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.
We also continued to build our Women of Steel committee by increasing the number of solidarity actions as well as providing members with education during the USW District 3 Summer School and the District 6 Women of Steel 30th Anniversary Conference.
Undoubtedly, becoming part of the USW has given our Local the means to do more for our members, but also to give back to our communities. Our members have shown astounding solidarity and generosity throughout the country, be it during the spring flooding, the summer wildfires, giving to local causes, supporting sisters and brothers in labour disputes, or during the campaign to show support to our Freedom Mobile members. Our Local thanks everyone for these heart-warming waves of solidarity.
Our Local will be busy next year, and we will need our members to remain engaged and active within the union to move forward together – particularly with the upcoming bargaining for Shaw Vancouver and Surrey.
In 2018, our Local will keep on building better working conditions for our members, making our communities stronger, and ensuring we all prosper together.
“On behalf of the Local, I want to thank all our members for their engagement and trust throughout the year,” says Lee Riggs, National President of USW Local 1944. “Our members know that our sole purpose is to defend their interests and to improve their rights and this confidence makes us stronger when the time comes to fight for them.”
Watch the video online: www.facebook.com/usw1944/videos/1723402411045047.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
In Solidarity,
United Steelworkers Local 1944
