Our leadership

The membership of the United Steelworkers elected Roxanne D. Brown the union’s 10th International President in October 2025, selecting as their leader a passionate advocate widely admired for her strategic work on behalf of USW members.

Brown previously oversaw the union’s atomic sector and served as a key negotiator in bargaining contracts in major USW industries, including oil. She also directed the union’s legislative, policy, political and advocacy initiatives as International Vice President at Large since 2019.

Elected the union’s top leader amid a volatile economic climate, Brown demonstrated the vision needed to bargain additional gains for workers and build the middle class.

Her innovation and commitment to balancing the scales for workers paved the way for the USW to support union drives in numerous industries as growing numbers of Americans seek a path forward amid widening economic inequality, attacks on workplace rights and runaway corporate greed.

“We are the labor movement,” Brown observed during an address in Baltimore in early 2026. “We were built for moments like this.”

Brown, the first woman to lead the USW, was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in White Plains, N.Y. Union-represented jobs enabled her mom and aunt to buy houses and break into the middle class, a transformative experience that inspired her lifelong commitment to other working people.

She joined the USW’s Legislative and Policy Department in Washington, D.C., 27 years ago. As she rose through the ranks, she put working families at the center of the nation’s conversations around health care, jobs, manufacturing, retirement security, trade, workplace safety and other issues.

Brown’s commitment to preserving good union jobs led to safeguards for critical industries—including steel, glass, metals, paper and tire—and penalties against companies that illegally dumped goods in U.S. markets.

Her testimony before state legislatures, Congress, the U.S. International Trade Commission, regulatory agencies and global forums helped to position the USW as a leading voice for working people.

Yet she realized that workers in the trenches invariably made the biggest impact on decision-makers, and she often enlisted them to tell their stories.

“You’re the expert in the room,” she recalled telling a local union president shortly before he addressed then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders on the importance of a manufacturing bill in 2011.

“He crushed it,” recounted Brown, still proud of him many years later.

Her advocacy with workplace safety agencies yielded groundbreaking protections for union members, including safeguards against silica exposure, greater worker input during inspections, and process safety management upgrades at oil refineries.

Brown’s intimate knowledge of the federal government also prepared her to oversee the USW’s atomic sector, where thousands of union members work for contractors at U.S.-owned former uranium enrichment sites.

She helped to lead negotiations that won significant wage and benefit enhancements as well as the safety improvements essential to the workers’ inherently dangerous mission.

Brown makes it a practice to look ahead, realizing that union members need to shape the future and drive policy or be left on the sidelines.

To that end, she mobilized Rapid Response—the USW’s grassroots advocacy arm—to galvanize support for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Under her leadership, the union organized a multi-state “We Supply America” bus tour in 2021 that focused national attention on the need for infrastructure upgrades and highlighted the ways in which manufacturing workers stood to benefit from a modernization drive.

“For so long, when folks thought about infrastructure, they really only thought about the workers who were building the systems—the roads, the bridges, the highways, etc.,” she explained at the time. “But we wanted to retell that story and remind people that the things that are essential for those systems—cement, steel, steel pipes, fiber optic cable—are all made by Steelworker members.”

The IIJA unleashed $1.2 trillion for transportation networks, water systems and other improvements, creating USW jobs at places like Travis Pattern and Foundry in Spokane, Wash., while bringing additional work to union members at companies such as McWane Ductile in Coshocton, Ohio. The IIJA also fueled record contract gains for USW members at Cleveland-Cliffs, U.S. Steel and other companies.

The following year, Brown helped to push through the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated billions for advanced manufacturing and cutting-edge industries. She then worked with the Department of Energy to deliver funding to union-represented employers, including Eos Energy Systems, a battery maker in Turtle Creek, Pa., that continues to expand and hire USW members.

Known for her engaging style and rapport with members, Brown oversaw the Your Union Your Voice (YUYV) program starting in 2019 to hear directly from workers, retirees and their families about the issues most important to them.

Members and retirees who responded to the YUYV surveys and turned out for the town halls overwhelmingly cited labor rights, retirement security and affordable health care, among other issues, as their top concerns.

