The Union for Grocery Workers

UFCW Canada: The Union for Grocery Workers

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UFCW Canada: The Union for Grocery Workers

Representing over 140,000 members in the food retail industry right across the country, from Nova Scotia to the Yukon to British Columbia and everywhere in between, UFCW Canada is the union for grocery workers.

UFCW is the best union for grocery workers because we make work better for employees in the grocery sector, whether you work as a produce clerk, a cashier, a bakery clerk, or a butcher.

Our union helps grocery store workers and their families build a better life by negotiating better wages and health benefits, fair scheduling and paid leave, and industry-leading pensions that allow members to retire comfortably after a lifetime of hard work.

These union benefits improve the lives of grocery store workers and help strengthen the communities they serve. And that’s why more and more grocery store workers are choosing to gain the union advantage by joining UFCW Canada.

Facts About the Food Retail Industry in Canada

The market value of the Canadian food retail sector is over $145 billion

Food and beverage store sales in Canada – including grocery store sales – amounted to almost $130 billion in 2019

Across Canada, there are more than 15,300 grocery stores with one or more employees

Between January 2019 and January 2021, food and beverage store sales grew by 13.64% in Canada

As of 2018, the average hourly wage in the Canadian grocery industry was $16.64

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Why Grocery Store Workers Join the Union

Being a member of UFCW Canada, the union for grocery workers, means you will have an experienced voice in the workplace who can advocate for your interests. It also means that you will be protected by a collective agreement that can provide you and your colleagues with things like higher wages and better workplace health and safety.

Choosing UFCW Canada: Grocery Store Workers

Working in the food retail industry can be a rewarding job, especially if you work at a unionized grocery store.

But many non-union grocery stores do not offer health benefits, such as dental care and eye care coverage. And in a non-union store, getting enough hours to provide for your family can be based on whether the manager likes you or not. Wages at non-union grocery stores also tend to be lower than those at unionized stores, and retirement benefits like a pension plan are extremely rare without a union in your corner.

By comparison, UFCW Canada members working in the grocery sector enjoy generous health and welfare benefits and better work-life balance, with fair schedules that are based on members’ length of service and their availability. In addition, UFCW grocery store members make wages that are above industry standard and have access to retirement plans that enable them to retire with dignity and economic security.

The clear advantages of unionization are why more grocery store workers are choosing UFCW Canada as their union. With decades of experience representing tens of thousands of grocery store workers throughout the country, UFCW is Canada’s grocery store union.

We are the preferred union of choice for workers in the grocery industry because we have a demonstrated track record of helping grocery store workers stand up for their rights and build a better life at work.

The Best Choice for Grocery Store Workers

UFCW Canada is incredibly proud of our members in the grocery industry, who work on the front lines of feeding Canadians and their families, from coast to coast.

Our union serves as the voice of grocery employees working at leading food retailers like Loblaws, Sobeys/Safeway, Metro, Co-op, Overwaitea, and many other companies, in nearly every province in Canada.

Workers at Real Canadian Superstore, IGA, Food Basics, Save-On-Foods, and other supermarket banners pick UFCW Canada as their union because we make work better for grocery employees – with higher paycheques, excellent benefits, and better work-life balance. That makes UFCW the best choice for grocery store workers.

UFCW Canada members work in a wide array of job roles across the food retail sector, including the following positions:

  • Cashier / Keyholder / Front End Supervisor
  • Deli / Prepared Meals Clerk
  • Produce Clerk
  • Seafood Clerk
  • Butcher
  • Meat Clerk
  • Grocery Store Clerk / Dairy Clerk / Receiver
  • Baker
  • Bakery Clerk
  • Floral Clerk
  • Courtesy Clerk
  • Department Manager (All Departments)
 
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