Steelworkers mourn the passing of former Canadian Director Lawrence McBrearty, 1943-2026

We are deeply saddened to learn that Lawrence McBrearty has passed away. We send our sincerest condolences to Lawrence’s widow, his children, his extended family and our broader union family.

“Lawrence was one of a kind,” said Marty Warren, United Steelworkers union (USW) National Director. “He was so loyal to the dignity of the working person and the strength of the union. As national director, he never gave up on holding employers accountable – criminally – for workplace deaths. The Westray Law is his legacy.”

A native of Murdochville, Que., Lawrence McBrearty’s work life began at the Gaspé Copper Mine, operated by Noranda, where the USW was certified in 1966. In 1970, his fellow workers elected him president of Local 6086. He rose through the ranks to become the union’s Quebec director in 1991, and then Canadian director in 1993 – a position he held until 2004.

Under Lawrence’s leadership, the Steelworkers were instrumental in enacting the Westray Law in 2004. Following the catastrophic explosion at the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia that claimed the lives of 26 miners in 1992, the USW led more than a decade of advocacy to include Criminal Code provisions that establish criminal liability for corporations and their representatives for workplace deaths and injuries.

Lawrence continued his labour activism in retirement, as a member of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR). He served as the District 5 (Quebec) representative on the SOAR Executive Board from 2014 until 2025.

He was an unparalleled storyteller, particularly in sharing Steelworkers’ history at many union events. He captured audiences with his accounts of how the Steelworkers paved the way for significant innovations in workplace health and safety, such as joint labour-management committees, first seen in USW collective agreements even before being recognized in labour laws. He proudly recounted the union’s historic role in national unity debates, such as when USW District 5 withdrew its funds from the Royal Bank due to anti-Quebec statements made by the bank’s CEO.

Lawrence always had a clear-eyed view of the challenges facing unions – right up to the present. In a book on USW history, published in 2014 on the occasion of the Quebec Steelworkers’ 50^th annual conference, he offered a strong rebuke of right-wing interests intent on restricting union activism strictly to the workplace:

“The United Steelworkers is an advocacy organization that fights tirelessly for the interests of all workers and their communities. I see that there are those who want to exclude us from public debate in our society. There are those who attack our social and political activism by saying that our dues should be used solely for union purposes. I reject this mindset. We are a key player in Quebec society – today and tomorrow.”

In this 2017 video, below, that marked the 60^th anniversary of the historic Murdochville strike for union recognition, he delved into his teenage memories to recount this significant chapter in Steelworkers history (video in French only).

Thank you, Lawrence, for your commitment, advocacy and dedication.

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