In the summer of 2025, Steelworkers joined a delegation of Canadian union representatives to travel to Mexico for a technical exchange on occupational health and safety with unions from both countries.
In Cuernavaca, Mexico, they participated in a three-day workshop with workers who had recently organized their own workplaces to form unions or were in the process of an organizing fight. Shelley Savoury, Local 1976-551 unit president, and Andy LaDouceur, Health, Safety and Environment Coordinator for District 6, attended the multi-union delegation, co-led by established unions from both countries. Shelley and Andy, hailing respectively from the marine transport and steel industries, each facilitated a workshop to share Steelworker strategies for protecting members’ health in the workplace. They participated in a rich exchange with brothers and sisters from the mining, auto parts, electronics, and textile production industries in Mexico.
Participants shared struggles they faced with employers, and brainstormed strategies for a variety of situations, including inadequate PPE, lack of protocols for hazardous waste and chemicals, lack of ventilation, repeat strain injuries, and difficulty accessing time off in case of workplace accidents. Other topics discussed included workplace harassment and gender-based violence, hazard-based versus behavioural approaches, and mental health.
“It was truly an honour to be part of this incredible project, to facilitate a session on Occupational Health & Safety, to learn from others, and to share experiences”, said Shelley Savoury. “It was a success thanks to the commitment and passion of all who took part.”
The Mexican labour movement has been undergoing major transformation after 2019, when a national reform made the conditions easier for workers to form independent unions. Representatives from the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO) also attended the exchange, which was organized through the Mexico Labour Solidarity Project.
The project, formally titled Strengthening Capacity to Implement the Labour Reform and Labour Justice in Mexico, is funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, and hosted by the Steelworkers Humanity Fund.
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