Ahmad Gaied is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), Canada’s largest provincial labour federation. He was elected to the position at the OFL Power of Many 15th Biennial Convention in 2019.
Ahmad was first elected to the OFL executive at the OFL’s biennial Convention in November 2015. At the age of 33, he was the youngest officer ever to be elected at the Ontario Federation of Labour. Ahmad is also a Worker of Colour and a proud member of the Muslim community in Toronto.
He is an ardent supporter of grassroots and worker-led initiatives to assist organizing non-union workers so that they can benefit from union representation.
A long-time activist and community advocate, Ahmad began his trade union activism as a chief steward at his No Frills store in 2003 and rose through the ranks to the position of Member Engagement Representative for UFCW Canada Local 1000A.
Within his union, Ahmad has also served as a certified member of the Joint Health and Safety Committee, and was elected to UFCW Canada’s Toronto Divisional Board for both Loblaw and No Frills units, representing retail workers across the GTA. He is also a frequent instructor and facilitator on labour rights issues and has led numerous initiatives on engaging young workers.
In addition to his labour union activism, Ahmad is a dedicated community advocate. He currently volunteers with multiple not-for-profit, non-partisan community organizations to help increase civic engagement. Ahmad is also Vice-President of the Ontario NDP’s Scarborough – Rouge Park provincial riding association, and he has worked extensively as an NDP voter contact organizer in the GTA and throughout the country — most notably in the 2015 Alberta election that led to a sweeping NDP victory.
As well, Ahmad has worked as Employment Insurance (EI) worker representative and referee before the role of EI referee was abolished by the Harper Conservative government.
Ahmad self-identifies as Canadian, Libyan, Arab, and African. He speaks both English and Arabic, which he uses to build bridges within the community.
As part of the new generation of workers who are facing the most precarious labour market in our country’s history, Ahmad is committed to mobilizing youth and equity-seeking workers to stop Ontario’s race to the bottom.
