USW D6 NextGen Committee

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of USW International President emeritus Leo W. Gerard earlier today. He passed away peacefully with his family by his side.

Leo Gerard was the International President emeritus of the United Steelworkers union, serving in the union’s top job from 2001 to 2019. Gerard was the second Canadian to lead the international union, following his mentor Lynn Williams, who served as USW International President from 1983 to 1994.

Gerard was born in Creighton Mine, Ont., a Sudbury-area “company town” established by mining giant Inco Ltd. Following in the footsteps of his father, a union organizer, he went to work for Inco at age 18. He soon got involved in United Steelworkers Local 6500, beginning a meteoric rise up the union’s leadership ladder.

After reaching the position of chief steward of his 7,000-member local union, Gerard’s leadership abilities prompted the USW to hire him to a staff job in 1977. He went on to become the union’s Ontario Director, Canadian National Director and then International Secretary-Treasurer, leading to his installation as International President in 2001.

Leading North America’s largest industrial union, with 1.2 million members continent-wide at its height, Gerard had a profound impact on workplace health and safety, gender equality, labour rights, decent pay, pensions, global solidarity, fair trade and social justice. We will miss him dearly and his work will live on for generations to come.