Brown made these the centerpiece of the union’s mission, such as the successful drive in 2021 for legislation that shored up foundering multiemployer pension plans and saved the retirements of more than a million Americans, including 120,000 USW members.

YUYV also underscored the membership’s desire to rally behind candidates who demonstrate a willingness to put working families first. The union subsequently helped to elect dozens of pro-worker candidates at all levels of government and succeeded in electing more union members to public office.

Brown’s current work continues to unite workers around shared values, especially as growing support for unions provides the momentum not only to secure better wages but to force employers and policymakers to meet broader needs related to health care, paid leave and retirement security.

“People want a voice. We’re a platform for them,” she said, praising union members’ willingness to speak truth to power and stay the course.

Brown is a vice president on the AFL-CIO Executive Council and chairs the federation’s Industrial Union Council, steering its work on manufacturing, workforce development and industrial policy. She is also a vice president of IndustriALL Global Union, which unites 50 million workers in 130 countries.

In addition, Brown is a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and serves on the boards of Community Change, the League of Conservation Voters and the National Endowment for Democracy.

She lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and daughter.

Marty Warren was elected as United Steelworkers National Director, as of March 1, 2022, representing the union’s more than 225,000 Canadian members. He succeeded Ken Neumann, who retired after serving as USW National Director for 18 years.

Prior to his election as National Director, Warren served as USW District 6 Director for nine years. Throughout his career, he has built a well-earned record as a consensus-builder who doesn’t shy away from tackling the daunting challenges facing the union movement, USW members and all working people.

“Canadian families are facing some of the toughest economic and social challenges we have seen in generations. Our working and living standards are under constant attack by corporations and right-wing politicians who do their bidding,” Warren says.

“Our union, and the labour movement, must fight back like never before. We will cultivate an environment that develops our next generation of activists and leaders. We will engage and empower our members, their families and all Canadians to be politically active.

“When we mobilize, we will be loud, determined and relentless in what we believe is right and just. We will work together with our political allies to push governments at all levels for change that makes life better for workers and that builds stronger communities.”

The son of a unionized ironworker, Warren has been a labour activist for three decades. He joined the United Rubber Workers (URW) in 1984 while working as a tire builder at the BFGoodrich Tire plant in his hometown of Kitchener, Ontario. Within a year, he was elected to his first local union position as a shop steward, and quickly earned a reputation as a gutsy and determined activist, leading several sit-downs and in-plant protests.

In 1991, by which time his local had grown to more than 1,000 members, Warren was elected to his first executive board position. The following year he rose to Vice-President of his local and held the position for six years. It was during this period that he also became a proud Steelworker as a result of the 1995 merger of the USW and United Rubber Workers.

Warren became president of USW Local 677 in 1998 and led the local for six years, a challenging and often turbulent period that included three labour disputes at the BFGoodrich plant. He was hired as a full-time USW Staff Representative in 2004, and in April 2012, he was appointed Assistant to the District 6 Director.

As National Director, Warren has pledged to a proactive and collaborative leadership approach to build on the USW’s unmatched legacy of defending workers’ rights and fighting for social and economic justice.

“Leadership is the challenge of bringing people and ideas together, respecting each other’s differences, and making decisions that build solidarity and encourage and support our current and future activists. It is about constant change, ensuring our union evolves, doing the hard work required to meet our members’ expectations, needs and hopes for a better future,” he says.

“It is with an overwhelming sense of responsibility for our members, our union and our communities that I have the honour to serve as the United Steelworkers National Director for Canada.”

Scott Lunny is the Director of USW District 3, representing members in the largest geographic district of our international union, covering Canada’s four western provinces and its three northern territories.

After earning a degree in industrial relations from the University of British Columbia, Lunny began a career as a labour, social justice and political activist in 1994. He worked for a decade for the Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada (IWA) as a national staff representative, researcher and communications officer. He served as a senior staff and policy advisor to the president and executive officers and developed, implemented and oversaw a major organizing recruitment program, including budget and supervision of campaigns and staff.

Lunny became a proud Steelworker in 2004 when the IWA merged with the USW. He was actively involved in the planning and implementation of the historic merger. He went on to work as a USW staff representative and key staff for several years, working with the USW Wood Council on forest policy issues and coordinating numerous legislative and political campaigns.

