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Steelworkers support Alberta’s teachers, condemn attacks by government

October 29, 2025
A bearded man in a grey jacket speaks at a microphone at an outdoor labour event.

TORONTO – The United Steelworkers union (USW) supports Alberta’s teachers and will respond with all our might to reject the Alberta government’s disregard for workers and unions.

“We’ve seen this before, and the workers won,” said Marty Warren, USW National Director.

“When education workers were threatened by a heavy-handed government that disregarded workers’ rights in Ontario, the entire labour movement mobilized and the government had to back down,” said Warren.

Teachers want to teach. With the Alberta government’s use of the notwithstanding clause, teachers are returning to work under duress.

The labour movement will challenge this. Workers’ rights have been validated by the courts before. Workers will do everything we can to ensure those rights are upheld.

“In the meantime, we are in solidarity with Alberta’s teachers because we are stronger together. And like in Ontario in 2022, the government will be forced to back down,” said Warren.

As Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) President Gil McGowan said, “The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is the highest law in the land.”

About the United Steelworkers union

The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union’s strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.

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Media Contact

Marty Warren, USW National Director, 416-544-5951
Shannon Devine, USW Communications, (cell) 416-938-4402, sdevine@usw.ca

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