The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco, and Allied Workers’ Associations, known as the IUF, is an international federation of labor unions from approximately 150 countries. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the federation is comprised of hundreds of national-level unions, some of which operate in multiple countries and most of which represent workers in the food and service industry sectors. ¹

The union is notable for initiating aggressive advocacy campaigns against multinational companies and signing global framework agreements with companies that provide a minimum level of benefits to employees of such companies across national borders. United States-based unions that are members of IUF include the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). The group also operates the International Domestic Workers Federation, of which the U.S.-based National Domestic Workers Alliance is a member. ^{1 2 3}

Background and History

The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco, and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) was founded in 1920 as the result of a merger between several other union federations comprised of unions in the food industry including bakers, butchers, and brewers. The federation was originally called the International Union of Food and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUFAWA) and its affiliates were all European until 1950, after which the group expanded its membership worldwide. In 1958 the International Federation of Tobacco Workers merged into the federation followed by the International Union of Hotel, Restaurant and Bar Workers in 1961. Finally, in 1994, the International Federation of Plantation, Agricultural and Allied Workers merged into the IUF, which took its present name of the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations. By the late 1970s the federation claimed a total of 2.1 million members. ⁴

In 2006, most of the affiliate unions of the World Federation of Agriculture and Food Workers joined the IUF after that federation dissolved. ⁵

By 2001 the union was comprised of 340 union affiliates in 119 countries, although scholars noted that the federation remained small compared to other international union federations such as the International Metal Workers, Education International, and the Union Network International. ⁴

International Framework Agreements

In 1988 the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations became the first international union federation to sign an international framework agreement with Danone, a multinational food company. The group has signed additional agreements with Danone, and the 10th agreement between the groups was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor as an “example in action” as the groups signed an agreement to tackle “precarious employment.” ³

Other companies the IUF has signed agreements with have included Lipton, Unilever, Sodexo, Chiquita, and Accor. ⁶

Campaigns

The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco, and Allied Workers’ Associations operates international corporate pressure campaigns against companies who have locations that are not unionized. As of 2024 the group was operating campaigns against Marriott and Coca-Cola. The group also operates a safe workplace for fast food workers campaign. ^{7 8 9}

IUF also operates the International Domestic Workers Federation. ²

U.S. Members

The seven U.S.-based unions that are members of the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco, and Allied Workers’ Associations are the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM), Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU/UFCW), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), and UNITE HERE!. ¹

Mark Lauritsen is the president of the IUF while working for the UFCW as the international vice president and director of the food processing, packing and manufacturing division. ¹⁰

1. “Affiliates: United States.” IUF. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.iuf.org/who-we-are/affiliates/united-states/
2. “Affiliates.” International Domestic Workers Federation. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://idwfed.org/affiliates/
3. “Example in Action: Danone and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) Sign IFA to Tackle Precarious Employment.” Department of Labor. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/comply-chain/steps-to-a-social-compliance-system/step-3-develop-a-code-of-conduct/example-in-action-danone-and-the-international-union-of-food-agricultural-hotel-restaurant-catering-tobacco-and-allied-workers-associations-IUF-tackl
4. Rütters, Peter and Zimmerman, Rudiger. “On the History and Policy of the IUF.” 2003. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bibliothek/01655.pdf#search=%22IUF%20FES%20History%22
5. “World Federation of Agriculture and Food Workers (WFAFW).” UIA Global Civil Society Database. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://uia.org/s/or/en/1100018721
6. “Global Agreements.” IUF. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.iuf.org/what-we-do/global-agreements/
7. “Safe workplaces for fast food workers now.” IUF. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.iuf.org/safe-workplaces-for-fast-food-workers-now/
8. “Home.” Workers of Marriott. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.workersofmarriott.org/
9. “Coca-Cola Campaign.” IUF. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.iuf.org/campaigns/coca-cola-campaign/
10. “Elected officers 2023-2027.” IUF. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.iuf.org/who-we-are/elected-officers/