CAISSE DE DEFENSE DE L'ACPPU

Name

CAISSE DE DEFENSE DE L'ACPPU

Legal name

CAUT Defence Fund

Website

https://defencefund.caut.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labour Union Defence Fund

NAICS

Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency, Stabilization & Crisis Response Financing (BPADACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pension Master Trusts, Superannuation & Provident Funds (FSAAAGAB), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Union strike benefits
• Collective bargaining support
• Labour dispute funding
• Academic staff unions
• Strike pay assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Union Dues: Member unions pay monthly dues set at $8.00 per capita per month (currently), based on the number of dues-paying members in their bargaining units. Dues are calculated using December 1st membership numbers and are used to build and maintain the Defense Fund.
2. Investment Income: The Fund earns interest from its invested assets. Resources come from two sources: member unions' dues and interest earned from invested assets. The investment portfolio includes fixed income (government and corporate bonds, GICs) and equity pool (up to 30%).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The CAUT Defence Fund provides financial assistance to Canadian academic staff member unions that are engaged in strikes, lockouts, or collective bargaining disputes. It offers daily strike benefits, strike support loans, group insured benefit loans, mediation and arbitration benefits, bargaining rights defence benefits, solidarity daily benefits, and strike support actions. The Fund is funded by member union initiation fees, monthly per-capita dues, and investment income on its reserves (target $35 million minimum).

Product overview

The CAUT Defence Fund is a not-for-profit organization (incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act since 1992) that operates as a single financial assistance platform providing multiple benefit types to 71 member unions representing over 41,000 academic staff. The organization does not offer a technology product. Its services consist of strike benefits, strike support loans, group insured benefit loans, mediation and arbitration benefits, bargaining rights defence benefits, solidarity daily benefits, strike support actions, and rotating strike daily benefits. These benefits are financial products delivered through a membership-based structure where unions pay initiation fees and monthly dues ($8.00 per person per month currently). The Fund was formed in 1978 and is governed by a Board of Directors with representation from member unions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Daily Strike Benefits Daily financial assistance paid from the fourth day after the beginning of loss of pay, currently set at $96.00 per calendar day per dues-paying member, for member unions to provide strike pay to members on strike, locked out, or engaged in rotating strikes.
• Strike Support Loans Loans to member unions to cover extraordinary expenses incurred in preparation for or during a strike or lockout, with maximum payments of $200,000 before or at commencement and additional $200,000 disbursements at the end of each one-week period during the strike.
• Group Insured Benefit Loans Loans sufficient to pay premiums for group benefits during a strike or lockout, helping maintain members' group benefit coverage during work stoppages.
• Strike Mediation and Arbitration Benefits Financial assistance toward costs of mediation or arbitration to settle a strike or lockout, with member unions covering the first $5,000 and the Fund reimbursing up to $50,000 additional per collective bargaining round (up to $55,000 total).
• Mediation and Arbitration Benefits Assistance with mediation and arbitration costs in settlement of collective agreement negotiations where a member union has legal bargaining rights.
• Bargaining Rights Defence Benefits Benefits toward costs of defending bargaining rights, including claims of unfair labour practices or failure to bargain in good faith during collective agreement negotiations, and legal defence against legislative actions to remove or restrict collective bargaining and/or strike rights.
• Solidarity Daily Benefits Benefits for member union members who lose pay by lawfully showing solidarity with members of another union by refusing to cross a picket line, currently set at $88.00 per calendar day per dues-paying member.
• Strike Support Actions Actions such as sending visitors from member unions to demonstrate in support of a member union engaged in a strike, or other actions that may help lead to the end of the strike.
• Rotating Strike Daily Benefits Benefits for member unions engaged in partial and rotating strikes that include strikes of less than a full day or involving less than full membership, eligible once the Three Day Threshold is reached.

Quantifiable outcome

• 71 member unions representing over 41,000 academic staff supported coast-to-coast
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CAUT (Canadian Association of University Teachers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAUT is the parent organization. Member unions must be members of CAUT to join the Defence Fund. CAUT provides administrative support and the Defence Fund operates under an agreement with CAUT. CAUT officers serve as ex-officio members of the Board of Directors.
• Corporate TravellerminorOthersDesignated travel agency for the Defence Fund. Directors must book flights and reservations through Corporate Traveller using booking code 91001 for direct billing to CAUT.
• The Westin Montreal HotelminorOthersHost venue for the 2026 Annual Meeting of Members and Board of Directors scheduled for October 17, 2026. Negotiated room rate of $339/night with $255/night reimbursement from the Fund.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT): The parent organization of the CAUT Defence Fund and the national voice for academic staff in Canada. While not a strike fund itself, CAUT provides the structural framework, advocacy, and member eligibility that the Defence Fund relies on.
• AFL-CIO Strike Fund: US labor federation's strike assistance program providing financial support to affiliated union members during authorized work stoppages. Comparable mutual aid model though serving a much broader cross-sector membership base in the US.

Direct peers

• CUPE Ontario Strike Defence Fund: Provincial strike support fund administered by CUPE Ontario providing mutual aid to member locals. Operates on similar principles of pooled dues and benefit disbursement during disputes, though in a different sector than post-secondary academia.
• Unifor National Strike Fund: National strike fund operated by Unifor providing financial support to members in legal strike or lockout positions. Comparable pooled-fund mutual aid model serving Canadian private and public sector workers.
• PSAC National Strike Fund: Public Service Alliance of Canada's strike fund providing financial assistance to members during work stoppages. Comparable dues-funded mutual aid model serving Canadian public sector unions.
• CUPE National Defence Fund: Canadian Union of Public Employees' national defence fund providing financial support to CUPE locals during strikes and lockouts. Most directly comparable in structure (dues-funded mutual aid), though broader in scope than academic-only focus.
• BCTF (BC Teachers' Federation) Solidarity Fund: British Columbia Teachers' Federation's provincial defence fund providing strike pay and dispute support to BC teachers. Comparable mutual-aid strike support structure for a single sector, though provincial rather than national scope.

Regional players

• Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL): Provincial labour federation coordinating strike support and solidarity actions across Ontario unions. Comparable in coordinating collective financial and political support during labor disputes, though at a provincial coordination level rather than direct dues collection.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CAISSE DE DEFENSE DE L'ACPPU