Aboriginal people want the same kinds of things all Canadians want: a decent life for their families, respect, fair treatment, peace, safety. There’s a lot that binds us together across ancestries and cultures.
But let’s not forget to respect and celebrate what makes different groups of people unique. Canada’s First Peoples are deeply rooted in this land, and have millennia of history in caring for its water, soil, air, and inhabitants. Their languages, spiritualties, cultural practices, and economies arise from and are well-suited to these lands. In the past, and still today, we see efforts to erase those unique identities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
One of the meanest examples of this destruction is the federal government’s on-going failure to provide on-reserve children with the same level of child welfare services that exist elsewhere in this country. And the Liberals refuse to comply with rulings of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, ordering it to end this discrimination.
I encourage you to visit the website of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and sign up to support their “I am a witness” campaign.
Our union wants to be part of a national effort at reconciliation, instead of eradication. Let’s celebrate National Aboriginal Day by ensuring that Aboriginal children, families, communities, and cultures thrive and prosper.
In solidarity,
Tomorrow is Election Day in British Columbia and there’s too much at stake for Steelworkers to sit this one out. Across our province, working families are facing real challenges. Forestry communities are fighting to protect jobs and keep mills running. Mining workers need stronger safety protections and training. Canadian jobs are threatened by outsourcing, and […]
KAMLOOPS, B.C. – United Steelworkers union (USW) Local 7619 has issued 72-hour strike notice to Teck’s Highland Valley Copper (HVC) operation near Logan Lake, B.C., following unsuccessful negotiations to reach a fair collective agreement. The notice was served Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m., with the union preparing for potential strike action if an agreement […]
The jobs of thousands of USW members have been plunged into uncertainty due to U.S. tariffs, outsourcing and offshoring. In 2025, the Steelworkers Humanity Fund (SHF) has supported initiatives that help build union-to-union solidarity, which is critical to ensuring workers have a voice. Over the years, the USW has supported the efforts of the Mexican […]