We’re thrilled to announce the milestone achievement of our 25th anniversary. On January 16th, 1999 a group of workers came together to formalize the process as required by the Law, and created a “Trade Union” as defined by the Ontario Labour Relations Act.
Our founding was the result of many years of planning the birth of a new union in Canada. The time to move forward and forge a new relationship between workers and membership in a Trade Union had arrived. The Founding Members cheered the new beginning!
The twenty-first Century was just around the corner. An exciting new era was on the horizon. As workers, we recognized that we had an opportunity to be part of shaping our own future. The Founding Members understood the need for a new approach for working-people in Canada. The focus needed to shift from workers responding to the needs of employers to workers responding to the needs of workers.
The Founding Members understood that in this new era, employers would come and go - even entire Industries would come and go. The only constant would be the workers; and their role would be redefined over and over as the economy re-invented itself.
With the new found freedom that came from the formal recognition of the Canadian Union of Skilled Workers, the members now had a legally-recognized organization where workers could come together, see the horizon with fresh eyes and build a workers' union for the 21st Century.
After 25 years, the foresight of the founding members shines brightly as CUSW continues to thrive as an organization that responds to the needs of the members and their families. Thank you to all members for being an integral part of this journey.
Here's to the next 25 years of continued success and progress!
