United Food & Commercial Workers International Union

The UFCW International Union's pension fund is overseen by International President Milton Jones and International Secretary-Treasurer Shawn Haggerty, who serve as the top elected officials of the union. The fund operates as a multi-employer defined-benefit plan, meaning investment policy is set by a board of trustees representing both union and contributing employers. Day-to-day investment management is typically delegated to external managers and consultants, though the union's leadership retains fiduciary responsibility.

The fund's investment decisions are made in the context of the UFCW's collective-bargaining agreements with employers like The Kroger Co. and its interactions with private-equity owners of unionized companies. The union has directly engaged with firms like Blackstone Group on labor standards at portfolio companies, including Packer Sanitation Services Inc. This dual role — investor and labor representative — means the fund can influence portfolio-company practices through both governance and contractual levers.

The fund deploys across both direct co-investments and limited-partner commitments to external funds. Its strategy spans buyout, growth equity, venture capital, fund of funds, mezzanine, and secondaries, with additional allocations to real estate and hedge funds. Real estate holdings include directly owned commercial properties in California, Colorado, and Georgia, alongside the union's Washington, DC headquarters.

The UFCW is a prominent affiliate of the AFL-CIO, the largest US labor federation. While the AFL-CIO does not control the UFCW pension fund's investments, the affiliation connects the fund to broader labor movement priorities, including worker-capital strategies and shareholder activism. The AFL-CIO's own investment initiatives occasionally align with the UFCW's fiduciary goals.

Yes. The UFCW Charity Foundation Inc. operates as a distinct entity from the pension fund, pursuing philanthropic activities independent of the retirement plan's fiduciary obligations. The pension fund's assets are legally segregated and held exclusively for the benefit of plan participants and their beneficiaries.

The fund holds a portfolio of directly owned commercial properties concentrated in areas with significant union membership. Known assets include the UFCW & Employers Plaza in Concord, California, buildings in Wheat Ridge and Greeley, Colorado, a property in Inglewood, California, and the International Headquarters at 1775 K Street N.W. in Washington, DC. Consolidated pension fund assets are also held in Atlanta, Georgia.

The fund includes early-stage seed, startup, and late-stage expansion strategies within its broader allocation. This suggests a willingness to access innovation-driven returns alongside the core buyout and real estate exposures. However, specific venture-capital fund commitments or direct startup investments have not been publicly disclosed, making the exact scope of this activity opaque to outside observers.