National Indigenous Committee
Members of the current USW National Indigenous Committee are:
- From District 3: Brett Bird, Mike Pulak, one vacant position
- From District 5: Tshakapesh Jérôme, Christian Chouinard, Jean-Yves Couture
- From District 6: Beatrice Clowe, Chelsea Olar, Merv King, Marc Ayotte
- From the CNO: Guillaume Charbonneau, Lorei Leigh De Los Reyes
The USW’s National Indigenous Committee continues to support our union’s work on Indigenous issues, including hosting powerful sessions at the 2023 National Policy Conference and at the 2024 International Civil and Human Rights Conference to help support action on Indigenous rights south of the border.
Truth and Reconciliation
The USW continues to take steps to contribute to reconciliation in Canada, in fulfillment of the USW’s endorsement of the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
All Steelworkers were shaken in 2021 at news of the rediscovery of hundreds of unmarked burials, first on the grounds of Kamloops’s former residential “school” and subsequently on dozens of other sites. We echo and uplift demands by Indigenous communities for governments and churches to release all relevant information in order to locate and identify the remains of Indigenous children.
We saw an outpouring of solidarity from Steelworkers, as local unions and districts took steps to say “Every Child Matters” and to mark September 30, Orange Shirt Day (also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation). A video featuring the personal experience of one member of the USW National Indigenous Committee was created and posted to the USW website.
In addition, under the leadership of the USW National Indigenous Committee, we produced resources for local unions to “do” reconciliation, found at usw.ca/trc-action-2/, as well as a poster series at usw.ca/equity-for-indigenous-people.
Indigenous Engagement Project
Based on a proposal from the USW National Indigenous Committee, in 2022 the Canadian directors approved a pilot project to hire two Indigenous engagement co-ordinators. Indigenous Steelworkers Josh George of USW Local 9597 in District 6 and Julia McKay of USW Local 9346 in District 3 worked from January 2023 to December 2024 to offer strategic support to local unions as they worked to build stronger relationships with Indigenous members and Indigenous communities.
The co-ordinators interviewed more than 40 local union leaders and members to create a practical guide for respectful engagement. Building Trust, Becoming Allies shares the best practices that our local unions have learned, whether it comes to representing Indigenous members, connecting with Indigenous communities, or bargaining good collective agreements that advance the rights of Steelworkers of Indigenous ancestry.
All guides and other resources can be found at the following link usw.ca/equity-for-indigenous-people, or ordered as hard copies from the USW Canadian National Office.
Bargaining to advance Indigenous rights
The USW’s Legal Department updated the Bargaining Guide for Advancing Indigenous Rights in 2021. It provides concrete examples of collective agreement language from the USW and other contracts that address job security, employment equity, respect for culture and other issues. The guide has been circulated to districts to share with staff representatives, distributed at union conferences and courses and is also available online or in hard-copy form from the USW Canadian National Office.
National Gatherings for Indigenous Steelworkers
The National Indigenous Committee hosted a third successful national gathering for Indigenous Steelworkers in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., in October 2022, attended by over 100 members, staff and guests. We heard from the Chiefs of the Batchewana and Garden River First Nations, NDP Member of Parliament Leah Gazan and several local unions spearheading important work with Indigenous members and Indigenous communities. And delegates provided advice for the Indigenous Engagement project.
Work is underway on the next national gathering in 2025.
The National Indigenous Committee was happy to offer a panel session at the 2024 International Civil and Human Rights Conference on the topic: We are Indigenous, We are Steelworkers. Three Indigenous Steelworkers from Canada were joined by an Indigenous Steelworker from the U.S. to share their views on how and why our union needs to recognize the unique identities and struggles of Indigenous peoples.
Unionism on Turtle Island
The USW is proud of our course, Unionism on Turtle Island, or Le Syndicat sur l’Île de la Tortue. (The course title refers to the name for North America in many Indigenous cultures.) The English version was created in 2017 with input from Indigenous Steelworkers and revised in 2024 with input from the USW’s 12 trained Indigenous member-facilitators, while the French version was created and piloted in 2024.
This course aims to fill the knowledge gap many Canadians have about Indigenous cultures, our shared history and the reconciliation efforts needed to build a healthy, strong future for all who live on Turtle Island. Participants experience personal transformation and go on to implement useful measures in their local unions.
Since this important course was created and first offered (in 2018 in English, and in 2024 in French), we have held 22 courses for 283 participants, including one course specifically for the staff of District 3. And we have trained 14 Indigenous Steelworkers to facilitate the courses.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Gender-Diverse Persons
The USW continues to urge the federal government to implement the Calls to Justice from the final report of the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse persons. Indigenous Steelworkers and allies took part in the CLC’s 2023 lobby day on Parliament Hill, which demanded a federal red-dress alert system. And we have created a short position paper setting out the USW’s position on temporary work camps and shared this with staff and members.
We continue to encourage local unions to build relationships with Indigenous organizations in their communities and to host or attend events on Feb. 14, May 5, and Oct. 4 to honour the missing and murdered. Our priority is greater safety and respect for Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit peoples.
Content about gender-based violence and the intersection with Indigeneity is included in the courses Unionism on Turtle Island, Becoming a USW Women’s/Equity Advocate and District 5’s domestic violence and equity, diversity and inclusion course.
Scholarships for Indigenous Steelworkers and Family Members
Since 2021, the USW has offered six annual scholarships, each worth $1,500, to members and their dependents who identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis. To increase student safety and success, priority is given to applicants who live in remote regions and plan to attend school far from home. For more information, visit: usw.ca/usw-indigenous-scholarships