USW Mourns Passing of Former President Gerard

Contact: R.J. Hufnagel, (412) 562-2450, rhufnagel@usw.org

(PITTSBURGH) – Leo W. Gerard, who led the United Steelworkers (USW) as the union’s international president for more than 18 years, died on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025.

Gerard, who retired in July 2019 as the longest-tenured president in the USW’s history, served the union in numerous leadership roles throughout a career spanning more than 50 years, which began at the age of 18 at a nickel smelter in his hometown of Sudbury, Ontario.

“Leo Gerard spent his entire life fighting for workers across the world, and his impact on the USW, and the global labor movement, has been immeasurable,” said USW International President David McCall. “He inspired countless other workers to carry on the fight for justice and fairness. He will be missed, but we intend to honor his legacy by continuing that work.”

Gerard served as a USW staff representative, district director, national director of Canada, and secretary-treasurer before his election as international president in 2001.

Throughout his tenure, Gerard sought to grow the union through organizing new workers, orchestrating mergers with other labor organizations, and building strategic alliances with allies across North America and around the world.

Gerard oversaw the USW’s 2005 merger with the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE) – which made the USW the largest industrial union in North America – and was instrumental in the formation of the Blue-Green Alliance, a powerful labor-environmental partnership, in 2006.

He championed international cooperation among labor organizations, building relationships with unions in Mexico, Europe, South America and elsewhere. His leadership helped to establish the IndustriALL Global Union, which represents 50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors.

“Leo was a visionary leader, determined and fearless in taking on corporations and lawmakers alike,” said USW Canadian National Director Marty Warren. “He spent his career building power for workers so that everyone could have safer jobs, better pay, retirement security and respect on the job. As a proud Canadian, he never wavered from his values, and his life’s work will live on for generations.”

The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.

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