The United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union Local No. 247 (“UFCW Local 247”) is committed to protecting the personal information we collect in compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act (“PIPA”).

UFCW Local 247 believes in the importance of protecting the privacy of union members. We are committed to accountability in the handling, accuracy, confidentiality and security of personal information, in accordance with PIPA.

This UFCW Local 247 Personal Information & Privacy Operational Policy (“Operational Privacy Policy”) has been developed in compliance with PIPA and outlines our union’s operational practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure and protection of personal information.

Updated versions of this Operational Privacy Policy will be posted on UFCW Local 247’s website. Copies will also be available at UFCW Local 247 offices.

Definition of Personal Information

“Personal information” is defined as recorded information that is reasonably capable of identifying a particular individual either alone or when combined with information from other available sources. Examples of personal information include details such as individual’s name, birth date, email address, and phone number.

Collection of Personal Information

UFCW Local 247 collects personal information from the following sources:

• Membership applications;
• Grievance, appeal or claim forms;
• Employers, with respect to dues submissions;
• Surveys and forms, such as those related to bargaining, education, scholarships and other benefits and initiatives;
• Members’ interactions with UFCW Local 247 (eg. telephone, correspondence, email, text message, etc.)
• Members’ interactions with UFCW Local 247 staff or activists, including but not limited to shop stewards, worksite contacts, and union officers; and
• Members’ interactions with UFCW Local 247-operated websites and other online activities. See our Online Privacy Policy.

Use of Personal Information

UFCW Local 247 collects and retains personal information in order to:

• Represent members and their interests with respect to employment matters under collective agreements and applicable legislation;
• Verify identity;
• Maintain a complete record of membership in the union;
• Maintain communication with members and respond to their enquiries;
• Investigate and settle grievances, appeals and claims;
• Collect and manage dues and assessments;
• Issue tax receipts for union dues contributions;
• Assist the union in representing its members with respect to employment under collective agreements;
• Verify eligibility for strike pay and benefits;
• Provide information about union membership programs and benefits;
• Assist in accessing a benefit, program or right under applicable legislation;
• Manage union affairs, including but not limited to administering and supporting union activities and member engagement;
• Administer the business of the union, such as correspondence and research (e.g. member surveys);
• Maintain affiliation as a Local Union of the United Food and Commercial Workers’ International Union, the Canadian Labour Congress, BC Federation of Labour, a Labour Council, or other labour body;
• Provide online services (e.g. address updates, e-mail bulletins, event conference, and course registration, scholarship application);
• Facilitate participation in union events;
• Communicate about issues of interest and concern to our membership (e.g. union campaigns, actions);
• Assess and support member voting and participation; and
• Allow for record keeping of union staff and union activists’ (including but not limited to stewards, worksite contacts, and union officers) interactions with members.

Personal information may be collected, used or disclosed for any of the identified purposes set out above. If personal information is needed for any purpose other than those set out above, UFCW Local 247 will not use or disclose it without obtaining additional consent from the individual, unless such disclosure is required by law.

Disclosure of Personal Information

UFCW Local 247 will only collect, use, or disclose personal information when it is necessary to fulfill the purposes identified at the time of collection, for a purpose reasonably related to the purposes or for purposes permitted or required by law.

UFCW Local 247 may be required to collect, use or disclose personal information as part of an internal investigation or other law enforcement purpose.

Internal and External Access

UFCW Local 247 will ensure that access to personal information is limited to authorized UFCW Local 247 employees, officers, and representatives in the performance of their job function and/or for fulfillment of UFCW Local 247’s legitimate purposes.

In some circumstances, UFCW Local 247 may share personal information with external legal advisors, consultants, contractors or regulators who require access to this information in fulfillment of UFCW Local 247’s legitimate purposes.

UFCW Local 247 does not sell personal information to any third party.

