to Department of National Defence (DND). Both unions are safeguarding the rights and interests of affected employees during this departmental transfer.
• Orbit Insurance ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrbit Insurance Services is listed as a partner proudly supporting UNDE members. Provides insurance services to the union membership.
• New Brunswick Federation of Labour (NBFL)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBFL is affiliated with PSAC and CLC. UNDE Local 60303 (Gagetown) participates in NBFL activities including Women in Leadership awards and labour movement events.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Union of Health and Environment Workers (UHEW): A fellow PSAC component union representing federal health and environment workers, currently collaborating with UNDE on the DFO-to-DND employee transfer. UHEW is the most direct peer because it shares UNDE's federal public-sector component structure, PSAC affiliation, and overlapping member base during the transition.
• Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW): A PSAC-affiliated federal public-sector union representing Canada Post workers, sharing UNDE's component-union structure and federal employer bargaining context. CUPW is comparable as a fellow PSAC component with its own national office, local chapters, grievance machinery, and dues-funded service model.
• Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC): Canada's largest union representing federal scientific, technical, and professional public servants, many of whom work within DND alongside UNDE members. PIPSC is a direct peer in the federal public-sector labour space, sharing the same employer (Government of Canada) and overlapping membership universe.

Others

• Public Services International (PSI): A global federation of public-sector unions, of which PSAC is a member, representing workers in health, municipal services, and government. PSI is a thematically related global umbrella that connects UNDE's parent federation to international public-sector labour solidarity, social dialogue, and policy advocacy.
• New Brunswick Federation of Labour (NBFL): A provincial labour federation affiliated with the CLC and PSAC, with which UNDE Local 60303 (Gagetown) actively participates. NBFL is thematically related as a federated labour body that coordinates advocacy, training, and member mobilization at the provincial level for unions including UNDE.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Labour Congress (CLC): Canada's national labour centre, affiliated with PSAC, UNDE, and most major Canadian unions. CLC is comparable as the broader labour-federation ecosystem in which UNDE participates for political advocacy, training, and cross-union mobilization on shared worker issues.
• Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC): UNDE's parent organization and Canada's largest public sector union, representing over 200,000 federal workers across multiple components. PSAC is comparable as the umbrella federation under which UNDE operates, providing shared bargaining, research, and advocacy infrastructure for similar federal employee membership.
• Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE): One of Canada's largest labour unions, representing workers across public services including some federal and provincial government roles. CUPE is a broad comparable in scale, member-service model, and collective-bargaining function, though it covers a much wider sectoral footprint than UNDE's narrow DND focus.
• Unifor: Canada's largest private-sector union, formed through merger of CAW and CEP, with growing public-sector presence. Unifor is comparable in offering a member-driven dues-funded model with grievance, bargaining, and advocacy services, though its industrial base is much broader than UNDE's federal civilian defence niche.

Regional players

• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) - Canada: A Canada-based branch of an international union representing electrical and trades workers, some of whom work in DND bases alongside UNDE members. IBEW is a comparable Canadian labour organization delivering collective bargaining, apprenticeship, and member services within a defined skilled-trades niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UNDEUEDN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHq7kXfLm2OP2EpPj4L58DA
• Facebookfacebook.com/192963664187577
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/union-of-national-defence-employees

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Union of National Defence Employees