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USW names new director for Ontario, eastern Canada

Written by Michael Cowden

October 3, 2024

The United Steelworkers (USW) union has named Kevon Stewart to be director of District 6, which represents members in Ontario and Atlantic Canada.

The USW said that appointment was effective on Oct. 1. It also noted that Stewart became the first black district director in the union – not only in Canada but in the United States as well.

“I intend to build on our union’s work by helping more workers gain union representation with the USW, bargaining industry-leading strong contracts, and continuing as the go-to organization for community partnerships,” Stewart said in a statement.

Born in St. Thomas, Jamaica, Stewart moved to Canada with his family when he was a child. He graduated from York University in Toronto and initially intended to teach, the USW said.

Stewart instead found work as a machine operator at Samuel Strapping in Scarborough, Ontario. He then went on to become the first black rank-and-file member to hold a leadership role in the USW in Canada, the union said.

Stewart succeeds Myles Sullivan, who has taken on a new role as assistant to David McCall, international president of the USW, which is based in Pittsburgh.

Note that the USW has a strong presence across North America. It has also been increasingly active in trade petitions – including one filed in September against imports of coated flat-rolled steel.

Michael Cowden

Michael Cowden is editor-in-chief for Steel Market Update. Cowden has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported on steel long products, steel pipe and tube, and aluminum. Before joining SMU, Cowden held reporting jobs at Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. He has also worked as a copy editor and in marketing at the University of Chicago Press. Cowden has a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MSJ journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Contact him at michael@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-759-7872.

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