A USW Call to Action for Women’s Equality

Our union has a proud history of taking action to advance women’s economic, political and social rights. And we know that much more needs to be done before women achieve full equality in Canada and the United States, and around the world. 

To continue the march toward full equality, we, the women Steelworkers gathered at the 2018 International/National Women’s Conference, commit ourselves to act, individually and together within our union, on these important issues: 

Ending violence and sexual harassment against women and girls 

Because gender-based violence can take place in the workplace or follow women into the workplace, threatening our livelihoods and our safety, we commit to: 

We call upon our Union to support us by: 

Women’s health and safety at work 

Because good physical and mental health and safety are essential for women workers to support our families and be active in our union and our communities, we commit to: 

We call upon our Union to support us by: 

Women’s inclusion when planning and running events, programs, and policies 

Because taking women into account encourages us to participate more in our union, but because all women aren’t the same, we commit to: 

We call upon our Union to support us by: 

Women in union leadership and activism 

Because having more women in union leadership empowers women and strengthens our union, we commit to: 

We call upon our Union to support us by: 

Changing the channel on hatred 

Because colonialism, racism, and hatred against people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities threatens many women’s health, safety, economic security, and political voice, we commit to: 

We call upon our Union to support us by: 

Closing the gender wage gap 

Because the gender wage gap unfairly keeps money out of women’s paycheques, threatening their ability to support a family and have a dignified retirement, we commit to: 

We call upon our Union to support us by: 

Standing with sisters around the world 

Because women all do better when we all do better, we: 

…and call upon our Union to support us in these efforts. 

Click here to download this as a PDF.