The USW Canadian National Office connects with our members, allies and the public through our digital and print communications and other types of media.
Effective, regular communication is a powerful tool for maintaining a strong, vibrant and growing union and connecting with current and new possible members, as well as retired Steelworkers.
The Communications and Political Action Department supports the work of the national office and our three districts in Canada with media releases, publications, websites, digital channels such as Facebook, X and Instagram, campaign pages, texting programs, leaflets, posters and other campaign materials and regular email newsletters including e-INFO, in English and French, as well as District e-newsletters.
Traditional communications
Our flagship full-colour bilingual magazine, USW@Work, is mailed to each member’s home twice a year. This publication includes articles on USW news and campaigns, keeping members up-to-date and inviting them to engage with our union.
Our Communications team works with the districts on regular and custom publications including Le métallo and Traits d’union in District 5, News@6 in District 6 and D3 Unite in District 3. All of these are available digitally and in print.
Our team also works with all departments in producing materials for Canadian conferences, which help make each event more accessible, interesting and colourful.
During this three-year cycle since the last international convention, we supported each district during their several days-long conferences with communications materials in advance of the conference as well as communications support during the conference and afterward.
The department also works collaboratively with the departments in Canada on producing custom print materials and digital content for USW events, campaigns and initiatives.
Digital communications
The USW Canadian National Office supports local unions wishing to communicate with members the way members want to hear from us – via text messaging, website campaigns and over Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and to a diminishing degree – on X (formerly Twitter).
Since the last convention, the USW also launched a new bilingual website, in late August 2022, which translates across multiple platforms including mobile phones and tablets. Its development was based on interviews with members and staff, as well as research into best practices.
It meets and exceeds current accessibility requirements, making it easier to use not only for our members with disabilities, but all website visitors. Part of this change has been moving away from the excessive and exclusive use of PDFs, which are not generally accessible. We now make great efforts to post content on the website, in addition to having a downloadable PDF file.
The website is fully integrated with the union’s social media accounts, allowing cross-promotion of information on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bluesky and X.
Communications staff use platforms to push the message out, draw attention to special events and initiatives and engage our members with fresh content regularly.
We also work closely with the districts and local unions and provide new media support and training. We are working closely with the International Communications Department and Union Hall on the new local union website refresh, to be rolled out around the time of the convention.
Through all the ways that we communicate, the USW promotes our union’s work and shares news of our union’s latest victories, challenges and campaigns, building our union’s strength and power by educating, informing and engaging our members.
Strong as Steel podcast
In District 3, District Director Scott Lunny hosts a regular monthly podcast, which kicked off in 2023. On the podcast, Director Lunny chats with guests about issues of the day, and has hosted both the B.C. Premier David Eby and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, in addition to numerous local union activists and staff members working on issues of concern. It is a fun and popular way to connect with USW members across the district and across Canada.
News@6 LIVE
In District 6, former District 6 Director and now International Secretary-Treasurer Myles Sullivan, along with then-Assistant to the Director and now District 6 Director Kevon Stewart, hosted a twice-a-year live broadcast offering a state of the union, answering questions from members and hearing from various District 6 local leaders and activists. It was broadcasted live on Facebook and YouTube.
Mainstream media
The USW in Canada is sometimes a commentator in the news in print, radio, web and television. When this happens, we are able to bring a progressive voice and the workers’ perspective to the issues of the day, particularly on topics such as how workers benefit from unions, about politics, the economy, green jobs and strategies to reduce growing inequality, greed and wealth disparity in our country.
The USW in Canada has had success placing opinion articles by the National Director and district directors to instigate dialogue and increase profile on important issues such as the benefits of the steel industry to Canada’s economy, mental health, elections and our Stop the Killing campaign to end workplace deaths and injuries.
Through building our mainstream media profile, we try to expand the USW’s reputation as a strong, reputable, progressive union that defends our members while working collaboratively for positive changes that would benefit all Canadians.
Digital offerings
Mobile Commons
This easy-to-use texting platform is offered to local unions in Canada, free of charge. It has been a very popular and successful tool, since launched by the New Media Department several years ago. Each month, tens of thousands of text messages are sent to current members by their local union and to potential members through organizing campaigns. Among local union members alone, there are more than 63,444 active subscribers. For locals interested in signing up, please contact communications@usw.ca.
Union Hall template website program
Local unions in Canada are eligible to participate in the U.S.-based free website program through Union Hall, which is being refreshed this year. This program was created by our co-workers in the U.S., working with the AFL-CIO. It allows for the creation of a simple, USW-branded template site, for local unions that may not otherwise be able to have one.
Action Network
With the creation of a new USW website, we have moved our e-blast system and member contact database over to Action Network, which is purpose-built for the labour movement. We are currently using it for email updates across all Canadian districts and nationally as well as small event registration. We hope to roll this tool out to local unions in the future.
New media training
Members of the department are an excellent resource to help with skills building in the area of new media, local union communications, campaign planning and traditional media training, which is very helpful in the case of high-profile contract negotiations or labour disputes.
The department can also offer other communications, political action and lobbying training. We are always happy to help with your communications, campaigns and political action training needs. Please contact us at communications@usw.ca.