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The Canadian Program

Steelworkers in Canada are continuing a proud tradition of fighting for human rights in collective agreements and legislation from coast-to-coast-to-coast. National and District Human Rights Committees, Area Council and Local Committees and Staffs work with union members and our social and political partners to advance efforts in workplaces and in our communities to fight discrimination, harassment and inequality.

The Steelworkers Anti-Harassment Workplace Training Program has reached over 30,000 front-line workers and managers. The program delivered during work time, in the workplace, helps to raise awareness and build the confidence of workers to prevent and deal with incidents of harassment and discriminatory behaviour.

A network of trained Steelworker facilitators and counsellors deliver the anti-harassment training as well as providing support to help mediate human rights based conflicts in the workplace and in the Union. The Steelworkers "Yellow Sheet" Policy, read at every Union event states clearly the position that harassment strikes at the heart of principles fundamental to the labour movement: human rights and solidarity. Policies, procedures and training help to ensure members have the skills to help identify workplace and union practices that may be discriminatory or act as barriers to women, visible minority persons, people with disabilities and aboriginal people.

Human rights objectives are reflected in the Back-to-the-Locals Education program. From Basic Steward, Arbitration and Health and Safety Courses to the Union’s Women of Steel and Human Rights Course, local union instructors use case studies, role plays and problem solving exercises to help equip activists to advance a human rights agenda. Steelworker representatives on the Canadian Labour Congress and Provincial Women’s and Human Rights Committees share resources and techniques to develop union education that promotes mutual respect, understanding and tolerance.

Steelworkers have been long standing advocates of equal pay for equal work and equal pay for work of equal value. Steelworkers working with union and community activists in coalition, helped to lobby successfully for provincial pay equity legislation and developed SES: A Simple Effective Solution to Pay Equity and Job Evaluation for bargaining units negotiating gender-neutral and equitable compensation systems.

Our successes today to combat sexism and racism are rooted in the struggles of our past. The Union’s first leaders in Canada, working with our political partners in the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and later the New Democratic Party, took the lead in lobbying and fighting for legislation to address the sexism and racism that was dividing the workforce and undermining the strength of unions.

The federal and provincial Human Rights Codes and Human Rights Commissions were established as a result of Steelworker leaders and activists working side by side community and labour groups. And, the coalitions continue their work today. As members of equal pay coalitions, alliances for employment equity, and members of federation and the Canadian Labour Congress Women’s and Human Rights Committees, staff and members continue to work for proactive legislation and provisions to break down barriers to women, gay men and lesbians, visible minority persons, people with disabilities and aboriginal people.

Members and staff attend seminars conducted by Steelworker training facilitators and Steelworker lawyers on the steadily evolving law regarding the duty to accommodate pursuant to human rights legislation. We regularly attend grievance arbitrations and other legal proceedings in which we fight for better and fairer forms of accommodation and for greater employer recognition of human rights in the workplace.

Through the Steelworkers Humanity Fund, Canadian Steelworkers are providing assistance to partner organizations in countries around the world who are advancing the goals of equality, fairness and justice. Joint campaigns of women’s and human rights committees have helped to raise awareness of, for example, the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights, the World March of Women and the International Day for the Elimination of Racism. Local and regional events on March 8th, International Women’s Day, March 21st, the International Day for the Elimination of Racism, June 21st, Aboriginal Persons Day, Pride Days and Labour Day are opportunities to celebrate our successes and lobby governments where globalization and the corporate agenda threaten many of our gains.

As Steelworkers led the way on health and safety legislation, the same can be said of human rights initiatives. Collective agreements with resource based companies that incorporate and protect agreements with aboriginal people have helped to open doors and accommodate native traditions and customs. The legal requirement in Canada to accommodate religious and cultural differences as well as the special needs of people with disabilities or injured workers has challenged the membership and the Union. Focusing on the special needs and differences of individual workers in fact helps to build a stronger Union. It is the role of the Union’s Human Rights Committees to help educate, listen and support members to build a commitment to ensuring there is solidarity in diversity -- that Steelworkers can, indeed be, Everybody’s Union

Canadian National Office

Kenneth Neumann, National Director

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