District 3 Human Rights Committee

The mission of the constitutional local union Civil and Human Rights Committee should be consistent with the goals and principles of the Union to increase participation among the diverse membership of the local union. The committee is a tool through which the civil and human rights policies and programs become action. The general goals of the committee are to:

WORK with the local union executive board, other committees and activists to eliminate and prevent discrimination in the workplace and the community

BUILD an effective committee that communicates and provides invaluable service to and on behalf of the membership

EDUCATE members on current civil and human rights and workers’ rights issues, protections and laws

STRENGTHEN the union and the labor movement through diversity by working with organizations and coalitions within the community that share our goals

Local Human Rights Committees are part of the formal structure of the United Steelworkers.

ARTICLE VII of the United Steelworkers Constitution states:
SECTION 12: A Civil Rights Committee (which may also be known as a
Human Rights Committee), under the direction of the International Union
or its designated representative, shall be established in each Local Union to
implement our Union’s commitment to the protection and extension of civil and human rights and liberties.

ARTICLE XIV of the Local By-Laws and Amalgamated by-laws:
SECTION 2: A Civil Rights Committee, (which may also be known as a
Human Rights Committee), under the direction of the International Union or its designated representative, shall be established in each Local Union to
implement our Union’s commitment to the protection and extension of civil and human rights and liberties.

Being part of a Human Rights Committee carries commitment and responsibilities:

• Develop its mission and set goals relevant to the local union and community.
• To have a safe place where equity-seeking members can discuss their issues.
• To engage, mobilize and empower equity-seeking members to participate in their union, their workplaces and their communities.
• Hold committee meetings on a regular basis.
• Post meeting notices in advance & circulate agenda.
• Keep accurate minutes of committee meetings on file.
• Take democratic decisions.
• Submit regular reports of its activities to the local union executive board and the membership.
• Maintain communication with the local union president or unit chair concerning committee actions.
• Post the names of current members on the local union bulletin board, in local union news papers or letters, on the local union website or any other communication means to inform members of the committee and of the service it provides.

Local Human Rights Committee are comprised of equity groups representing Indigenous workers, Racial Equity and Justice workers, Accessibility workers and 2SLGBTQIA+ workers. Membership in a Local Human Rights Committee is open to all members who self-identify with
an equity group.

These committees provide “safe spaces” for USW members from equity groups to identify, network, advocate and develop strategies to work on issues that assist in advancing human rights being faced by members of equity groups.

As with all committees, it is important to establish a structure to ensure full participation, shared leadership, processes for capturing ideas and initiatives and opportunities to learn together.

The structure and process or procedure of how the committee wishes to function is the will of the committee, but it is important to ensure that all members of the committee have meaningful roles and opportunities to develop their skills and actively participate. In doing this, it is beneficial to have a Chairperson or Co-chairs who will be responsible for organizing regular meetings, setting the agenda and assist in making decisions as a committee that is inclusive and democratic.

Another important function within the structure of the committee is to ensure that there is a way to record the discussions and decisions being made by the committee. This can be achieved by having a member as the official “minute taker” or “recording-secretary”, who will be responsible for capturing the important work of the committee, and to provide the basis of
information that will be utilized to report to both leadership and membership.

The committee will be responsible for how it wishes to conduct itself, and accountable for what it aims to accomplish, and in doing this, it is important to keep meetings relevant, interesting and focused. Aside from establishing who will be a Chairperson or Co-chairs and the minute taker, it will be helpful to establish some rules or procedures for conducting the meetings.