Latest News

‘Failure’ in Mining Responsibility System: USW Representative

April 3, 2014

Mines safety review committee holds hearings in Sudbury

The first day of the mines safety review committee in Sudbury held Wednesday wrapped up with a suggestion from the United Steelworkers that the hearings hadn’t been publicized well enough.

The province is holding review sessions in mining communities across Ontario to look at the health and safety of workers in the mining sector.

In Sudbury, the first day of the talks heard mostly from organized labour representatives.  Much of the discussions focused on the internal responsibility system — also called the “IRS”.

The system is supposed to hold everyone accountable — right up to the president — to report health and safety violations and to problem-solve to make workplaces safer.

However, a Steelworkers representative told the hearing the system breaks down when there’s a disagreement over whether something is safe or not.

Myles Sullivan said workers may also be nervous about reporting a safety issue for fear of reprisal, and added the system didn’t work in the deaths of two men in a run of muck at Vale’s Frood-Stobie mine in 2011.

Complete article on CBC.CA

Join our newsletter

Recent news

Featured image for Steelworkers union supports NDP plan for massive public infrastructure program using Canadian steel

Steelworkers union supports NDP plan for massive public infrastructure program using Canadian steel

February 18, 2025 | Media Releases

HAMILTON – With job losses already a reality, United Steelworkers union (USW) representatives met today in Hamilton to underscore the urgency of a national program to protect Canadian workers from the Trump administration’s threats of devastating, unprecedented tariffs. USW members from five manufacturing and steel plants in Hamilton and the nearby community of Nanticoke held […]

Read More
Click to read the article about Steelworkers union supports NDP plan for massive public infrastructure program using Canadian steel
A photo of group of people taking a photo in a park wearing winter clothes while smiling to the camera.

Steelworkers Humanity Fund update – December 2024

February 14, 2025 | Publications

Temporary foreign workers, permanent exploitation Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) in Canada are trapped in an unjust labour system that favours employers and erodes workers’ access to proper wages and occupational safety because of their immigration status. Under a “closed” work permit, their contract binds them to one employer, a situation that makes them at risk […]

Read More
Click to read the article about Steelworkers Humanity Fund update – December 2024
a group of people sitting inside a white tent with white and bleu flag

District 6 Update: A year of wins and progress for USW District 6

February 14, 2025 | News Articles

As the new USW District 6 Director, I am honoured to share our significant achievements over the past year. Our collective efforts have strengthened our organizing initiatives and led to notable bargaining successes that advance workers’ rights across Ontario and the Atlantic provinces. A highlight of our bargaining victories was at IMT Defence in Ingersoll, […]

Read More
Click to read the article about District 6 Update: A year of wins and progress for USW District 6