Quebec and Maritimes

February 13, 2018 - On February 14th, Women's Memorial Marches shall be held in various cities across Canada to commemorate the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

This annual event originated in 1991 in Vancouver, as a day to remember and to honour those women. These marches represent an opportunity for communities to come together, remember our lost sisters, and dedicate ourselves to justice.

Since the 1980's, in Canada, more than 1,000 Indigenous women have either gone missing or been murdered.

February 1, 2018 - "In our union's proud history of promoting and supporting equality, Steelworkers celebrate Black History Month annually," said Ken Neumann, National Director for Canada of the United Steelworkers.

"We celebrate the accomplishments of black Canadian people in society, acknowledge the achievements of activists in our union and encourage Steelworkers to continue the struggle for equality. We are beginning to recognize that despite advances in equality, racism has played a historic part in our national experience. This experience has also led to discrimination against black immigrants and Canadians in our workplaces." (Read the full statement at http://1944.fyi/aTLp7h).

January 30, 2018 - Through the program Veterans of Steel, the United Steelworkers recognize members and retirees who have served or who are serving our country.

January 27, 2018 - January 27th is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The Holocaust saw upwards of 6.5 million Jewish, Romani, intellectuals, persons with disabilities and homosexuals put to death in concentration camps throughout Germany and Poland. These camps still bear testimony to the atrocious living conditions and medical torture experiments that were inflicted on prisoners.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is not only a day for remembrance but also for engagement. Talking with survivors of the Holocaust is an inspiring and essential way that we can learn from the atrocities of the past, born of racism and hate.

January 25, 2018 - The next round of negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is being held in Montréal from January 23rd to January 27th, 2018.It is important that labour, environmental, and other civil society organizations show their opposition to this anti-labour trade agreement.

USW Local 1944 invites our members to join the citizen rally that will take place on Saturday, January 27th, 2018.

Together, we can call for a NAFTA that is finally favorable to the workers.

January 24, 2018 - The "JARR" (Job Assessment Risk Review) is a safety checklist mandated by CSD (Consumer Solutions Delivery) Safety for use by Plant/Craft employees and came into effect in early 2017.

ESDC (Employment and Social Development Canada), which is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for social programs and the labour market at the federal level, has informed the USW Local 1944 National Health and Safety Committee that Telus has met the minimum code requirement of 'notification and meaningful consultation' in regards to the JARR.

Your committee is disappointed that Telus is comfortable accepting and only meeting the lowest bar that the code allows and is unwilling to continue working towards a fully agreed form with the Union.

January 20, 2018 - On Saturday, January 20, 2018, women will take part in the Women's Marches across Canada, marching again with people of all genders, ages, races, abilities, backgrounds, and orientations.

Unions know that gender, racial, and economic justice are inextricably linked.

We March because we are inspired by the truly grassroots beginnings of this day of action, and the principles outlined by the organizers. Like them, we believe in building a world where violence against women, racial profiling, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of violence and discrimination, have no place in our homes, workplaces or communities.

January 15, 2018 - VANCOUVER - The decision by Shaw Communications to close its Freedom Mobile call centre in Windsor, Ontario, is an unjustified attack on employees, the United Steelworkers (USW) says.

January 8, 2018 - "Through celebration, we inspire action." The Jefferson Awards Foundation was founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft Jr., and Sam Beard. It is now considered as the most prestigious organization dedicated to celebrating public service and ordinary citizens who do extraordinary things without expectation of recognition.

We are a union that works in our communities

Our Local is composed of activists who help their communities and volunteer their time to various causes. For many of our members, lending a helping hand in their neighborhoods is part of being a member of the Local.

December 21, 2017 - However you celebrate this season, USW Local 1944 wishes you happiness, peace, and joy for the Christmas holidays and the new year to come.

2017 has been an active year, with the ratification of the new collective agreements for our Freedom Mobile and Abbotsford Shaw Communications members. Our Steelworkers Vote participation helped result in the BC New Democratic Party (BC NDP) coming to power, a trusted ally for our union.