Health Plan

Having access to health and dental coverage is an important part of increasing the working and living conditions for Canadian workers. Unfortunately, many workers do not have access to benefits as part of their employment. By working together in a community chapter, groups of workers can gain access to a selection of benefits plan for themselves and their families.

The plans available to members in community chapters are offered by Greenshield Canada. There are six different plans that vary in benefits and cost.

Click here to view detailed information about the plans.

Home and Auto Insurance

Through Unifor, CFU members can also access reduced insurance costs for home and auto insurance. To obtain a quote, please visit Unifor Insurance.

Commercial Liability Insurance

The Canadian Freelance Union has negotiated a reduced rate for Commercial General Liability Insurance. To obtain a quote, please fill out this form

The Canadian Freelance Union offers CFU members who work in public media as journalists, photographers, illustrators, writers and editors access to the International Federation of Journalists’ Press Card and the CFU National Press Card.

Canadian Freelance Union National Press Card

The CFU National Press Card identifies the holder as a professional Canadian freelancer working in public media. It is supported by the CFU for confirmation or accreditation purposes. To qualify for the CFU National Press Card you must be a Canadian Freelance Union member in good standing. There is no additional fee for this card and can take up to 3 weeks and is tied to your expiry date of your CFU membership.

To request your CFU Press Card, you must be a journalist and a member in good standing. If you meet these requirements, please provide the following:

1. Your full name
2. Your full mailing address
3. Your preferred email address
4. Designation requested: (ex: journalist, reporter, photographer, videographer, etc.)
5. A high resolution (300dpi) electronic head-shot photo file (passport-style) in jpeg format
6. 3 recent samples of published freelance work
7. A letter from your editor or resume confirming your paid work as a journalist

To request your CFU National Press Card, please ensure you are logged with your membership profile and submit this form. 

IFJ International Press Card

To qualify for the IFJ press card, you must be a Canadian Freelance Union member in good standing. The IFJ card has more international recognition and offers more protection, but it comes with more rigorous requirements and a charge. The card is available through the CFU's connections with Unifor at a cost of $115 and typically takes between 3 and 6 weeks.

To request your IFJ International Press Card, you must be a journalist and a member in good standing. If you meet these requirements, please provide the following:

1. Your full name
2. Your full mailing address
3. Your preferred email address
4. Your Telephone number
5. Designation requested: (ex: journalist, reporter, photographer, videographer, etc.)
6. A high resolution (300dpi) electronic head-shot photo file (passport-style) in jpeg format
7. 3 recent samples of published freelance work
8. A letter from your editor or resume confirming your paid work as a journalist

To request your IFJ International Press Card, please ensure you are logged with your membership profile and submit this form.

If you are not a paid member of the CFU, you will not be able to access the form.

A service to assist our members in managing disputes with clients

A growing number of freelancers face work-related issues, usually around non, or slow payment of fees or abuse of copyright. Together, members can hold clients accountable and defend their rights.

Although every case is unique, the general approach we will use goes like this:

1. A member submits a [request for solidarity].
2. The Grievance Support committee reviews the request and confirms the issue is something the CFU can organize solidarity in support of.
3. At this point, the member will be offered some options for how to proceed and they can choose.
4. Some options include:
   1. The committee writes a  letter to the client asking for justice to resolve the issue or a meeting to discuss the issue along with the affected member..
   2. The committee explains how the member can take the client to small claims court.
   3. The committee organizes solidarity actions among the membership to pressure the client publicly.

We need some information to help us better understand the issues.  Please fill out the following questionnaire.  

A service to help members interpret the contracts they face

A good contract is the basis of a fruitful and positive business relationship between freelancer and client. A bad contract can mean disaster, usually for the freelancer.

Through this service, the Canadian Freelance Union will help our members understand and interpret the contracts they face. We will help you understand the sometimes-intentional legalese, and we will even offer suggestions about how a bad contract can be made better.

Remember, a contract is an agreement between two (or more) agreeable parties. You are never obligated to sign a contract, and you are fully within your rights to make any changes you want before signing. Never hesitate to edit, change or cross out sections of an offered contract -- it's your right!

We offer a tool to help members develop their own contracts. The template contract allows members to build customized contracts by selecting the most common clauses need to protect themselves.

The contract template offers standard contract language and can be modified according to the nature of the work, the occupation, the client or other criteria.

Members can customize it by selecting which of the clauses below should be included.

Members often want to show off their union pride in their work by affixing a CFU logo to the end product. You can get the CFU logo in a variety of formats suitable for different contexts.

There are rules about the use of the logo. Please ensure that you are in compliance.