At the time of writing, the House of Commons has been paralyzed by the tactics of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party’s tactics to force an early election. This period is also marked by greater instability. While the Liberal-NDP deal is now a thing of the past, despite the political turbulence, the last few months have been marked by historic federal developments for USW members and the wider labour movement.
The adoption of anti-scab legislation for federally regulated workers is a historic victory. This law, which will come into force in June 2025, will prohibit the use of scabs during labour disputes, thus preventing disputes from dragging on unnecessarily.
The Sustainable Jobs Act was also passed, guaranteeing workers a seat at the table to guide the transition to a more sustainable economy.
Another major win was the implementation of tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum, strengthening protections for Canadian jobs and curbing the dumping of cheap, foreign-produced metals that threaten our industries protecting domestic industries from unfair trade practices. The USW’s advocacy ensured these tariffs extended beyond electric vehicles and batteries, protecting our members’ jobs in the steel and aluminum sectors.
Similarly, our “Stand Up for Steel” conference last June followed by a successful lobby day led to significant progress on the “melt-and-pour” issue, advocating for stricter regulations to ensure products labeled as made in Canada are genuinely produced domestically.
The USW will continue to stand firm in advocating for legislative measures that favor our members and Canadian workers.
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