Lisa Pedersen has spent more than three decades advocating for the rights of workers and underrepresented people, and currently serves as the UFCW’s General Counsel, overseeing all legal matters on behalf of the International Union.
Pedersen joined the UFCW in 1997 as an Assistant General Counsel, where for nearly a decade she advocated for UFCW workers on a wide range of issues, including organizing, collective bargaining, wage and hour, civil rights, and inter-union disputes, before being promoted to Assistant and Special Counsel to the International President in 2007. In this role, she advised on matters pertaining to union governance, assisted in carrying out the duties of officers outlined in the UFCW International Constitution, represented the UFCW’s interests in legal proceedings, oversaw litigation, and strengthened the union’s relationship with the U.S. Department of Labor. She also served as a liaison to the AFL-CIO.
Prior to joining the UFCW, Pedersen served as the Legal Director for the Public Justice Center in Baltimore, Maryland, where she utilized class action and complex litigation, legislation and education to fight for civil rights and systemic justice for underserved communities. She further served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where she earned her juris doctorate.
Pedersen was elected to the Executive Committee in 2025, bringing her extensive legal expertise and deep commitment to the UFCW’s mission and workers’ rights to this role.