TWU-STT & USW:TWU-STT & USW:A partnership for the A partnership for the futurefuture

December 12, 2012December 12, 2012

USW teamUSW team

SummarySummary1. Our structure

2. Our membership

3. Our resources and services

4. TWU-STT / USW merger considerations

5. Q&A

800,000 members across North America

Canadian autonomy within an international union

225,000 members in Canada

Most diverse union in Canada

USWUSW overview overview

USW diversity & strengthUSW diversity & strength 2,700 collective

agreements across Canada in every sector

50 agreements with 11,800 members under the Canada Labour Code

10 communications sector units, 5 in the U.S.: 1,800 members

USW democracy & structureUSW democracy & structure Most other unions choose

top leaders by delegates at conventions

USW democracy: leaders directly elected by one-member, one-vote

President, National Director for Canada, all International Officers and District Directors

USW democracy & structureUSW democracy & structure Same process for

USW Local Union executive elections: one-member, one-vote

Next Local Union elections: April 2015

USW Locals set USW Locals set USW policy USW policy

LOCAL UNION MEMBERSHIP elects delegates to

LOCAL UNION MEMBERSHIP elects delegates to

USW International

ConstitutionalConvention

USW International

ConstitutionalConvention

USW Canadian

PolicyConference

USW Canadian

PolicyConference

Other Conferences,

CLC, etc.

Other Conferences,

CLC, etc.

USWDistrict

Conferences

USWDistrict

Conferences

USW Overview: District 3USW Overview: District 3 B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan,

Manitoba and three northern territories

Members in about 900 different workplaces

Servicing offices in Burnaby, Trail, Langley, Prince George, Calgary, Edmonton, plus offices in Saskatchewan and Manitoba

USW overview: District 6USW overview: District 6 Ontario and Atlantic provinces

Members in about 930 different workplaces

Servicing offices in Cambridge, Hamilton, Hawkesbury, Kingston, London, Mississauga, Orillia, Oshawa, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Toronto, plus four Atlantic offices

USW overview: District 5USW overview: District 5 Quebec Members in about 650

different workplaces Servicing offices in

Montreal, Jonquiere, Quebec, Rouyn- Noranda, Brossard, Sept-Isles , Ste-Therese

USW DuesUSW Dues1.45% of pay, plus 2 cents per hour worked 44% to Local Union (education, lost time, membership

approved expenditures) 44% to USW (spent in Canada on services and staff

support) 7% to USW Strike and Defence Fund ($214 million) 3% to Organizing, 1% to Canadian Education Fund, 1% to

political action

USW Local UnionsUSW Local UnionsDiversity: a broad mix of diverse local union structures, designed to be flexible and meet members’ needsAll sizes of ‘stand-alone’ locals: single workplace / employer)All sizes of ‘amalgamated’ (geographic) locals covering multiple workplaces/contractsSectoral locals National and provincial locals

USW Services & SupportUSW Services & SupportStructure: mix of single-workplace locals,multi-workplace amalgamated locals

Services: delivered by USW Staff Representatives Trained, experienced USW employees responsible to elected DirectorsStaff Reps access USW resources, experts (Legal Department, Research Department, Communications, etc.)

USW ServicesUSW Servicesand Supportand Support

Research Department Legal Department Strategic Campaigns Health, Safety and

Environment Education,

Human Rights, Retirees Communications and

Political Action Organizing

• 7 full-time lawyers in the Canadian National Office

• Plus retained lawyers• Provide legal advice

and support to USW Staff Representatives and Local Union leadership

United United Steelworkers Steelworkers Legal DepartmentLegal Department

USW Legal DepartmentUSW Legal Department Collective agreement

language Training for staff and Local

Union officials on legal issues Collective bargaining strategy Grievances and arbitration Human rights issues

USW Research USW Research DepartmentDepartment• 9 Research staff in

Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal

• Trained experts in financial costing, benefit analysis, corporate research

• Experience with very wide variety of industries

USW Research Department USW Research Department When a union:

bargains a collective agreement

develops a strategic plan lobbies governments engages in public campaigns

It needs to understand the relevant facts

USW Membership EducationUSW Membership EducationThousands of USW members trained every year. Some course examples:

USW Membership EducationUSW Membership Education

Leadership development with global component

Scholarships for members and Locals

Next Generation program

Other member education highlights:

Global Global PartnershipsPartnerships

USW global union with Unite (U.K.) – Workers Uniting, 3 million members

USW founding member of IndustriALL – 50 million members in 140 countries

Partnership with Los Mineros in Mexico

USW Humanity USW Humanity FundFund First union-based

international development organization of its kind

Registered Canadian charity funded by USW member contributions

International development projects, emergency humanitarian aid and an education program for Steelworker members

USW USW Political ActionPolitical Action Activist union, founding

partner in the New Democratic Party

Fighting for: better labour laws, protection for wages and pensions, job security, health and social programs, better trade laws and more

Legislative offices in Ottawa and Washington

Women of Steel programWomen of Steel program supporting women activists,

recognizing women's issues as workers' issues

Women of Steel Leadership Development Course

USW National Women's Conference

USW – An Organizing UnionUSW – An Organizing Union Canadian National Organizing Department Strong legal and communications backup 13 full-time organizing staff at National and

District levels Depth of experience in running large

organizing campaigns Average 4,000 new members annually

USW – Strength through mergersUSW – Strength through mergers 1995 - United Rubber Workers (Canada / U.S.,

95,000 members) 1996 - Aluminum, Brick & Glass Workers

(Canada / U.S., 40,000 members) 2000 - Transportation Communications Union

(Canada / U.S., 5,000 members)

USW – Strength through mergersUSW – Strength through mergers

2001 – University of Guelph Staff Association (Canada, 900 members)

2004 - Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers Canada (Canada, 50,000 members)

Respects TWU-STT history as an independent union

All USW services and democratic rights Balance of autonomy and support Mutually agreed transition toward the

USW dues structure

Democratic involvement of TWU-STT membership

TWU-STT and USW – TWU-STT and USW – merger principlesmerger principles

Alignment of USW resources to assist in transition and collective bargaining

Democratic governance transition

TWU-STT and USW – TWU-STT and USW – merger principlesmerger principles

Compliance with TWU-STT and USW constitutions

Recognized by CIRB Collective agreement continuity Compliance by all employers

TWU-STT and USW – TWU-STT and USW – merger principlesmerger principles

Mutually agreed plan Careful legal strategy Moving confidently from merger into

servicing and then into collective bargaining

TWU-STT and USW – TWU-STT and USW – merger principlesmerger principles

Strong collective agreements

Top-notch service A strong voice for all

members

A partnership for a better future

TWU-STT and USW – TWU-STT and USW – merger principlesmerger principles

Questions & Questions & AnswersAnswers

TWU-STT Presentation, TWU-STT Presentation, December 12, 2012December 12, 2012