About
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is a labor union made up of 1.2 million hard-working men and women in the U.S. and Canada. We are a 501(c)(5) nonprofit organization that believes in the power of ordinary people coming together to improve their lives and make a lasting difference for all working people.
Our members are your friends and neighbors. They work in grocery and retail stores, pharmacies, health care and manufacturing facilities, and in food processing and meat packing industries. From the rural heartland to teeming urban centers, our members are on the front lines working hard to feed, serve and strengthen the neighborhoods and communities we call home.
We believe hard work should be rewarded with a better life, and that no one should have to struggle alone. We do this by:
- Winning strong contracts for our members that put improvements in wages and working conditions in writing— no more wondering whether employers will honor their promises
- Representing individual members in talks with management when problems arise
- Providing a safe, confidential way for workers to get answers about their rights on the job without worrying about retaliation or making things awkward with their boss or coworkers
- Reaffirming for workers that they are worthy and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity
- Supporting political legislation that protects workers’ interests and fighting corporate-funded attacks
- Acting as watchdogs to counter the influence of high-paid industry lobbyists.
- Organizing together to tackle national and global trends
We are continually striving to push the ball forward and raise standards in the industries we represent. We recognize that victories are never given, but that they are always won. As a result, on average our members:
- Earn better wages and benefits than nonunion workers. On average, union workers as whole earn over $190 more per week compared to their nonunion counterparts
- Are more likely to have jobs that provide health insurance, paid vacation, holidays and sick leave, scheduling overtime protection and other benefits
- Have more rights that protect them on the job than nonunion workers. UFCW contracts establish standards to help eliminate the gender wage gap and combat discrimination regardless of gender, age, race, creed, color, country of origin, status of citizenship, language spoken, pregnancy status, family status, sexual orientation or gender identity.