CUSMA – the new trade deal between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico – will come into effect as Canada reconsiders its economic structure after the pandemic. But the United Steelworkers union says the deal is flawed. RadioLabour’s Marc Belanger interviewed USW National Director Ken Neumann. “The first flaw I’d look at is labour rights. We […]
MONTREAL – New federal support for fisheries workers, including greater access to Employment Insurance benefits, must also be available to tourism, hotel and restaurant workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Steelworkers (USW) says. On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new supports that include changing Employment Insurance rules so that fish harvesters, whose […]
TORONTO, 8 May 2029 – “The United Steelworkers Union (USW) remembers with heavy hearts the 28th anniversary of the devastating loss of 26 miners in the Westray Coal Mine explosion. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those lost and their Nova Scotia communities,” said Ken Neumann, USW National Director. “There are many […]
A Statement by the United Steelworkers Fifty years ago this month, Canadian women converged on Ottawa for Mothers’ Day to demand something we now take for granted: each woman’s right to decide if and when they become mothers. The Abortion Caravan was a protest against changes to the Criminal Code which restricted legal access to abortion. […]
As our union continues to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis, the International Executive Board (IEB) made the difficult decision to pass a resolution postponing our 2020 Constitutional Convention. The health and safety of our members and staff is our paramount concern, and there are still too many unknowns for us to responsibly proceed as previously […]
TORONTO, OTTAWA – United Steelworkers (USW) National Director Ken Neumann says the federal government’s short-term emergency responses to the global pandemic must be the basis for reforms to everything from Employment Insurance to care for the elderly and corporate restructuring. “Our 225,000 members work in every sector of Canada’s economy, from front-line health care workers […]
Asian Heritage Month: Challenging Discrimination is the Steelworkers Way Each year, Steelworkers celebrate May as Asian Heritage Month. We recognize the incredible contributions Asian Canadians have made to this country, and to our union. We also recognize that there is more to be done to fight for equality for everyone, and particularly for Asian Canadians, […]
TORONTO – The Steelworkers Humanity Fund is contributing $50,000 to the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity in emergency relief for garment sector workers put out of work by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the novel coronavirus spreads across the globe, garment retailers and fashion brands have cancelled orders and refused to pay for orders of clothes […]
BURNABY, B.C. – Just a few weeks before the 28th anniversary of the Westray Mine explosion that killed 26 workers in the early hours of May 9, 1992, the United Steelworkers union (USW) says calls for a criminal investigation into the death and infection of workers at the Cargill meat processing plant in High River, […]
HALIFAX, N.S. – United Steelworkers (USW) members in Nova Scotia and across Canada grieve and stand in solidarity with the families, friends and communities of the victims of last weekend’s mass shooting. “Our hearts are broken, all of us, our members, our friends, our families,” said Mark Arsenault, President of Steelworkers Local 5319, one of […]
USW Family and Community Education Fund Physical distancing and stay-at-home measures have made it hard for our members and our local unions. The Family and Community Education Fund (FCEF) can help. Until June 30, 2020, any local in Canada can apply to fund a project to help its members, families and communities stay connected in […]
One of the by-products of the COVID-19 pandemic is that all of a sudden people are paying attention to where things are actually manufactured. On Monday morning April 13, the lead headline on the CBC website was “Canada building its own PPE supply chain…in China.” As the Toronto Star noted in its April 7 editorial – “Canada Needs a New […]
Sisters and Brothers, Many events and activities that would otherwise be the normal work of the union have been suspended or postponed because of the global pandemic. However, we are hoping that we can all continue to prepare for the Day of Mourning in our respective communities, whether we are able to gather in ceremony […]
TORONTO, MONTREAL – Provincial and municipal governments must ensure rest stops and other businesses allow washroom access to truckers, couriers and other commercial drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, says the United Steelworkers (USW) union, which represents thousands of transportation workers across Canada. “Provinces and municipalities should be mandating businesses to accommodate these drivers. At this […]
Opinion column by Ken Neumann If you were walking around the streets of most Canadian cities over the last few days, you could not escape the sound of silence – little traffic, shuttered stores and empty office buildings. That silence was, however, punctured by the ongoing sound of construction workers continuing to do their jobs […]
TORONTO – The federal government’s announcement of an increase to employee wage subsidies to 75% must be broadly available to all employers to keep workers on payrolls and avoid massive layoffs, the United Steelworkers (USW) union says. “We appreciate that the government has heeded our union’s pleas and those of businesses across the country to […]
For Full Details: Department of Finance Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/03/canadas-covid-19-economic-response-plan-support-for-canadians-and-businesses.html David McDonald Blog: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2020/03/18/what-to-make-of-the-federal-covid-19-aid-package/ On March 18, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced additional measures to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic: $27 billion in direct support to workers and businesses $55 billion in tax deferrals to meet liquidity needs of Canadian businesses and individuals $82 […]
With the recent announcement by the World Health Organization that the Corona Virus / COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic, it is recommended that local unions postpone or cancel any meetings that are scheduled to occur in the near future. For monthly local union meetings, please employ the discretion found in the constitution allowing locals […]