Why It Matters

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union ended its lobbying relationship with Mayforth Group LLC at the start of 2026, closing out a partnership that stretched back to 2003 and generated nearly $2 million in fees for the Rhode Island-based firm. The Mayforth Group LLC LDA termination was filed on May 1, 2026, with a termination date of January 1, 2026.

The UFCW was Mayforth's largest client. The union paid the firm $30,000 per quarter throughout 2025, totaling $120,000 for the year, and $127,000 in 2024, its highest annual total in the relationship. Over the full 23-year engagement, UFCW paid Mayforth approximately $1.98 million.

The lobbying client termination disclosure comes at a consequential moment for the firm. Based on first quarter 2026 filings, Mayforth reported $81,500 in total revenue across five clients, including the UFCW termination. Its four remaining active clients, the Town of Middletown, R.I. at $16,000, the Town of New Shoreham, R.I. at $13,500, Johnson and Wales University at $12,000, and the United Association of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders and Service Techs Local No. 51 at $10,000, together account for $51,500. The UFCW had represented roughly 37 percent of the firm's reported first quarter 2026 revenue.

The UFCW has not retained a new outside firm to replace Mayforth. The union conducts the bulk of its federal lobbying through an in-house operation, which spent $960,000 across 2025 and $170,000 in the first quarter of 2026. The in-house team, led by lobbyists Rachel Lyons, Haley Nicholson, and Robert Lopez, covers a broad portfolio including SNAP funding, Medicaid, immigration, healthcare costs, and grocery pricing legislation.

Broader Context

The Mayforth Group lobbying registration for UFCW was concentrated primarily on labor and workforce issues, with a focus on the Rhode Island and Massachusetts congressional delegations. Lobbyist Rick McAuliffe Jr., who served as District Director for Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), led the engagement for most of its duration. The firm's work for UFCW included monitoring labor legislation with New England delegations, discussing a 2019 grocery strike with Rhode Island members, and supporting Farm Bill reauthorization in 2023 and 2024.

That geographic and relational focus on New England Democrats was well-suited to the political environment of the 2000s and 2010s. It is a less obvious fit today, with Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House.

The Farm Bill

The most active phase of the Mayforth-UFCW relationship in recent years centered on Farm Bill reauthorization. Fees rose to $114,000 in 2023 and peaked at $127,000 in 2024 as the union pushed for a new farm bill. The House passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on April 30, 2026, one day before Mayforth filed its LDA filing termination. The Senate has not yet acted, and the 2018 Farm Bill has been extended through September 30, 2026, meaning the legislative fight is not over.

The UFCW's in-house team has been tracking the Farm Bill and related SNAP funding questions throughout 2025 and into 2026. In the third quarter of 2025, the union's in-house lobbyists reported working on a "skinny farm bill" proposal. By the fourth quarter of 2025 and into the first quarter of 2026, the focus shifted to SNAP funding in the context of budget reconciliation.

Labor, Medicaid, and Grocery Pricing

Beyond the Farm Bill, the UFCW's in-house lobbying disclosures show a consistent focus on issues directly tied to its 1.2 million members in grocery, meatpacking, retail, and related industries. Those priorities in 2025 and 2026 included:

  • SNAP access for striking workers, a recurring legislative push reflected in multiple quarterly filings
  • Medicaid cuts, tracked across every quarter of 2025 and into 2026
  • Immigration policy, given the large immigrant workforce in industries the union represents
  • Surveillance pricing and the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act, referenced in both the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 filings

The Protecting the Right to Organize Act, long a priority for the UFCW and other labor unions, has been reintroduced in the 119th Congress but faces long odds in the current Republican-controlled legislature.

The Bottom Line

The Mayforth Group LLC lobbying activities for UFCW were built around access to New England's congressional delegation, particularly Rhode Island members. That access had value when those members held influence, but the firm's client base, concentrated in Rhode Island municipalities and local institutions, reflects a practice rooted in regional relationships rather than national reach.

The UFCW's decision to rely exclusively on its in-house team going forward reflects the union's existing investment in direct federal lobbying. The in-house operation is considerably larger in scale, spending nearly eight times what Mayforth was paid in 2025. The three core in-house lobbyists cover a wider issue portfolio and engage with a broader set of members and committees than the New England-focused Mayforth engagement.

With the Farm Bill heading to the Senate, SNAP and Medicaid funding caught up in budget reconciliation, and grocery pricing legislation still pending, the UFCW's in-house team will carry the full weight of the union's federal advocacy without outside support.

Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights.