Gavin McGarrigle is the elected Western Regional Director of Unifor, currently serving his third term on the national leadership team, based in Metro Vancouver.
In the labour movement
Gavin began his career organizing his own workplace into a union while studying at the University of Victoria, where he graduated with distinction in Sociology and Professional Writing. That early experience led to more than two decades of continuous leadership in Canada’s labour movement, serving the union at the local, provincial, and national levels.
Over the years, Gavin has led workers through organizing drives, rounds of collective bargaining, arbitrations and labour board proceedings.
In 2014, he played a key leadership role during the Vancouver container trucking dispute, where his efforts helped stop provincial back-to-work legislation and secure a landmark agreement.
His ongoing work in this sector led to the introduction of provincial legislation and rules outlining “safe rates” for container truck drivers, along with new enforcement measures that have returned millions in unpaid wages to truckers over the years.
Gavin helped lead Unifor’s campaign for legislative reform to labour laws, including the restoration of single step card-check certification in British Columbia and Manitoba. He has worked extensively to support anti-scab legislation both provincially and federally. He has taken a strong public stance during major labour conflicts, including the 2020 Co-op Refinery lockout in Saskatchewan.
Gavin helped lead the historic union drive at Amazon in British Columbia, which led to Unifor’s first certification of a large Amazon facility in Canada, in Delta, B.C., in July 2025.
Public policy & advisory work
Beyond the workplace, Gavin has contributed to numerous public policy initiatives, with seats on several provincial advisory bodies covering climate policy, trade, tourism, transportation and forestry. See his full public policy work for the complete list.
Federally, Gavin is a Governor in Council appointee representing trade unions on the Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council, created under the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act.
In this role, Gavin has helped advise on climate policy, sustainable economic transition strategies, support programs for workers and major issues confronting communities including energy, forestry and infrastructure needs.
Gavin was a co-chair of the Better Transit and Transportation Coalition and has also acted as a trustee of a major multi-employer pension plan.
In the media
Gavin regularly appears in the media on workers’ rights, public services and fair economic policy, and works across labour, government, industry and community lines. Recent interviews and coverage are collected on the media page.
Media outlets can download McGarrigle’s high-res photo here.
Off the clock
Gavin lives in Metro Vancouver. Away from the job he is a recreational runner and trains in judo at White Rock Judo Club.
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