National Director's Update
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In this Issue: Women of Steel Gather Resisting Austerity in D5 Daniel Moves On Our Working Forest Erin and Scott go to Ottawa Steel Needs Trudeau’s Help Equality & Pride Coming Amandeep Nijjar co-chairing a session Helping Syrian Refugees of the USW National Women’s Conference Taking on Telus in Vancouver. December 2015 Facing Challenges with Hope and Solidarity in Sault Ste. Marie, featuring a day the job-killing Trans-Pacific Trade All the best, of giving back to the community; Partnership (TPP), a trade deal Daniel! our Consultation Workshop for that will drive down wages for Our brother Daniel Aboriginal Steelworkers; and our vulnerable workers and threaten Roy, Director USW National Women’s Conference our country’s autonomy. of District 5, in Vancouver where we launched announced during As unionists we also stand up for our petition to end violence against human rights in times of crisis. the District 5 Annual Assembly that women. he is stepping down. An inspiring Syrian refugees are desperate. I labour and social justice activist, I look forward to our USW National urge USW locals and area councils fierce defender of workers’ rights, Policy Conference, Equality and to join with the Humanity Fund Daniel will blaze a trail wherever his Pride, next April in Montreal. Our and support sponsorship of Syrian career takes him. He will always be gatherings give us strength to face refugee families. part of our Métallos-Steelworkers our challenges. Steelworkers come together in family. Steelworkers remain strong solidarity to work for peace, workers’ The District 5 assembly was the defending our members in the rights and positive change. Our final conference in a year of steel industry against job cuts, hope and solidarity make us strong. successful conferences for our loss of crucial health benefits and In solidarity, union: USW District 3’s conference reduced pensions. We are calling in Edmonton, held before Rachel on governments to defend our jobs Notley’s majority NDP win in and our industries. Alberta; USW District 6’s conference Our union is mobilizing against Ken Neumann National Director cope-sepb 343> <sru-sdr, uswmetallos United Steelworkers Canadian National Office 800-234 Eglinton Ave. E.,Toronto, ON M4P 1K7 @SteelworkersCA Tel.: 416-487-1571 Web: usw.ca Email: [email protected] NATIONAL WOMEN’S “Violence at home doesn’t stay of Action on Violence Against CONFERENCE at home,” said Vicky Smallman, Women, the CLC will release an Director of Women’s and Human online resource for workplace Sign the USW Rights at the Canadian Labour representatives that will make Congress. The CLC released a domestic violence a union issue. petition to end study last year in which a third violence against of respondents said they had Unions Built Childcare women at experienced domestic violence. in Quebec “Only 12.5% of women said they While hopes for a national childcare www.usw.ca/evaw talked to their union,” she said, program were dashed with the adding that women can experience results of the October 19 federal stalking and harassment in the election, Quebec socio-economic workplace, which means unions researcher Eve-Lyne Couturier must respond with negotiated also warned that Quebec Premier protections. Philippe Couillard wants to privatize “We need to develop model childcare, which as a public service USW’s partner union in Mexico, Los given our family energy, hope Women Speak Out contract clauses for domestic at $7 a day has been the envy of Mineros. and support in our times of need. violence leave,” Smallman added. Canadian families outside of Quebec. You represent the truest and best Postcards and electronic messages “There is no organization anywhere Action Needed from “And there needs to be peer- meaning of love – love for a family, are calling for an immediate “Unions were the major builder of that is more united and more support, including training for love for the union, love for working Federal Government national inquiry into missing and childcare in Quebec,” Couturier said. committed to the struggle for Women of Steel are calling on the stewards on how to recognize together to make the world better, murdered indigenous women, and A special message to delegates women’s work and dignity, equality new federal government to stand signs of domestic violence so they brighter and more fair for all.” a national action plan on violence was read by USW Vice-President and social justice than the United up for the rights and safety of can provide real protection and against women. The plan should be at Large Carol Landry from Oralia Steelworkers,” said Casso de Gomez. The Steelworkers have scheduled Canadian women and girls. support.” based on a blueprint developed by Casso de Gomez, wife of Napoleon “For us, and for the men and our International Women’s Celebrating 25 years since the the Canadian Network of Women’s Smallman announced that on Gomez, the exiled president of the women of Los Mineros, you have Conference for March 7-10, 2016, in Women of Steel program began Shelters and Transition Houses. December 6, the annual Day Pittsburgh. ■ empowering union activists, nearly 300 delegates to the National Women’s Conference in Vancouver ended the three-day conference with a clear message to the new Prime Minister in Ottawa. 2 National Director’s UPDATE • December 2015 National Director’s UPDATE • December 2015 3 A Matter of Choice Quebec Steelworkers support massive movement against Liberal austerity program. Delegates to the Steelworkers District 5 Annual Quebec’s Liberal government that its priority to justify such cuts. Érik Bouchard-Boulianne, Assembly voted unequivocally to support Quebec’s should be fighting inequality, rather than economist at the Centrale des Syndicats du Common Front of public-sector unions in a exacerbating the problem with its austerity Québec labour federation, demonstrated the massive campaign against the provincial Liberal agenda. merits of progressive policies to maintain public government’s austerity program. “The Liberal government tells us that we have services and redistribute more wealth. “They are not only defending their working a spending problem, that making cuts in social Delegates passed a resolution calling for conditions, they are also defending the quality of programs is no longer just a choice,” Roy said. legislation to classify workers and pensioners as our public services. It’s our duty to support them,” “But it is possible to make other choices. We can preferred creditors in corporate bankruptcies. Daniel Roy! Steelworkers Quebec Director Daniel Roy said of the choose to stop giving tax breaks to the richest few, Leading the debate were former employees and Quebec Steelworkers Director Daniel Roy Common Front movement. stop cutting corporate taxes and stop the capital pensioners of Cliffs Natural Resources who have made a surprise announcement at the District 5 “When public-sector workers negotiate decent flight to tax havens.” lost their jobs, their benefits and life insurance and Annual Assembly in November that he will be working conditions, this also has an impact on Delegates heard from Eve-Lyne Couturier, whose pensions are at risk. stepping down from the job on Dec. 31. Daniel negotiations in the private sector and on conditions a researcher at Quebec’s Institute for Socio- Delegates also agreed to participate in the 2016 has accepted the position of Vice-President in non-unionized workplaces,” Roy said. Economic Research, who presented evidence World Social Forum, which will be held in Montreal of Membership Development at the Fonds de The 400 delegates to the District 5 assembly, held quantifying the damage caused by the neoliberal next summer, attracting 50,000 progressive solidarité FTQ, the Quebec labour federation’s Nov. 18-20 in Rivière-du-Loup, sent a message to austerity agenda and debunking the myths used activists from around the globe. ■ development capital fund. A ‘Métallo’ since he began his career as a welder with Raymond Industries in Sept-Îles 39 years ago, Daniel took over from Michel Arsenault as District 5 Director in 2007. Delegates attending the District 5 assembly took the opportunity to pay Daniel a glowing tribute. In his final address as the Steelworkers’ Quebec Director, Daniel credited his union for teaching him everything he knows. “Take care of one another! As Métallos, we are Ferry Workers’ stubborn, we argue, we lay our hearts out on the Solidarity Achieves table. But once our decision is made, we move Contract Gains forward,” he told delegates. After waging a high-profile, three-week “When those whom we deal with see before strike, engineering and navigation officers them people who are committed and firm in their of the Société des traversiers du Québec, a decisions, people who have a backbone, they provincial agency providing ferry services, can’t help but respect us.” have reached a new collective agreement. The Daniel indicated he would like to see his ferry officers made significant gains in several Assistant, Alain Croteau, succeed him as Director, areas, in particular recruitment and retention with Dominic Lemieux, the Steelworkers’ bonuses and the employer’s share of the North Shore Coordinator, as the new Director’s group insurance premium. The contract also Assistant. USW International President Leo W. ensures the ferry officers obtain the same wages, Gerard will appoint an interim director to assume retirement benefits, parental rights and other responsibilities until the next International conditions as workers represented by Quebec’s Executive Board elections are held. ■ Common Front of public-sector unions. ■ 4 National Director’s UPDATE • December 2015 National Director’s UPDATE • December 2015 5 Election 2015 – Moving Forward Together are now in a new, post- efforts during the election. We Thanks to USW members for your We Harper era with a Liberal have recruited many new USW enthusiasm and commitment.