Every May is Asian Heritage Month, an occasion to delve into the history of Asian and South Asian Canadians and recognize the significant contributions they have made to our union, our communities and our country.
Asian workers have been a longstanding and important part of the fabric of Canada. Asians from East, South, Southeast, West and Central Asia have contributed to well-known Asian worker history which includes building railroads, work in garment factories, health care and agriculture, as well as domestic work – often low-paid and exploitive jobs.
As a union that cares deeply about fairness and justice, we must acknowledge Canada’s shameful history of discriminatory treatment of all Asian workers.
In a time of increasing economic pressures, policy changes and global tensions, we, as trade unionists, have a collective responsibility to denounce them, raise awareness and work to repair harm towards Asian and South Asian workers.
Workers and unions are well-placed to take on work against racism and discrimination. We have education courses to ensure all workplaces are welcoming and inclusive. We bargain strong language into our collective agreements. We have human rights committees that work on current issues. We offer anti-harassment and anti-racism resources and training.
In May and throughout the year, Steelworkers speak out against racism and work to strengthen human rights for those of Asian heritage and for all equity-deserving groups in Canada.
Take action in your union for Asian Heritage Month. Here are some ideas:
In solidarity,
Marty Warren
USW National Director
Scott Lunny
USW District 3 Director (Western Canada and the Territories)
Nicolas Lapierre
USW District 5 Director (Quebec)
Kevon Stewart
USW District 6 Director (Ontario and Atlantic Provinces)
First published on globeandmail.com on October 22, 2026 By Marty Warren, Special to the Globe and Mail Marty Warren, the Canadian national director of the United Steelworkers union. As I write, more workers at Hamilton’s Stelco steel mill are being laid off. In all, the plant’s U.S. owner, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., will cut up to 500 jobs. This, […]
Union representing laid-off workers makes no apology for helping enforce Canadian law TORONTO – The American CEO of the company that owns the Stelco steel mills laying off Canadian workers accused the United Steelworkers union (USW) of “colluding” with the federal government. “Damn right we’re colluding with Ottawa,” said USW national director Marty Warren. “Like […]
As Canada continues to face many challenges on the global scale, continued progress on issues affecting Indigenous workers and communities must remain a priority. In this context, the Steelworkers Humanity Fund (SHF) has been building partnerships with Indigenous nations across Canada, reflecting our union’s commitment to reconciliation. Through this work, the SHF connected with the […]