USW Local 6571
Who is USW Local 6571?
USW Local 6571 proudly represents over 400 Steelworkers at the Gerdau steel mill in Whitby Ontario.
Who are the United Steelworkers?
The seeds of this great union were planted in the late 1800s by our fathers and mothers, our grandparents, our great-grandparents and so on. They were seeds of commitment, solidarity and a common interest to fight for better conditions for workers everywhere. Through wars and recessions, good times and bad times, we established our family roots: better wages, job security, reasonable hours and safer working conditions. Thanks to the strength and activism of our members, our branches reached out to lead movements to stop child labor, provide aid to injured workers, fight for retirees, stand up for civil and human rights and so much more.
What Principles were the USW Founded on?
The work of Steelworkers Organizing Committee begin in 1942 with a set of founding principles – values that still guide us today:
- To unite in one organization, regardless of creed, color or nationality, all workers eligible for membership.
- To increase the wages, and improve the conditions of employment of our members by legislation, joint agreements or other legitimate means.
- To endeavor to obtain by joint negotiation or legislative enactment a six-hour day and five-day week.
- To strive for a minimum wage scale for all members of our organization.
- To provide for the education of our children by lawfully prohibiting their employment until they have reached eighteen years of age
- To secure equitable statutory old-age pension, workman’s compensation and unemployment insurance laws.
- To enforce existing just laws and to secure the repeal of those which are unjust.
- To secure by legislative enactment, laws protecting the limbs, lives and health of our members; (laws) establishing our right to organize; (laws) preventing the employment of privately armed guards during labor disputes and such other legislation as will be beneficial.
The USW today?
Today, we are a strong union, bold and proud. We continue to believe in better, and together, we are still standing up and fighting back for everyone. The United Steelworkers union (USW) is the largest private-sector union in North America, with more than 225,000 members in Canada, and 850,000 members in North America in nearly every economic sector.
Membership Meetings
Local Membership meetings are held the 2nd Thursday of each month at 5:30pm and are located at 125 Albert Street Oshawa.
