"On behalf of United Steelworkers members, I am pleased to congratulate Premier Eby and the BC NDP on their hard-fought win,” said Scott Lunny, USW Director for Western Canada.

"The BC NDP has long been the choice of working families in this province and this election reaffirmed their commitment to standing up for workers' rights and supporting industries that are vital to B.C.'s economy.”

The USW has consistently supported the BC NDP, whose positions reflect the values and concerns of working families. This election, the BC NDP promised to maintain environmental and safety standards while investing in critical resources, creating a new union-led training program to help workers adapt to the evolving demands in the mining sector and pursue the investment needed to expand the Trail smelter to take on EV battery recycling.

"The USW remains dedicated to supporting government policies that implement positive legislation, regulations and programs for sectors such as mining and forestry. These industries are crucial to providing good, family-supporting, high-skilled union jobs, particularly in resource-dependent communities throughout British Columbia,” said Lunny.

The USW will continue advocating for policies that protect unionized jobs in forestry and strengthen that industry so that we can improve the lives of working families across the province.

"It was clear that this election wasn't focused on who had the best plan for B.C.'s mining and forestry sectors, but the importance of these sectors to B.C.'s economy cannot be overstated. We look forward to working closely with Premier Eby and the BC NDP government to tackle the pressing issues facing B.C. Steelworkers and our communities,” said Lunny.

About the United Steelworkers union

The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union's strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation - including good wages, benefits and pensions.

For more information:

Scott Lunny, USW Director for Western Canada, 604-329-5308, slunny@usw.ca

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/61daf863-2969-4162-b64d-b9adc42ed692