A History of UFCW’s advocacy for agricultural workers

Largest Group of Farm Workers ever to unionize

In 2024, 400 workers at Highline Mushrooms farms in British Columbia joined the UFCW 1518, becoming the largest group of farmworkers to unionize in Canada.  This is the first group of migrant agricultural workers in Canada to collectively exercise their fundamental right to join a union for many years: this victory reflects Highline Mushrooms workers’ courage and determination. The key concerns for the workers at Highline Mushrooms are improving health and safety, ensuring a safe and fair work environment, being treated with dignity and respect, and the ability to bargain collectively.

As the food workers’ union, UFCW Canada represents thousands of migrant workers in unionized workplaces across the country, such as greenhouses, mushroom factories, and meatpacking plants. The union fiercely advocates for its migrant members, including working with them to navigate the immigration pathways and become permanent residents if desired. 

Relationship Building in Mexico

UFCW Canada has worked for many years forging relationships with the Mexican government and labour groups, advocating for Mexican migrant workers in Canada. In recent years, UFCW Canada has participated in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program review between Mexico and Canada, signed a collaborative agreement with Mexico’s largest labour organization to better protect the rights of Mexican migrant workers, and more.  

Social Partner Forums

In 2024, UFCW held North America’s first Social Partner Forum on Decent Work in the Agrifood Sector, fostering dialogue between the key stakeholders of labour, employers and government. This forum was held in conjunction with the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF), a global union federation of agrifood workers. This social partner forum was to discuss the recently released guidelines by the ILO on Decent Work in the Agrifood Sector. As an IUF affiliate, UFCW contributed to the development of these guidelines.