Team Ignite celebrates their election victory

Ontario UFCW activists gather to march outside the Toronto Sheraton

Legendary UFCW Canada activist Andrew Mackenzie is inducted into the OFL Honour Roll

Toronto – November 24, 2023 – UFCW Canada activists from across Ontario led the way at the 17th Biennial Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) Convention, involving hundreds of delegates and leaders representing one million union members throughout the province.

This convention saw the beginning of a new era at the OFL as new President Laura Walton, new Executive Vice-President Jackie Taylor and re-elected Secretary-Treasurer and UFCW’s own Ahmad Gaied, and were elected to be the next executive officers of Canada’s largest labour federation. Running together as Team Ignite, these members of CUPE, USW and UFCW respectively received a strong mandate to conduct the renewed energy of the labour movement to organize workers, build workers’ power, and win a better future for workers and all residents of the country’s most wealthy province.

During the course the week, UFCW activities spoke on a number of key issues, such as combating racism and hate in the collective bargaining process, advocacy to counter hate against 2SLGBTQI+ communities and to support conversion therapy survivors, better protection for migrant food workers and changes to the OINP, increasing wage for parental leave, pay transparency and more. These UFCW-introduced resolutions were passed sending a strong message to the Ford government that Ontario’s labour movement will not remain silent in the face of corruption and injustice.

UFCW Canada activists also took to the streets of downtown Toronto as Ontario’s unions marched to call for the protection of good unionized jobs, fairness at work and in the public and private sectors, affordable housing, and more.

This convention saw the well-deserved celebration of legendary UFCW Canada activist Andrew Mackenzie who was inducted into the OFL Honour Roll.  Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called for a standing ovation of Andrew celebrating his many years as an NDP activist.  Other UFCW activists celebrated include UFCW 12R24 member Marlee Goyette who won the 2023 OFL Young Workers Award.

The next Ontario Federation of Labour convention will be in November 2025.