The National Defence Fund

The National Defence Fund

Who we are

UFCW Canada National Defence Fund (NDF) is a strike fund, a powerful community, and a resource exclusively for UFCW Canada members. The NDF is your guarantee that, during a strike or lockout, your local union will have the resources to fight, and that you and your family will have the support you need.

The UFCW Canada NDF was established in 1986 in anticipation of the possibility of major strikes in Canada's packinghouse industry: that year, it supported more than 1,500 packinghouse workers in Alberta during long strikes and lockouts, ensuring that the workers had a united front.

In the decades since, the NDF has grown into a nine-figure strike fund: this gives powerful leverage at the bargaining table, which is critically when facing down some of the biggest companies/employers in the country, and in the world.

As part of the NDF, employers know that you mean business. In fact, 99% of contracts in the NDF are settled without any labour action.

Core sectors:

  • Grocery, retail and commerce
  • Food processing, packing, and manufacturing
  • Hotel, restaurant, catering, and tourism
  • Logistics and warehousing
  • Beverages and breweries
  • Flour milling
  • And more

What we do

The goal and purpose of the NDF fund is to provide members with further financial security during strikes and lockouts. The NDF is a promise for ongoing financial support during a labour dispute, no matter how long it takes.

Unity is always our strength as a union: the NDF is a powerful tool and resource to help build and maintain solidarity. It gives us the power we need as workers and proud union members to fight one day longer, one day stronger, ensuring the maximum amount of fairness in labour disputes.

When you join the NDF, you are joining a family, where over 100,000 UFCW Canada members stand together in solidarity. The NDF is open for all UFCW Canada members to join.

Where We Live

National Defence Fund Information Package

 

How to join

Joining the NDF means participating as part of a group or bargaining unit, where you and your coworkers vote to join. First, you attend a meeting where you and your fellow workers can find out more about the NDF. Then, as members of the bargaining unit, you get to vote on it. If a majority vote yes, you and your fellow workers become members of the National Defence Fund.

Contributions and Benefits

The NDF provides three contribution rate levels. The weekly per capita rate, as determined by a vote of the membership of each affiliated unit is $2.00 equivalent to $250 per week picket pay, $1.00 equivalent to $125 per week picket pay, or .50 cents equivalent to $65 per week picket pay.

During a strike or lockout, as an NDF member you will receive this extra money weekly on top of your regular picket pay. In addition, your local union will receive additional support from the NDF during a strike or lockout as needed, such as:

  • trailers
  • shelters
  • power generators
  • portable toilets
  • inflatable Scabby the Rat and Greedy Pig
  • legal counsel
  • advertising
  • promotional materials
  • and more

The NDF is here to make sure you get the respect you deserve.

More than 100,000 UFCW Canada members have voted to join the NDF: join today!

NDF RULES & REGULATIONS

NDF Rules & Regulations

 

Ready to build a better life? Do you and your colleagues want to make work better?