Obtaining Consent

UFCW Local 247 obtains consent to collect personal information from individuals in a number of ways, including:

• In writing, such as through:
  • Print forms, such as Union membership application forms and contact update forms;
  • Voluntary union member surveys;
  • Website forms that allow an individual to provide and/or correct their personal information for a general purpose or for a specific purpose (eg. applying for a scholarship); and
  • Forms to facilitate the reimbursement of expenses.
  • Electronically, through email requests, social media direct messages, or SMS text messages received from individuals;
• Verbally, when having their photo or image taken at a union event or activity or when an individual volunteers personal information when participating in a union meeting, event, or conference;
• Implicitly through use of the UFCW Local 247 website (www.ufcw247.com) where the Online Privacy Policy is posted and available to all users or through participation in UFCW Local 247’s social media channels; and
• Through collective agreement provisions that allow for the collection of personal information from an individual’s employer pursuant to UFCW Local 247’s obligations to represent employees under applicable legislation.

Individuals have a right to withdraw their consent to the collection of their personal information at any time by contacting the Privacy Officer, though depending on the circumstances, individuals should be aware that this may frustrate the performance of legal obligations between UFCW Local 247 and an individual.

Personal Information Requests

Individuals have a right to access and ask about their own personal information that has been collected by UFCW Local 247.

Such a request must be made in writing and addressed to the UFCW Local 247’s Privacy Officer stating as specifically as possible what personal information is being requested:

Address:

UFCW Local 247
Attention: Privacy Officer
#200-14936 32nd Avenue, Surrey BC V4P 3R5

Email: privacy@ufcw247.com

To increase the likelihood that UFCW Local 247 will be able to quickly and accurately process such a request with minimal or no fees, information requests should be specific and targeted.

Depending on the scope of the request and whether providing the information will take longer than three (3) hours, a minimal fee may be required. Individuals will be provided with an initial written estimate of the total fee, if applicable, prior to responding to the request.

Individuals may be required to prove their identity before being provided their personal information. In certain situations, in accordance with privacy legislation, UFCW Local 247 may not be able to provide access to certain personal information that it holds about an individual.

Examples include, but are not limited to, situations in which:

• Providing the information may reveal personal information about another individual and such information cannot be separated from the requesting individual’s personal information;
• The information can identify another individual;
• The information cannot be disclosed for legal reasons; or
• Providing the information could reasonably be expected to threaten the health or safety of an individual.

If access cannot be provided, UFCW Local 247 will notify the person requesting the information, in writing, of the reasons for the refusal.

Accuracy of Personal Information

UFCW Local 247 makes reasonable efforts to ensure that personal information collected, used, and disclosed is accurate and complete.

To maintain the accuracy of personal information, individuals are able to correct or update their personal information by using forms on the UFCW Local 247 website (www.ufcw247.com), emailing ufcw@ufcw247.com, calling 1-888-361-8329, or by mail at UFCW Local 247, #200 -14936 32nd Avenue, Surrey, BC, V4P 3R5.

While UFCW Local 247 periodically receives routine updates to our database records from employers pursuant to the terms of collective agreements, UFCW Local 247 members who update their information with us are also advised to alert their employer of any change. Failure to do so may result in requested changes being overwritten by a subsequent routine update from the individual’s employer.

Retention of Records

The length of retention will vary in relation to the nature of the service. If UFCW Local 247 uses personal information to make a decision that directly affects an individual, it must retain that information for at least one (1) year so that the individual has a reasonable opportunity to obtain access to it.

After the retention period, records containing personal information are destroyed using industry-accepted methods, including shredding physical documents, redacting documents to remove personal information while maintaining aggregate or general information, and the certified wiping of data from electronic devices.

Protecting Personal Information

UFCW Local 247 takes an active interest in protecting the personal information it collects, uses, and discloses.

UFCW Local 247 limits access to personal information to only those UFCW Local 247 officers, staff members and designated union members who require access to the information in the performance of their job function and/or duties.

When suspected privacy breaches are identified, they are:

• contained using all necessary steps;
• reported to UFCW Local 247 leadership; and
• reported to the Privacy Officer for investigation and reporting.

