USW Local 1005

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Member News

Annual Kirk Moore Golf Tournament

Saturday August 23, 2025
$150 Per Person
4 Person Best Ball
Enter as a foursome or as an individual
Chippewa Creek Golf & CC
9639 Chippewa Rd. West, Mount Hope

Sign up for the annual Kirk Moore Golf Tournament in memory of Kirk Moore. Download the poster for details. The due date for registration money is July 19, 2025.

The Tournament success greatly depends on your participation. The Local 1005 Golf Committee works diligently on your behalf to make 2025 the best Tournament!

Golf Committee
Ron Wells, Dennis Van Meer, Jim McColl, Dan Bates, Tony Mclaughlin, Brad Job

USW Post Secondary Scholarships

Every year, the United Steelworkers union awards scholarships to qualified students across Canada. These scholarships are intended to support Steelworkers members who spend many years saving so that they or their children can pursue post-secondary education. District 6, for those in Ontario, offers its own scholarships in addition to the Canada-wide scholarships that the USW offers. Please visit the USW District 6 scholarships page for more information.

Forge FC

Come and cheer on your Forge FC! As a Stelco employee you are being offered an exclusive discount. Download the poster for more information or visit Ticketmaster to view tickets. The Canadian championship quarter final is on Tuesday May 20, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at Hamilton Stadium. Tickets are available for a limited time while quantities last.

Red Dress Day- May 5, 2025

The National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit (MMIWG2S) People is recognized annually on May 5. The day is also known as “Red Dress Day” and it carries deep sorrow, love, accountability and responsibility.  

This day was established because there is an ongoing crisis in Canada of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people. It began with the REDress Project, created by Métis artist Jaime Black in 2010.

On this day, red dresses will be draped in trees, hanging from windows, pinned to jackets, worn as earrings and red hands painted across faces. People will be joining rallies and ceremonies to honour their loved ones, participating as ally’s and fighting for justice.

To raise awareness and pay tribute to the day, people are encouraged to wear red, inform themselves about MMIWG2S and participate in community events commemorating the day.

The Hamilton Native Women’s Centre will hold a memorial ceremony to mark Red Dress Day on May 5. The event, from 10 a.m. to noon, is an opportunity to honour all missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. It will take place at Honouring the Circle at 21 Rosedene Avenue in Hamilton. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.

May Day- May 1, 2025

This May Day USW 1005 stands in solidarity with workers throughout the world in their fight for fair wages, benefits, pensions, working conditions, health & Safety. We need a government that will protect workers’ rights with trade agreements that benefit workers instead of corporations and wealthy elites. We need an anti-war government that will invest in education, public housing and healthcare instead of funding foreign wars.

We need a government that will stand up to corporate greed so working families can afford essentials such as housing, food and medication. It shouldn’t be a radical idea to stop greedflation and renovictions.

Finally, we need a government that has the courage to demand an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, an end to the genocide and occupation and develop a path forward so that people of Palestine can live in dignity and security.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month takes place across Canada in May every year. During this month, we learn about mental illnesses and how they affect people’s lives in different ways.

Mental health is part of every one of us in all areas of our lives. We bring it with us to our workplaces, schools, and our everyday activities. Mental health is similar to physical health as it refers to a state of well-being. Mental health includes our emotions, feelings of connection to others, our thoughts and feelings, and being able to manage life’s highs and lows. Everyone deserves to have the right support and resources available to foster good mental health.

“Unmasking Mental Health” is this year’s focus. This theme encourages people to embrace honesty and vulnerability in their mental health journeys, breaking down stigma and fostering deeper connections. The theme encourages individuals to be genuine with themselves and others, acknowledging that it’s okay to struggle and seek support. This can lead to deeper connections and improved mental well-being. 

For more information, visit Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) website.

Employee Tiger-Cats Season Ticket Offer

As a current Stelco employee, you are being offered an opportunity to purchase season tickets at an exclusive price. This offer is from May 1 to the first game of the regular season.

MP Matthew Green Statement

Please read the statement from Matthew Green, October 9, 2024, in support of the government to make public the commitments that Cleveland-Cliffs has made under the Canada Investment Act.

Important Update- July 23, 2024

As you are probably already aware of, last Monday July 15, 2024, Stelco Holdings Inc. announced that it had entered into an agreement with Cleveland Cliffs Inc. for the purchase of Stelco’ s Hamilton Works and Lake Erie Works operations.

On Friday July 19, USW 1005 Executive, along with USW 8782 Executive and senior USW representatives met in person with Cleveland Cliffs CEO and President Lourenco Goncalves, COO Cliff Smith, and Executive VP Human Resources Rob Fischer.

CEO Goncalves explained that there would be no layoffs at either location and was looking to add to the workforce and not subtract from it. He further committed to honouring our collective agreements. He went on to explain the potential synergies with the purchase and that Cleveland Cliffs is coke short and that Hamilton’s Coke Ovens could provide that need and therefore plans to increase coke production.

