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Canada's Private Sector Union

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  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Restaurant Workers

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Restaurant Workers

Do restaurant workers have a union?

Yes. UFCW Canada is the union for restaurant workers in Canada, representing thousands of employees at Swiss Chalet, St-Hubert, The Keg, Bâton Rouge, Plaza Premium Lounge, Tim Hortons, Jollibee, Wendy’s, and many other restaurants and cafes.

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What union represents restaurant workers?

UFCW Canada is the union that represents restaurant workers in Canada, with over 9,600 members working in the restaurant and food service sectors, at some of the country’s best-known restaurants and cafes.

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Can restaurant workers unionize?

Yes. Restaurant workers in most jurisdictions have the right to unionize in Canada, and thousands of restaurant employees have chosen UFCW Canada as their union. To learn more about UFCW – the union for restaurant workers – and how you can join, visit our Join the Union webpage.

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Are restaurant workers unionized?

While Canada’s restaurant industry is predominantly non-union, there are still many restaurant workers who enjoy the benefits of unionization, and thousands of restaurant employees are proud to call UFCW Canada their union.

UFCW is the voice of unionized restaurant workers in Canada because our union helps restaurant employees improve their workplace and build a better life.

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Are McDonalds workers unionized?

Most McDonalds workers are not unionized in Canada. However, their peers at Tim Hortons, Jollibee, Wendy’s, and other fast-food restaurants enjoy the many benefits of being unionized as members of UFCW Canada – the union for fast food workers.

If you are a McDonalds worker who is interested in unionizing your workplace, contact UFCW Canada, the union for fast food workers, to join the union today.

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Do fast food workers have a union?

Yes. Fast workers across Canada are proud members of UFCW Canada, the union for fast food workers. Fast food employees who are members of UFCW include workers at Tim Hortons, Jollibee, Wendy’s, and other fast-food restaurants. UFCW Canada also represents employees at fast food chains in airports throughout the country.

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Can fast food workers unionize?

Yes. Most fast-food workers in most jurisdictions in Canada have the right to unionize. To learn more about the unionization process, and how you can join the union for fast food workers, visit UFCW Canada’s Join the Union webpage.

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Should dishwashers join a worker’s union?

Dishwashers should absolutely join a worker’s union, and the best union to join is UFCW Canada – the union for restaurant workers. UFCW Canada represents thousands of restaurant employees, including dishwashers, at major restaurant chains, fast food and airport restaurants, and coffee shops and cafes across the country.

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Is there a union for cooks?

Yes. The best union for cooks is UFCW Canada, the union restaurant workers. UFCW proudly represents cooks at hotel, airport, and dine-in restaurants from coast to coast. As well, UFCW Canada offers a pre-apprenticeship program for Cooks that can help you achieve trade certification in this trade and accreditation as a food professional.

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How much do cooks make at restaurants?

The wages of cooks can vary, but in general, unionized restaurant staff make more money than their non-union counterparts. Across professions, unionized workers in Canada earn an average of $5.14 per hour more than non-union employees. For women workers, the difference is $6.88 per hour. To gain the union advantage at work, including higher wages, click here to join UFCW Canada – the union for cooks.

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What industries are unionized?

Union density varies widely across sectors in Canada, from the highly unionized construction industry to the mostly non-union gig economy, but virtually every sector of the Canadian economy has some level of union representation.

UFCW Canada, the country’s leading private sector union, represents over 250,000 members working in all aspects of the private sector, including the following industries:

  • Retail (Grocery, Beverage Alcohol, Hardware, Cannabis, Eyewear)

  • Food (Manufacturing, Processing, Warehousing, Retail, Agriculture)

  • Hospitality (Hotels, Restaurants, Food Service)

  • Health Care (Long-Term Care, Home Care, Community Health, Dental Offices)

  • Security (Commissionaires, Garda, Paragon, G4S Secure Solutions, SRG)

  • Industrial (Apparel, Metal Fabrication, Wood Manufacturing, Scaffolding)

  • Office & Professional (Universities, Think Tanks, Food & Beverage Retail)

  • Gig Economy (Uber, Uber Black)

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Do bartenders have a union?

Yes. UFCW Canada is the union for bartenders in Canada, representing bartending staff at hotel, airport, and dine-in restaurants across the country, including well-known restaurant chains like The Keg, Bâton Rouge, and Plaza Premium Lounge, as well as eateries at several international airports and most of the major hotel chains.

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Do bartenders get paid well?

The wages of bartenders can vary, but in general, unionized restaurant staff make more money than their non-union counterparts. Across professions, unionized workers in Canada earn an average of $5.14 per hour more than non-union employees. For women workers, the difference is $6.88 per hour. To gain the union advantage at work, including higher wages, click here to join UFCW Canada – the union for bartenders.

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Is there a union for bar staff?

Yes. Bar staff throughout Canada are represented by the union for bartenders and restaurant workers, UFCW Canada. Bar staff who are members of UFCW Canada work at hotel, airport, and dine-in restaurants in almost every province, from coast to coast.

Some of the restaurant chains that UFCW bartending members work at include The Keg, Bâton Rouge, and Plaza Premium Lounge, as well as eateries at several international airports and most of the major hotel chains.

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Can supervisors join a union?

In general, if you are not involved with the hiring, firing, and discipling of union members in a bargaining unit, then you can join a union as a supervisor. Some examples of supervisors who have joined UFCW Canada include department heads at major grocery chains like Loblaws, Metro, and Sobeys / IGA, and plant supervisors working at manufacturing and waste management facilities represented by UFCW.

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Who is excluded from joining a union?

If you occupy a management position where you are responsible for the hiring, firing, and disciplining of employees, and you have access to privileged information, you will most likely be excluded from joining the bargaining unit that is comprised of those employees.

This does not mean that you do not have a right to join a union. Rather, management is typically excluded from an employee bargaining unit to ensure that union members are not involved in the hiring and disciplining of other union members, to avoid conflicts of interest, and to ensure that there are clear distinctions between the company and management, on the one hand, and the union and employees, on the other, for purposes such as collective bargaining and dispute resolution.

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Is there a union for waitresses?

Yes. UFCW Canada is the union for waitresses in Canada, representing waitresses at Swiss Chalet, St-Hubert, The Keg, Bâton Rouge, Plaza Premium Lounge, and numerous hotel and airport restaurants across the country.

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Is there a union for servers?

Yes. There is indeed a union for servers in Canada, and that union is UFCW Canada. UFCW represents servers at Swiss Chalet, St-Hubert, The Keg, Bâton Rouge, Plaza Premium Lounge, and various hotel and airport restaurants, from coast to coast.

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Is there a union for waiters?

Yes. The union for waiters is UFCW Canada, which represents waiters at Swiss Chalet, St-Hubert, The Keg, Bâton Rouge, Plaza Premium Lounge, and various hotel and airport restaurants throughout Canada.

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What does the UFCW do?

UFCW Canada is a membership-based workers’ organization that secures fairness, safety, and dignity for all members. Our union champions human rights and serves the needs of members, Local Unions, and staff through the provision of dynamic resources and services. We also help members achieve a just workplace through collective bargaining and dispute resolution, and by promoting diversity and inclusion at work.

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Click here to join the union today
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United Food and Commercial Workers Union
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