Joining a union means that you are collectively represented in a contract between your fellow workers and your employer. UFCW 1518 already represents 28,000 workers at hundreds of different workplaces.

The collective strength offered by a union means more power to fight for improved contract conditions, including on benefits, job security, vacation, scheduling and other important issues.

Your union is able to support you in bargaining for this contract, as well as making sure the contract is followed, and helping you with any issues you may run into at work.

We represent 28,000 workers in a wide range of workplaces. If you shop at Save-On-Foods, Safeway, or FreshCo, you’re shopping at a UFCW 1518 store, while we also represent thousands of workers in the healthcare sector across BC.

We also represent workers in many private cannabis stores, as well as in the industrial food sector and commercial farms, where our members prepare meat, flour, mushrooms and other foods you might find on your dinner table!

Every employee in BC and the Yukon has a right to join a union, regardless of age, employer or immigration status. It is illegal to fire, threaten or otherwise punish an employee for attempting to form a union.

Management will never know who signed cards – the process is 100% confidential. We will never tolerate retaliation against workers who are in favour of unionizing.

Union dues for new units are no more than 2% of your wages and are 100% tax-deductible. You won’t pay one cent until you vote in your first collective agreement. No benefits, no dues.

If you have a good relationship, there’s no reason anything has to change – you can still deal directly with your manager, and the union only steps in when a worker requests help. Union workers have a stronger voice and more respect, ensuring that their concerns are heard and that bad management is discouraged.

A union contract isn’t one size fits all – we will fight to keep the benefits you have, and expand or introduce new benefits you want. For example, if you like your scheduling flexibility, we can fight to keep it.

Forming a union gives you as workers more control over what goes in your contract.

There are no union contracts requiring an employer to keep lazy or incompetent workers. We protect workers against unjust dismissals and arbitrary discipline.

Strikes are very rare. You have control over strikes through a vote – a majority of your co-workers must be in favour to launch a strike. If that happens, we will provide you with strike pay.

It is illegal to close a workplace because the employees decide to join a union. No successful business will shut down because the workers decide to organize.