In 2008, Lunny attended the Harvard University Trade Union Program and was appointed Assistant to the District 3 Director. For over a decade, Lunny oversaw many activities and key files on behalf of the 50,000 members in the district. He actively worked with staff and local unions on bargaining, organizing, training, political action and other member services.

Lunny was a key coordinator and was involved in negotiating the merger of the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) to welcome over 12,000 members to the USW. Since 2020, he has worked closely with the national local to support staff, provide mentorship and build a stronger future for the members within the United Steelworkers union.

In November 2021, Lunny was elected as District 3 Director during the USW International Executive Board election. He now serves as part of the union’s 26-member International Executive Board led by David McCall.

As a long-time political activist and social democrat, Lunny served five years as Vice-President of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) and has been active with Steelworkers Vote and lobbying campaigns for the district.

He is actively involved in his community, serving as President of the Union Protein Project, a non-profit initiative created by unions and the United Way to support food banks and advocate for food security. He is also a nationally certified youth baseball coach and a long-time volunteer in local minor baseball programs.

Lunny lives in Richmond, B.C., with his spouse, Nina, and three sons, Aidan, Gavin and Owen.

Nicolas Lapierre, United Steelworkers/Syndicat des Métallos Quebec Director (District 5), previously served as Assistant to the District 5 Director, from April 2023 to May 2025.

Lapierre also serves as a Vice-President of the Quebec Federation of Labour (Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec – FTQ), a member of the Board of Directors of the FTQ Solidarity Fund and a board member of the Quebec Mining Institute.

Originally from Natashquan, in Quebec’s North Shore region, Lapierre’s union activism began in 2000, as a member of USW Local 6254, when he worked at the Wabush Mining Company’s railway and port operations, now known as the Société ferroviaire et portuaire de Pointe-Noire. He rose through several leadership positions within his local union and in 2009 he was hired as a USW Staff Representative.

In 2016, Lapierre was appointed USW Regional Co-ordinator based in Sept-Îles, servicing a vast area including Quebec’s North Shore, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie and Îles-de-la-Madeleine regions. He served as Regional Co-ordinator for seven years, until his appointment as Assistant to the District 5 Director in 2023. He also served on the boards of the Mining Industry Human Resources Sectoral Committee and of the Joint Health and Safety Association for the Mining Sector.

Lapierre has led several major negotiations with multinationals including ArcerlorMittal and Rio Tinto. He also was a leader of the USW’s successful campaign for new federal legislation, enacted in 2023, to better protect workers’ pensions during corporate bankruptcies and restructuring.

United Steelworkers District 5 headquarters are in Montreal, Quebec.

Kevon Stewart began as the District 6 Director in October 2024, representing more than 80,000 USW members across Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces of Canada.

Stewart was born in St. Thomas, Jamaica, and moved to Canada with his family when he was 7. He graduated from York University in Toronto after studying kinesiology and geography, intending to teach and open a community centre.

Instead, he took a job as a machine operator at Samuel Strapping, a steel plant in Scarborough, Ontario and joined USW Local 3.

Stewart’s participation in a USW education course sparked decades of union activism. Because of his interest in health and safety, he began training other workers on proper use of overhead cranes and forklifts. That experience led him to serve on his local’s grievance committee, as a steward and as his unit’s elected vice chair.

The union noticed Stewart’s leadership skills, and in 2004, then-District 6 Director Wayne Fraser began mentoring him for the role of Staff Representative. Stewart serviced local unions in Toronto, the Durham Region and Eastern Ontario, where members worked in sectors such as steel, manufacturing, nuclear energy, service and health care.

In 2019, Stewart accepted the position of District 6 Co-ordinator, overseeing District committees while supporting arbitration cases and bargaining committees. Three years later, he took on additional responsibilities as Assistant to the Director of District 6, becoming the first Black rank-and-file member to hold a USW district leadership role in Canada.

As Assistant to the Director, Stewart collaborated with staff on servicing USW members, oversaw District programs and worked with the union’s allies and USW employers. He also participated in the union’s international initiatives to build global worker solidarity and began serving on the Canadian Nuclear Workers Council – a body promoting nuclear literacy and the safe use of nuclear energy – on behalf of USW members in that industry.

