Union Savings

What Union Savings does

Union Savings is a Canadian not-for-profit organization founded in 1989 that operates a closed digital discount platform serving nearly 2 million union members and their families across Canada. The organization partners with over 190 participating unions (one source cites 350+ unions, locals, and associations), ranging from large national and public-sector unions to small regional associations and locals. Members access exclusive discounts from approximately 350 commercial brand partners across categories including automotive, beauty, electronics, entertainment, fashion, financial services, food, insurance, services, sports, travel, and wellness through a login-gated web portal at unionsavings.ca, available in both English and French.

The underlying platform consists of a member portal delivering online discount codes and in-store coupons, supplemented by a member newsletter sent 2-3 times per month achieving 50-65% open rates, paid digital advertising, targeted email campaigns, and marketing contests that attract 5,000-13,000 participants per round. Technology infrastructure is modest: the platform uses Google reCAPTCHA for bot protection, has no mobile app, no public API or developer-facing interface, and is operated by a small team. Beyond the core discount platform, Union Savings offers participating unions several adjacent services including Sentinel union management software, the Solidarity Savings Account banking solution, eShipper shipping services, and Grand & Toy office supply discounts.

The organization operates on an affiliate/referral revenue model in which all governance, administration, and promotional costs are covered by negotiated funds from commercial brand partners; no fees are charged to unions joining or members using the platform, and no union dues are collected. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprising representatives from major Canadian unions including TEAMSTERS, SEIU, CLC, UFCW, IBEW, UBC, PSAC, USW District 5, ATU, and NUPGE, with Amir Bashir serving as Executive Director. Headquartered at 5255 Yonge Street in Toronto, Ontario, the organization employs 1-10 people and is also known by the French-language brand Pouvoir Syndical.

Name

Union Savings

Legal name

Union Savings

Website

https://unionsavings.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Union Savings is a Canadian not-for-profit founded in 1989 that operates a login-gated digital discount platform serving nearly 2 million union members and families across 190+ participating unions. It funds itself entirely through negotiated contributions from 350+ commercial brand partners, with no fees charged to unions or members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Union Member Benefits Program

NAICS

Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (81393)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAEADAF

E-commerce & Digital Membership Clubs

Consumer Products & Retail/Discount, Club & Value Retail/Warehouse Clubs & Membership-Based Retail

Keywords

• Union member benefits
• Discount program
• Member savings platform
• Collective bargaining benefits
• Labor union discounts

Headquarters

HQ city

North York

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commercial Partner Negotiations: As a not-for-profit organization, Union Savings generates revenue through negotiated funds from commercial partners. All costs associated with governance, administration, and promotion are covered by these commercial partner contributions. The platform is free for unions to join and free for members to use.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Union Savings operates a closed-member digital portal that aggregates exclusive discounts and offers from over 350 commercial brand partners across 13+ categories (automotive, beauty, electronics, entertainment, fashion, financial, food, home, insurance, services, sports & leisure, travel, and wellness) for nearly 2 million Canadian union members and their families. The service is free for unions and members, with all operational costs covered by negotiated contributions from commercial brand partners.

Product overview

Union Savings is a not-for-profit, union-run membership benefit program offering a single integrated discount platform for Canadian union members. The core product is the Union Savings Discount Platform—a web-based portal (unionsavings.ca) with discount access across 13+ categories including Automotive, Beauty, Electronics, Entertainment, Fashion, Financial, Food & Drink, Home, Insurance, Services, Sports & leisure, Travel, and Wellness. Partner discount categories span eyewear (IRIS Optical), electronics (LG Electronics, ASUS, Samsung), mobile plans (Bell, TELUS, Rogers), insurance (RBC Insurance), home goods (Emma Sleep, Ashley Furniture), fitness (Crunch Fitness, Planet Fitness), food delivery (HelloFresh, Chefs Plate), entertainment (Cirque du Soleil, sports teams), travel (hotels, airlines, car rentals), and fashion (Crocs, SoftMoc, RW&CO). Additional modules include a member newsletter (2-3x monthly, 50-65% open rate), promotional materials for unions, partner marketing programs, union management software (Sentinel), shipping solutions (eShipper), office supplies (Grand & Toy), and banking services (Solidarity Savings Account). The platform supports English and French languages and serves nearly 2 million union members through over 190 participating unions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Savings Discount Platform

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RBC InsurancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRBC Insurance provides exclusive group home and auto insurance rates to Union Savings members through the platform. Union members receive preferred group plan rates as part of the benefit program offering.
• LG ElectronicscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLG Electronics provides exclusive access to the LG Community Store, a private shopping experience offering preferred pricing on premium TVs, home appliances, and computing essentials exclusively for Union Savings members.
• 350+ Commercial Brand PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious brands and service providers offer exclusive discounts through the Union Savings platform including automotive, beauty, electronics, entertainment, fashion, financial services, food, home, insurance, services, sports, travel, and wellness categories.
• TEAMSTERS CanadacoreOthersTEAMSTERS Canada holds the Chairperson position on the Union Savings Board of Directors, providing governance oversight for the organization.
• SEIUcoreOthersService Employees International Union holds the Vice Chairperson position on the Union Savings Board of Directors.
• Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)coreOthersCanadian Labour Congress holds the Secretary Treasurer position on the Union Savings Board of Directors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Union Labor Life Insurance (ULLICO): Union-affiliated insurance and financial services company serving US union members. Comparable niche player serving the labor union demographic with exclusive financial products.
• ID.me: Digital identity network offering group-based discounts and exclusive offers for verified communities (military, students, teachers, first responders). Comparable niche member-verification approach with brand partner monetization.

Regional players

• Plum Benefits: UK-based employee benefits and discount platform serving corporate workforces. Operates a similar exclusive-deals, closed-portal model in a different geography; comparable as a regional peer in the membership discount space.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Automobile Association (CAA): Major Canadian membership organization offering roadside assistance plus extensive retail and travel discounts. Operates a similar membership-discount model in Canada but at much greater scale with broader consumer reach.

Direct peers

• PerkSpot: Employee discount platform serving US employers with exclusive perks and deals. Directly comparable digital closed-portal model monetized through commercial partner relationships with engaged user bases.
• Entertainment Benefits Group (EBG): Aggregator of entertainment, travel, and consumer discounts sold through employer and membership channels. Comparable as a B2B2C discount platform monetizing member/employee audiences via commercial partner deals.
• Working Advantage: Corporate employee discount program offering exclusive savings on entertainment, travel, and consumer products. Comparable affiliate-referral model targeting a captive audience through institutional partnerships.
• UnionPlus: AFL-CIO affiliated nonprofit benefits program serving US union members with discounts on consumer goods, insurance, and financial services. Closest direct comparable given similar union-governed, nonprofit, member-benefit discount model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UnionSavingsCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unionsavingscanada
• Instagraminstagram.com/unionsavingscanada
• Xx.com/unionsavings

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Union Savings