October 22, 2026 – Toronto – UFCW members from across Canada gathered in Toronto this week for the 2026 meeting of UFCW Canada’s United Latinos. Participants included Latinx UFCW members, leaders and allies committed to promoting issues important to Latinx workers and building a stronger union.

The United Latinos of UFCW is a constituency organization that brings together Latinx UFCW members and allies to promote issues and pursue interests important to Latinx workers.

At the meeting, held over October 21-22, 2026, participants heard presentations from migrant rights advocates and researchers, including the groundbreaking work UFCW Canada has undertaken in Mexico to promote awareness of workers’ rights among migrants who come to work in Canada’s agriculture sector.

There were also panel discussions covering topics such as representation and leadership, union advocacy, and how engagement happens among Latinx members in their workplaces and in their communities.

“The individual and collective experiences of Latinx members and communities have always been a source of the labour movement’s strength, both globally and here in Canada,” said UFCW Local 247 participant Mike Toal. “In meetings like these, it is clear how these shared experiences are an undeniable resource for building our union’s strength, sense of solidarity and purpose, and ability to organize and mobilize around issues.”

“In the present upheaval we are experiencing in politics, society, and the economy,” he continued, “we need these spaces more than ever. And our union is uniquely positioned to create them.”