Rachel Lyons serves as the Legislative Director for the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), where she leads the union’s federal and state legislative strategy. Since joining UFCW in 2017, she has directed advocacy across a wide range of priority areas, including agriculture, trade, immigration, labor standards, cannabis policy, and retirement security. In this role, Rachel works closely with lawmakers, coalition partners, and UFCW locals to advance policies that strengthen workers’ rights and improve economic opportunity for the union’s 1.2 million members.

Before UFCW, Rachel coordinated federal education and advocacy initiatives on workplace policies including equal pay and paid family and medical leave at the National Partnership for Women and Families. She also brings extensive experience from political and advocacy organizations including Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, the American Arts Alliance, and the National Education Association, as well as campaign work in New Hampshire, Missouri, Colorado, and Arizona.

Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Arts in philosophy and social policy from George Washington University.