We told the Cliffs team about our terrible experience with US Steel and Goncalves responded that Cliffs were very different and would not disappoint us. USW International President Dave McCall, who supports the deal, told us that the relations between the USW and Cliffs was much better than with US Steel. We reached out to the President of USW Local 6787 from the Burns Harbor plant, which Cliffs purchased in 2020, who told us Cliffs immediately made investments to their facility and so far, the relationship has been positive.

While the announcement came as a bit of a surprise it was clearly something we anticipated was going to eventually take place. We are hopeful that this transaction will be beneficial to all of our members, pensioners and communities and we will hold them accountable if their commitments and promises are not met.
In the coming months we will be having more meetings with Cliffs’ management team and have further information for you. In the meantime, please work safely and don’t listen to rumours. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at 905-547-1417 with any questions or concerns.

In Solidarity,
USW 1005 President Ron Wells & Executive

MP Matthew Green Statement

Please read the statement from Matthew Green, in solidarity with United Steelworkers’ Hamilton and Lake Erie Stelco members.

United Steelworkers statement on Stelco’s announcement of sale agreement with Cleveland-Cliffs

July 15, 2024

Statement by United Steelworkers union (USW) Canadian leaders on today’s announcement by Stelco Holdings Inc. that it has entered into an agreement with Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. for the purchase of Stelco’s Hamilton Works and Lake Erie Works operations in Hamilton and Nanticoke, Ont., respectively:

Today, some two-dozen representatives of the nearly 2,000 USW members who work at Stelco’s Hamilton and Lake Erie operations met by video conference with Lourenco Goncalves, Cleveland-Cliffs’ President, CEO and Chairman of the Board.

This initial, hour-long meeting was cordial and respectful in tone, with meaningful exchanges that led the parties to schedule a more fulsome, face-to-face meeting that will be held this Friday, July 19, in Hamilton, where Stelco is headquartered.

First and foremost, our union believes that any sale of Stelco must be predicated on binding commitments that it will result in tangible, net benefits to our members who are primarily responsible for the company’s success, as well as to the communities in which our members and pensioners live and work, and to our province and our country.

We believe that any purchase of Stelco must come with commitments to honour our members’ collective agreements, to protect pensions and benefits, and to make investments that will protect and create jobs and ensure the long-term viability of the company’s operations.

We are committed to engaging in good-faith discussions with Cleveland-Cliffs to ensure these vital objectives are met.

Sincerely,

GoodLife Fitness

GoodLife is offering corporate rates to Stelco employees. You can save with $0 enrollment fees and 25% off of all membership types. Download the poster for more information.

Pension Deposit Schedule for 2025

The Brookfield Annuity Company will be changing their name to Blumont Annuity Company. The payment schedule for 2025 is the following:

January 2
January 31
February 28
April 1
May 1
May 30
June 30
August 1
August 29
October 1
October 31
December 1

Seniors United for Health Care with Dignity

Learn more about the Seniors United for Health Care with Dignity organization and how they are working to change healthcare in Ontario for seniors. Download their latest press release for more information.

Keep Transit Public

Hamilton’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) is set to begin construction next spring, and once again is under threat of privatization from Doug Ford and Metrolinx. In the Summer of 2017, the Keep Transit Public campaign resulted in a collection of over 6,000 signatures in support of a Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) operated LRT. Along with a major rally, extensive local media engagement and positive coverage, Hamilton city councillors voted 9 to 4 in favour of a request to “Keep Transit Public”. The motion requested the HSR to operate and maintain the LRT.

The Ontario government is now trying to privatize Hamilton’s LRT. Other cities warn about the repercussions of privatizing LRT. Read the recent article, published in the Hamilton Spectator, from Toronto city councillor Josh Matlow warning about privately run LRT.

Your help is needed to Keep Transit Public. Please consider signing the petition or contacting your city councillor- or both! For information on how you can provide support, please visit the Keep Transit Public website.

Monthly Membership Meeting Dates

Monthly membership meetings will be held on the 2^nd Wednesday of each month, starting at 3:40pm.
Meetings are held at USW 1005 Union Hall at 350 Kenilworth Ave. North, Hamilton Ontario.

• Wednesday January 8, 2025
• Wednesday February 12, 2025
• Wednesday March 12, 2025
• Wednesday April 9, 2025
• Wednesday May 14, 2025
• Wednesday June 11, 2025
• Wednesday July 9, 2025
• Wednesday August 13, 2025
• Wednesday September 10, 2025
• Wednesday October 8, 2025
• Wednesday November 12, 2025
• Wednesday December 10, 2025

Employee and Family Assistance Program- FSEAP

FSEAP services are free, confidential and available 24 hours a day.

During business hours call: 613-549-5561 or 1-888-409-4499.

After business hours call: 1- 800-668-9920.

You can also visit fseap.ca and login in with username: fseapkingston and password myfseap.

Download a copy of the brochure.

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