LABOUR

USW Local 1005 marks 65th anniversary during lockout

by Alex Thomson

On Saturday, July 23, Steelworkers Local 1005, representing the workers at US Steel in Hamilton (formerly Stelco) celebrated the 65th anniversary of founding of the local with a community-sponsored picnic in Hamilton’s Gage Park.

The occasion also marked nine months that the members have been locked out by US Steel, the longest labour dispute that the former Stelco has had in those 65 years.

The lockout has cost $25 million in lost wages, which has had a huge impact on working families and local businesses. At stake are indexed pensions for retirees and new hires, in spite of the fact that US Steel promised, in 2007, to keep the Stelco pensions intact.

When US Steel bought the former Stelco in 2007, it entered into a legally binding commitment under the Investments Canada Act to bring a net benefit to Canada.

Instead, it has shut down the plant and services Canadian customers through its American plants while the federal and provincial governments continually fail to take any action.

US Steel has refused to come to the bargaining table unless the union agreed to concessions, even though the local was willing to negotiate a no-increase contract. In contrast, last year US Steel CEO John Surma earned a $12.5 million salary.

US Steel shut down the plant and locked out the workers with such a minimal attempt at bargaining that the workers were awarded EI benefits. However, the EI benefits are now due to run out, leaving the workers to face increased hardship.

Saturday’s event was a celebration of Local 1005’s continuing history of standing strong for worker rights, and an equally long history of support from the community.