27th Annual UFCW Minority Coalition Education Conference champions equity, advocacy, and worker power

Washington, D.C. – November 19, 2025 - The 27th Annual UFCW Minority Coalition Education Conference brought together union members, leaders, and community advocates from across North America for a day of powerful dialogue, and cross-border solidarity.

This year’s conference arrived at a moment of heightened polarization, regressive legislation, and intensifying threats to the rights of marginalized communities. Guided by the theme Resist, Rise, and Reclaim: Fostering Unity and Action to Protect Minority Rights and Amplify Our Voices, the event brought together a diverse group of speakers, educators, and activists from the AFL-CIO, UFCW, the NAACP, and other labour and community partners.

Across panel discussions, and interactive workshops, participants explored strategies to counter discrimination, build cross-movement alliances, and protect the rights and dignity of all workers. Delegates emphasized the importance of collective power and proactive organizing, particularly at a time when minority communities face escalating barriers and political attacks.

Capping off the weekend was the presentation of the 52nd Annual Minority Coalition Recognition Awards, celebrating individuals across the UFCW family whose leadership, service, and advocacy have made a profound impact on advancing equity and workers’ rights — including former UFCW Canada National President and current UFCW International Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty, who received the prestigious Robert Vaughn Labour Leader of the Year Award. Haggerty was honoured for his unwavering commitment to equity, his decades of leadership within the labour movement, and his tireless dedication to improving conditions for workers across North America.

The UFCW Minority Coalition serves as a unified voice aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion within the North American labour movement. UFCW Canada is one of several Minority Coalition partners, along with the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), the UFCW International Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the UFCW United Latinos, the UFCW Women's Network, and Faces of Our Children.