The United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1518 is British Columbia’s largest private-sector union with more than 24,000 members in British Columbia and the Yukon. UFCW 1518 has offices located in New Westminster, Kelowna, and Victoria and represents workers in Retail, Food Processing, Healthcare and Professional Services. We represent workers at Save-On-Foods, Safeway, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Urban Fair, and Shoppers Drug Mart, to name just a few.

You will decide with your coworkers what changes your union will push for. Here are some of the common improvements we bargain for:

1. Enforceable Employment Contact – All unionized workplaces have a mutually agreed upon employment contract known as a collective agreement. This collective agreement will secure your current wages, benefits and working conditions.
2. Improved Job Security – A union will take away your employer’s ability to terminate you without cause. You’ll also gain a grievance procedure that will assists you in solving workplace issues.
3. Professional advocacy and support – With a union, workers are not left alone with management to deal with their problems. Union members have access to union representatives, labour lawyers, and Workers Compensation lawyers, as well as any other consult your union determines, is needed.
4. Better Wages – A union will negotiate a fair wage scale that provides workers with regular pre-approved wage increases! No need to ask for a raise anymore, they are guaranteed.
5. Fair treatment – The fight for fairness lies with workers gaining the power of being able to change their working environment. Workers coming together will give you all the power to make your jobs better for you and those who come after you. We are stronger together!

Securing what you have today into a legally binding contract ensures that what you like about your job stays that way even if there is a change of management and even ownership. Belonging to a union also creates a support network: Stewards, union representatives, negotiators and lawyers will be there to ensure your fair treatment at work.

Every British Columbian has the right to join a union. The unionizing process is designed by the government to be 100% confidential. Here's what you need to do to join UFCW 1518:

1. Connect with Us Confidentially
   Use our contact form or call us at 1-888-581-1518.
   We will get back to you as soon as possible to answer your questions about joining a union.
   Know that once you start the process of unionizing, your job is protected by the BC Labour Relations Board.
2. Union Support Cards
   Working with staff from our union, you and the majority of your co-workers (45%) sign a support card indicating you would like the BC Labour Relations Board to hold a unionization vote at your workplace.
   This process is confidential. Your employer will never have the right to know who did or did not sign. Your employer cannot legally take action against anyone for signing a card.
3. Secret Ballot Vote
   When a majority of your co-workers have signed a union card, the BC Labour Relations Board will hold a secret ballot vote to form a union at your workplace.
   Vote “Yes” to join the union!

No, your employer will never see or find out who signed the cards, just as they will never know if you voted. The entire process is designed by the government to be anonymous.

No, we need to win the secret ballot vote for that to happen. The union relies on card signers to vote in favour of joining UFCW 1518, so if you sign[hyperlink] please show up to the vote!

No, that is illegal. No one can be terminated or harassed for supporting a union. However, in the unlikely event that a supporter is terminated because of their support for joining UFCW 1518, we will hire a lawyer to represent supporters at no cost to them. UFCW 1518 will not tolerate any employer violating workers’ rights and will take legal action if needed.

There is no cost to join until you vote in your first collective agreement. Once that happens, your dues will be no more than 2% of your earnings. Since unions are non-profit organizations, your dues are 100% tax deductible. The higher wages, rights and benefits that come with unionization are well worth the small cost associated with joining!