The United Steelworkers has added 266 new members in Manitoba as employees at Frontier School Division #5 have voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the union.
Located in Norway House, a First Nations community some 30 km north of Lake Winnipeg, the school division serves both the Cree Nation and the adjacent non-treaty community. These new members of the United Steelworkers work as teaching assistants, maintenance workers, clerical staff, bus drivers, cooks and a number of other jobs.
With the support of an excellent inside committee, USW Organizer Pablo Guerra and Staff Representative Leslie McNabb found strong support for the union. Despite the usual tactics by the employer, the workers never backed down from supporting the union and improving their working conditions.
“Our inside committee made this happen. They understood how important it is to stay united. When the employer tried to pad the list and scare people away from voting yes, the inside committee never wavered and neither did the workers,” said Guerra.
In October, a vote was held and over 94% of the employees voted yes to joining the United Steelworkers.
“We’re proud to welcome these workers as the newest members of the United Steelworkers in District 3,” said Director Steve Hunt. “The courage they displayed by sticking together and standing up for their right to join a union is a powerful reminder to all of us of the true meaning of solidarity.”
“Organizing is the lifeblood of our union. We are committed to continuing our efforts to offer workers throughout western Canada the opportunity to join the United Steelworkers and stand together to build a better future for themselves and their families,” said Hunt.
In Solidarity!