Elections Matter – Thank You for Engaging

Steelworkers, thank you for engaging in the recent federal election.

While the results are not what many of us had hoped for, we can still be proud of our hard work and of our party, the NDP.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh led a positive and hopeful campaign that resonated with voters, giving the party momentum in the polls, particularly after his strong performance in both the English and French-language nationally televised debates.

As the first national political party leader to be a person of colour, Jagmeet provides hope, promise and a point of connection for many Canadians who have not seen themselves reflected in our party leaders until this election.

The USW engaged our members around the issues that matter to workers – Pharmacare, good jobs, putting retirees first in corporate bankruptcies, advocating for fair trade deals, investing in housing affordability and action on reconciliation – issues that remind us we can do better.

Members took part in our Steelworkers Vote schools to deepen their learning about the connections between our workplaces, our union and politics, and how workers need representatives in our parliaments and legislatures who understand and give voice to the perspective and experience of everyday people.

Steelworkers union members put in long hours as volunteers in NDP campaigns, supporting candidates that share our values of social and economic justice, equality and fairness.

Two steelworkers ran as candidates in this election. Scott Duvall was re-elected as the NDP Member of Parliament in Hamilton Mountain. Congratulations, Scott! And although he did not get elected, Dennis Van Meer from Local 1005 ran a strong campaign as the NDP candidate in St. Catharines, Ont.

While we know that not all Steelworkers members agree with our union’s political stance, our support for the NDP has been affirmed by our members repeatedly at our union’s national policy conferences.

Following four years of Liberal broken promises, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have a minority government – not a blank-cheque majority. This outcome puts Jagmeet Singh and the NDP in a bargaining position.

We are so proud of our Steelworkers union members who were actively involved in this election and will continue to encourage political engagement to bring working people’s viewpoints to the discussion.

Thank you for engaging in the federal election.

In solidarity,

Ken Neumann
USW National Director

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter