Jul 22, 2019
700 workers have voted to join the
United Steelworkers in the past month in several major successful organizing
campaigns in British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
At the Red Chris mine near Dease Lake, British Columbia over 330 workers are
joining USW local 1-1937. As Canada’s mining union, the Steelworkers are
leading the way to ensure that miners make gains at the bargaining table and
have the strongest health and safety protection possible.
“Mining is an incredibly important industry and economic driver of our country.
And it’s miners who make it all happen. We’re proud to grow our ranks and will
be working with workers at other non-union mines to provide them the
opportunity to join the Steelworkers and improve their working lives,” says
District 3 Director Stephen Hunt.
USW Local 2009 has also won certifications at Terrapure Environmental sites in North Vancouver, North Delta and Prince George, B.C.
Another effort in Kamloops, B.C. was secured by USW Local 1-417. Over 100 workers at Active Care, a community care centre, voted to join the United Steelworkers earlier this month.
Over in Prince George, B.C., 30 workers working at the Northwest Wood Treaters were verified last month and now join USW Local 1-2017.
“These organizing victories speak to the strength that our local unions have. Together, they want to build better working lives for people living and working in their communities. They are helping in growing our diverse union that fights for all workers,” says Hunt.
In Saskatchewan, the USW continues to be the union of choice for taxi workers seeking fair treatment, safe working conditions and a better future.
175 taxi workers at the ride hailing app RIIDE in Saskatoon are the newest members of the Steelworkers. Despite employer attempts to say that RIIDE drivers are not employees, the union was successful in this groundbreaking organizing campaign. They join drivers at Comfort Cabs and United/Blue Line as members of USW Local 2014.
“As times change and technology changes our working lives, more and more workers find themselves in vulnerable positions where their rights as workers are regularly violated and their work is not respected. The answer to these challenges is to organize, unionize and bargain collectively. USW is leading the way in this area,” Hunt concluded.