District 3 Conference kicks off in Winnipeg

The District 3 Conference kicked off in Winnipeg with an opening plenary session at the Fairmont Hotel, bringing together 330 local union leaders, delegates, staff and guests from across western provinces and the northern territories, under the banner of Better work for everybody.

The conference began with an Indigenous blessing and welcome by Elder Eric Flett who talked about the parallels between trade unionism and Indigenous cultures related to the concept of interdependence. “Traditionally that is what we were taught to do – we all need to rely on other people because we all have gifts.”  Elder Flett is a member of UFCW Local 832 in Manitoba.

Manitoba Federation of Labour President Kevin Rebeck welcomed delegates to Winnipeg, extolling the recent work of the labour movement and the Manitoba NDP, led by Premier Wab Kinew. “There are so many firsts among a caucus who truly reflect the people they were elected to serve.

The Manitoba NDP passed Bill 37 late last night, which will bring in card-check certification at 50-per-cent-plus-one support, minimizing employer intimidation. The bill also legislates a ban on replacement workers in the case of labour disputes, for the first time in Manitoba’s history. Rebeck also commended the work of the union as part of the Steelworkers Vote program, which canvassed Manitobans to vote for and elect the NDP.

As part of his address in the morning, USW District 3 Director Scott Lunny spoke about the meaning behind the conference theme: “Better work for everybody is aspirational. It is a demand and it’s also a promise.” He spoke about the excellent work the union is doing at the bargaining table, in communities and on the legislative front.

“It is the union’s job – our obligation, our responsibility – to make sure those issues are being dealt with and debated and taken into the provincial legislatures. Because, after all, how are we going to achieve better for everybody.”

Check out the new USW District 3 keynote video – Better work for everybody.

The conference also heard from transgender human rights and social justice lawyer Adrienne Smith. They spoke about the importance of understanding personal pronouns and the rights of trans people to recognition.

“If somebody says they are trans, we believe them. They’re trans. Trans people are entitled to immediate recognition. This is more than the duty to accommodate and those of you who are working with injured workers will know about the duty to accommodate.

“For trans people, names and pronouns are a fundamental aspect of who you are – as is everything else about expressing yourself as a person in the world. There is a positive obligation that we all have to recognize trans people. My pronouns are not just my preferred pronouns, they’re not just preferred, it’s not optional. My pronouns are my pronouns in the way that my name is my name and the way your name is your name. Trans people are entitled to immediate recognition of gender.”

From across the country, District 5 Director Dominic Lemieux took time to address the conference, talking about the importance of working together and delivering an inspiring tale of engaging USW activists to pass legislation in Quebec banning two-tier pensions.

“I am so proud that we won that fight – we engaged members from right across Quebec to win.” He also urged bargaining committees to not be shy about asking for more. “Companies are not shy about how much money they are making, so don’t be shy when you go to the bargaining table.”

USW International Organizing Director Maria Somma spoke about the need to change the picture of what organizing success looks like in Canada and the United States, pointing out how union density has dropped dramatically, since its historic height in 1984.

The day also featured two interesting member-based panel discussions. The first focussed on better work through organizing, including insights from Maddi Genn, USW Local 1-417; Q Gaehring, 1-207; Mike Redman, 1-193; moderated by Mariana Padias, Assistant Organizing Director. 

The second panel focussed on internal member organizing, featuring Jenn Turner, USW Local 1944; Mike Foat, USW Local 6673; Mitch Winterton 7106, moderated by Jayson Little, USW staff representative.

A particularly special moment of the day was when the first-ever outstanding service awards were bestowed upon two excellent Steelworker activists. The first was Q Gaehring, Local 1-207, a Starbucks barista and organizer who organized their workplace in 2022. They are also a member of the District 3 Human Rights Committee, their local executive and has assisted in numerous organizing campaigns. The second recipient was Robin Navin, USW Local 1944 Trustee and member of the Women of Steel Committee. Robin got particularly involved in the recent member engagement initiatives around negotiations with Telus.

Delegates also got up to speak about resolutions about creating better work.

The day also featured a session of workshops where members chose from a variety of topics such as building stronger locals, engaging young members, Robert’s Rules of Order, building political power, levelling up your digital strategy and building stronger relationships with Indigenous communities

Closing out the day was International President Dave McCall, who spoke about the need to stay close to issues of concern to members, especially when engaging in politics.  

“We must never lose sight that much of our power and our leverage is because of the diversity of our workplaces and the experiences of our members we are privileged to represent,” said McCall.

“Legislators and government can help us, or they can hinder us. We do have an obligation to listen to our members about their issues and their concerns and then have a conversation about the candidates and how they align with those issues.”

Check out the new District 3 keynote video – Better work for everybody.

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