Individuals are entitled to ask questions about the handling of their personal information by UFCW Local 247 and make complaints. Such complaints can be made in writing to the Privacy Officer:

Email privacy@ufcw247.com or write UFCW Local 247, Attention: Privacy Officer, #200-14936 32nd Avenue, Surrey, BC V4P 3R5

Video and Audio Surveillance

UFCW Local 247 uses video and audio surveillance at its offices to maintain the security of its property, that of its tenants, and to protect any personal information it has collected.

UFCW Local 247 conducts regular reviews to ensure such surveillance is appropriate to prevent security issues, the ability of surveillance to prevent the issues, and the sensitivity of personal information being collected.

The collection, use, disclosure, and security of personal information captured by the surveillance system is subject to this Operational Privacy Policy and PIPA .

Staff Training and Education

Policies and procedures related to personal information are communicated to all employees of UFCW Local 247.

UFCW Local 247 provides regular and mandatory training to all staff on expectations regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information. This training ensures all UFCW Local 247 staff are aware that they are required to report privacy risks, breaches, incidents, and other issues to management and to the Privacy Officer.

Staff and Officers of UFCW Local 247 found to have abused or misused membership information may be subject to disciplinary action.

Oversight of Service Providers and Contractors

UFCW Local 247 ensures that privacy provisions regarding collection, use, disclosure, and security of personal information are clearly written into any contracts with service providers and contractors.

Risk Assessments and Security Safeguards

UFCW Local 247 regularly reviews its privacy policies, personal information holdings, and security safeguards to protect personal information and ensure compliance with PIPA.

When implementing new or amended/updated initiatives that involve the collection of personal information, UFCW Local 247 includes an assessment of the personal information being collected.

UFCW Local 247 employs administrative safeguards, including privacy policies, staff training, confidentiality agreements, and the appropriate screening of contractors, new hires, and temporary or relief representatives.

UFCW Local 247 employs technological safeguards to protect personal information, including making reasonable efforts to ensure the secure collection, storage, transmission, and destruction of sensitive information using industry-accepted data collection, encryption, and certified wiping methods. This includes utilizing a third-party provider to manage our information technology and security needs and monitor our infrastructure, protecting personal information from things like snooping, hacking, theft, loss, tampering, and copying of information when not authorized.

Physical records containing personal information of a sensitive nature are only accessible to certain UFCW Local 247 staff and are kept in secure and locked storage locations. UFCW Local 247 maintains contracts with providers who undertake industry-accepted methods in destroying physical records containing personal information.

Personal Information Inventory

UFCW Local 247 maintains an inventory of the personal information collected that includes the types of personal information and who the personal information is about; the purpose for collecting, using or disclosing the information; the sensitivity of the information; and where the information is stored.

The personal information inventory is reviewed regularly by the UFCW Local 247 Privacy Officer and Office Manager, and revisions are made when necessary.

Privacy Officer

UFCW Local 247 has a designated Privacy Officer, a staff member assigned to privacy matters.

The Privacy Officer is equipped with the resources to do their job, and UFCW Local 247, its Executive Board and staff, fully support and promote privacy management.

An individual with questions, complaints, or concerns about their personal information, this Operational Privacy Policy or the Online Policy may contact the Privacy Officer by emailing privacy@ufcw247.com, calling 1-888-361-8329 or writing to UFCW Local 247, #200 – 14936 32nd Avenue, Surrey, BC, V4P 3R5, Attention: Privacy Officer.

If an individual requires more general information regarding PIPA, or if they feel their complaint or concern has not been resolved to their satisfaction, they may contact the BC Information and Privacy Commissioner: PO Box 9038 Stn. Prov. Govt., Victoria BC V8W 9A4.

Policies Referenced

• Personal Information & Privacy Operational Policy (“Operational Privacy Policy”)
• Online Privacy Policy (“Online Policy”)
• Social Media Participant Use Policy (“Social Media Policy”)

Last Updated: October 1, 2025