Through his union activism, Stewart made the connection between workers’ rights and politics. From 2022 to 2025, he was Executive Vice-President of the Ontario wing of the New Democratic Party (NDP) – co-founded by Steelworkers and Canada’s only labour party.

Charles Millard led fellow workers out on strike in order to win the first contract in Canada between an auto manufacturer and its workers in 1937. The CIO recognised Millard’s talent for organising, and appointed him to be the first head of the Steel Workers Organising Committee (SWOC). At the founding convention of the United Steelworkers, Millard was named the first Canadian National Director. He later served as an elected Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario and was a founding member of the New Democratic Party.

Bill Mahoney, O.C., worked at the Algoma Steel plant, where he led the then independent union to join the SWOC. During his tenure, tens of thousands of workers joined the Steelworkers in factories across the county. Beyond organising, Mahoney is regarded as an early fighter for Canada’s universal health care system. He helped set up a non-profit health clinic in Sault Ste. Marie – a radical idea at the time. Mahoney later became the first labour leader to be named a member of a board of a university and was named to the Order of Canada.

Gerard Docquier, O.C., became the first francophone elected Director. Docquier joined the Steelworkers while working at Pirelli Cable and became a Staff Representative in the 1950s. His groundbreaking “Back to the Locals” education program energised a new generation of union members. Docquier fought against the manufacturing crisis of the 1980s, spearheading the creation of the Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress (CSTEC), which brought together members of the United Steelworkers and steel companies. A champion for international solidarity, he is a founding member of the Steelworkers Humanity Fund, and made the union a more inclusive space with his “Everyone’s Union” policy. Docquier was awarded the Order of Canada in 1991.

Leo W. Gerard, C.C., was the son of a miner and went to work himself in a smelter in Sudbury at the age of 18, while a university student. While his tenure as Canadian Director was short, Gerard’s influence on the global union movement is unprecedented. Following his term as USW National Director, he became the international union’s Secretary-Treasurer. In 2001, he ascended to the union’s top role and served as USW International President for 18 years, retiring in 2019. Gerard led the creation of worldwide networks of unions to build solidarity and bargaining strength among workers at multinational companies. He also led the labour movement in holding corporations accountable, filing trade sanctions against foreign companies that skirted the rules. The New York Times called Gerard the “No. 1 scourge of free traders.” Gerard received an honorary doctorate of law degrees from the University of Guelph and Laurentian University in recognition of his contributions to social justice. In 2023, Gerard received his country’s highest civilian honour – Companion of the Order of Canada.

Lawrence McBrearty worked as a miner in Murdochville and was elected to be a local union President at the age of 28. A champion against globalization andneo-liberalism, McBrearty led the fight to amend the Canadian criminal code so that boards of directors, owners and operators could be held criminally responsible for workplace injuries or fatalities. The historic act was adopted by Parliament in 2003 and is named the Westray Law, in memory of the 26 miners who lost their lives in a preventable explosion. After his tenure as Director, Lawrence served as a board member of many steel industry associations and he was awarded a Ph.D. degree Honoris Causa from l’Université du Québec in 2004.

Ken Neumann served as the USW National Director for Canada from 2004 to 2022, being reconfirmed in the role in the 2005, 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2017 international elections. Born and raised in rural Saskatchewan, Ken was a teenager when he first joined the USW, at Local 5890 in Regina, Sask., and then later Local 4728. He was hired as a staff representative in 1977, elected District 3 Director in 1989, and won every subsequent district election until his appointment as National Director in 2004. Ken had an instrumental role in the USW merger with the Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada in 2004. Under Ken’s leadership, the union has signed strategic alliances with ACTRA National (the Alliance of Canadian Television and Radio Artists), the Canadian Region of Communications Workers of Canada, Environmental Defence, the Telecommunications Workers Union, Unite Here, the Canadian Football League Players’ Association and the Ontario Taxi Workers Union, as well as creating many international alliances, such as Workers Uniting – with Unite the Union in the U.K. and Ireland, and Mexico’s Los Mineros.

One of Neumann’s passions has been fighting for the dignity and independence of injured and disabled workers. He is co-chair of the National Institute for Disability Management and Research and he helped develop Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences, the first university of its kind.