For us Steelworkers, international solidarity runs deep in our veins. It is the lifeblood of our union and where we turn to on the darkest of days. Currently, we are facing tremendous challenges on both sides of the border. Here in Canada, our jobs are facing a great deal of uncertainty and the cost of […]
TORONTO – The United Steelworkers union (USW) is welcoming today’s announcement by Prime Minister Mark Carney on new federal measures to support Canada’s softwood lumber industry, calling it a long-overdue step toward rebuilding a sector under intense pressure from escalating U.S. tariffs. The federal plan includes $700 million in loan guarantees for companies hit by […]
TORONTO – United Steelworkers union (USW) National Director, Marty Warren, issued the following statement today: “Trump’s tariffs on Canadian exports remain in place and now he’s imposed a 35% general tariff on non-CUSMA compliant Canadian exports, a 50% tariff on steel, aluminum and copper, new duties on softwood lumber and ongoing investigations that could hit […]
It’s fitting that Lawrence McKay was inducted into the New Brunswick Federation of Labour (NBFL) Honour Roll at the very hotel where he once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with workers during a hard-fought strike. The Delta Brunswick in Saint John is more than a venue – it’s a symbol of the battles Lawrence helped win, and the […]
Each year, the Steelworkers Humanity Fund (SHF) provides emergency relief for natural and human-made disasters. Over the years, the SHF has supported communities in crisis with food, shelter, and medical supplies in Canada and worldwide. In 2024, SHF responded to the following emergencies, nearly 70% of them climate-related: In 2024, the SHF contributed to 129 […]
A journey through Peru and Bolivia illustrates the work the SHF champions to strengthen women-led labour education initiatives and support for Indigenous women engaged in the mining sector. This past year, a delegation of Steelworker women visited South America to witness firsthand the outcomes of a labour education program that has equipped workers and unions […]
The SHF has a long-term relationship of solidarity with our union brothers and sisters in Mexico, especially through the Mineros union and the Authentic Labour Front (FAT). In collaboration with the Canadian Labour Congress, CUPE, PSAC, and the Centre international de solidarité ouvrière in Quebec, through a grant from Employment and Social Development Canada, the […]
Delegations and worker-to-worker exchanges organized by the SHF serve a wide range of purposes but truly come down to building solidarity among union activists. Through those opportunities, Steelworkers often find that they have a lot in common with their brothers and sisters sometimes halfway across the world – a feeling that was perfectly conveyed during […]
The USW has long ties to the West African country of Liberia, where an enormous rubber plantation owned by Firestone supplies raw rubber to US tire factories where USW members work. In the aftermath of Liberia’s devastating civil war, the Firestone Agricultural Workers Union connected our union to a new initiative to provide trades education […]
As these lines are being written, not a day passes without its share of anxiety-inducing headlines on the state of the world. The Steelworkers Humanity Fund (SHF) has an important role to play in this fast-changing context. Created almost 40 years ago to act on Canadian Steelworkers’ desire to contribute to positive social change, the […]
United Steelworkers National Director Marty Warren speaks with Prime Minister Mark Carney about the government's response to the steel crisis in Canada.
The USW is urging Ottawa to take urgent measures to keep workers employed and industries running.
Steelworkers at Rio Tinto Fer et Titane in Sorel, Que., are on strike over wages and employer demands for concessions.
Photo by Jason Payne The following opinion article was originally published in The Vancouver Sun on July 10, 2025. Click here to read the article on The Vancouver Sun website. Many Canadians are understandably frustrated by B.C. Ferries’ $1.2-billion decision to buy four new vessels from China. The situation seems absurd. Canada boasts more ocean […]
The United Steelworkers union is calling for government action to protect workers in the copper sector from the impacts of Trump's newly threatened tariffs on copper.
USW Local 1-2010’s Women of Steel Committee has once again demonstrated its commitment to equity and justice by hosting an annual meeting that placed racial justice at the forefront. Held in Kapuskasing, Ont., the gathering welcomed 20 committee members from Northern Ontario, representing various sectors within our union, including forestry and lumber, health care, social […]
The USW has proposed smart, targeted policies to keep jobs in Canada and ensure workers, families and their local economies benefit from a strong industrial base.
USW District 3 and the Steelworkers Humanity Fund hosted a meeting in June of the International Miners Network, bringing together unions from the global gold-mining operations of Newmont Corporation. Unions participating in the meeting included Los Mineros of Mexico, SITRACOMY of Peru, ASIJEMIN of Argentina, the Australian Workers Union and the USW – including members […]