Resolution No. 20: Building Unity Through Helping Others

WHEREAS, in its thirty-ninth year of operation, the Steelworkers Humanity Fund (SHF) allows Canadian Steelworkers to reach beyond their workplaces to improve the lives of fellow Canadians and workers throughout the world; and

WHEREAS, financed by a negotiated contribution through Steelworker collective bargaining agreements, the SHF supports unions and community organizations around the world, engages Canadian Steelworkers through worker-to-worker networks and exchanges, leads campaigns in defense of the rights of workers, and brings international perspectives to USW events and activities in Canada; and

WHEREAS, building on long-term partnerships and alliances, the SHF implements projects in Latin America, Africa, and South Asia focusing on labor rights, sustainable development and community education with unions, local groups and non-profit organizations; supports education on health and safety, vocational and skills training, and community leadership; provides funding for resources, education, and mobilization to support women's rights and address the challenges women face in the workplace and their communities; and coordinates Steelworker learning exchanges, fostering connections and shared learning with SHF partners around the world; and

WHEREAS, an important part of the work of the SHF focuses on supporting organizations and initiatives in Canada, every year donating to more than 120 food banks and other local organizations all over the country to alleviate the food insecurity of individuals and families in communities where Steelworkers live and work, including Indigenous communities; housing being an issue of heightened concern across Canada, the SHF supports a range of initiatives on the right to housing; and reflecting the Canadian economy’s growing reliance on temporary foreign workers, the SHF partners with organizations that defend the rights of workers who participate in this program given their vulnerability to abuse; and

WHEREAS, in order to face the growing impact of climate change-related emergencies that has been felt worldwide, between 2022 and 2024, the SHF contributed close to $250,000 in emergency relief for victims of climate disasters in Canada, especially wildfires, across districts 3, 5 and 6. In other parts of the world, Steelworker solidarity has been felt with over $200,000 in support of victims experiencing multiple natural and human-made disasters; and

WHEREAS, facing multinational corporations for which Canadian workplaces are but a small part of their global operations, Steelworkers are confronted by the destructive consequences of globalization such as job losses due to unfair trade agreements, lack of corporate accountability, environmental degradation from reckless resource extraction and the weakening of laws and regulations intended to protect workers and communities;  the SHF provides the tools to connect these struggles to the broader local economy, building alternatives for a model of global development rooted in justice, human rights, gender equity, and workers’ rights for all; and

WHEREAS, among the many benefits of the SHF are a more active and aware USW membership, activists who understand the importance of international solidarity, a union better attuned to the threats of a globalized economy, a trusted vehicle for Steelworker solidarity in Canada and around the world and a favorable perception for our union; and

WHEREAS, the United States has restrictive laws that continue to make it difficult to fund the same type of Humanity Fund in the U.S. as currently exists in Canada; and

WHEREAS, in 2004, our union established a separate U.S. tax-exempt organization, the Steelworkers Charitable and Educational Organization (SCEO), which includes in its mission the promotion of human and civil rights efforts, the strengthening of educational opportunities for working families and the providing of financial assistance in cases of natural disaster; and

WHEREAS, the SCEO, through monies obtained by way of cooperative agreements and grants from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Labor, established the Tony Mazzocchi Center for Health, Safety and Environmental Education (TMC) that delivers health and safety training to over 15,000 workers annually; and

WHEREAS, the SCEO, through training partnerships within the TMC, has worked to improve the health and safety conditions of all workers by establishing educational programs that enable workers to advocate for safer work environments; and

WHEREAS, since 2005, the SCEO has contributed nearly $2.6 million for relief to our members who were victims of hurricanes, tornados, wildfires and flooding throughout the United States and has supported union members devastated by natural disasters worldwide, including the earthquake in Haiti and earthquake and tsunami in Japan; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the good work of the funds, we estimate that each USW local union is responsible for at least 100 hours a year of volunteer service, having an estimated annual impact of $5 million on our communities where we live and work; and

WHEREAS, this volunteer work includes a variety of projects, including collecting food for the hungry, clothing for the needy, mentoring children, collecting toys for kids, caring for veterans and the elderly, helping survivors of domestic violence, and raising millions of dollars for various non-profits that help millions of people and support dozens of charitable causes in the United States, Canada and around the world; and

WHEREAS, Steelworker members, associate members, retirees, staff and their families often focus charitable efforts on projects and fundraising that help laid-off, locked out, displaced and striking USW members and their families, showing the true meaning of solidarity and unity; and

WHEREAS, USW activists in Next Generation, Women of Steel, Civil and Human Rights, Leadership Scholarship, SOAR and elsewhere have stepped up to lead many of these projects, proving that community service helps build leadership, organizing and other skills applicable to other important roles in our union; and

WHEREAS, the USW has a proud history of assisting the United Way and other charities, and in 2016 partnered with the Jefferson Awards Foundation, now named Multiplying Good, an organization committed to promoting and honoring community service in the United States, by becoming a Jefferson Awards Champion; and

WHEREAS, in 2016, the union launched the USW Cares Jefferson Awards program as a way to highlight USW members and retirees in the United States and Canada for their amazing community service work; and

WHEREAS, in just two years, this project produced some 250 nominations from across the United States and Canada and resulted in winners being named in each USW district and from the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR); and

WHEREAS, Priscilla Puente, a member of USW Local 13-227 in Pasadena, Texas, won a national Jefferson Award in 2016 for her work helping domestic violence survivors earn family-sustaining employment and economic freedom from their abusers by securing jobs at USW-represented workplaces, bringing immense pride and attention to our great union.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that:

1. The USW reaffirms our gratitude to the members of our union in Canada for their leadership in leading the way in assisting workers around the world and encourages and supports the continuation and expansion of our Canadian Steelworkers Humanity Fund by negotiating the SHF contribution clause in bargaining units that do not yet participate, and increasing the contribution rates for bargaining units that do participate.
2. We urge all USW locals in the U.S. to communicate with their members, associate members and the public to make them aware of the opportunity to contribute to the SCEO, so that it may carry on a similar tradition in the U.S.
3. Our union urges all USW locals in the U.S. to utilize the knowledge and expertise provided through the TMC and all educational programs offered by the union.
4. We will continue to support educational programs and partnerships that elevate the standard of working conditions of all workers.
5. The union continues to support and honor the community service of our members, staff and retirees, including by expanding training at local and district education events and through Women of Steel, Next Generation, SOAR, Civil and Human Rights, Leadership Scholarship, and other activist programs.
6. We will continue to build our partnerships with Multiplying Good, the United Way and other allies who support our mission of building leadership through community service and volunteerism, support a strong labor movement, and help USW members and their families in times of need.
7. The USW pledges to continue highlighting stories of our members and retirees and the impact of their community service efforts with the goal of inspiring others to serve, including by regular promotion of this work on USW communication channels such as the USW@Work magazine, union websites and social media, and whenever appropriate, to help promote these stories in local and national news media.