The CAW: A Dynamic Union
The CAW is the largest private sector union in Canada, representing 250,000 workers in a wide range of industries.
Building on our traditional base in auto, aerospace and other transportation equipment sectors, the CAW has been transformed through new organizing and mergers with other unions into a broad-based, general workers' union.
Today, we are the largest union in Canada in sectors such as auto assembly, auto parts manufacturing, aerospace, shipbuilding, fisheries and railway transportation. The CAW also has a major presence in several other sectors such as airlines, mining, electrical products, retail, health care and hospitality.
- Women represent nearly 30 percent of the total membership.
- Over 25,000 members are skilled trades workers.
- Members are organized into 266 local unions and over 1,900 bargaining units.
- Since 1985 our membership has more than doubled.
Our diversity and drive mean we're constantly on the move. Every year the CAW:
- negotiates more than 500 collective agreements,
- puts more than 1,500 members through various educational programs,
- holds at least three broad-based leadership meetings, typically involving more than a thousand workers.