Founded in 1952 by our first member, Brother Gerry Gallagher, LIUNA Local 183’s mandate was to insure the safety of workers toiling for the Provincial Hydro Commission. With little more than 400 members in their first year, LIUNA Local 183 has grown to now represent more than 57,000 construction workers and their families in the Greater Toronto Area. Our members work in every aspect of the construction industry including; residential, sewer and watermain, road construction, bridge building, pipeline, railroads and utilities to name a few. We have helped make this strong province the vibrant and beautiful place that we all call home.
Toronto and by extension LIUNA Local 183 is more ethnically diverse now than ever before and we are much stronger for it. Like the Cultural Mosaic that Toronto has become internationally known for, LIUNA Local 183 gains strength from each new member from any ethnic community which allows us to grow in industries that are sometimes specific to one ethnic community. Specifically, the construction industry has traditionally relied heavily on immigrants for labour and LIUNA Local 183 has a long history of welcoming and protecting immigrant workers. With each new wave of immigration, the make up of our membership has changed.
Safety for all workers is a prime concern of LIUNA Local 183. We are very active in the promotion of safe work practices in the construction industry. We do this through our lobbying efforts both at the Provincial and Federal Government levels. We strive for better regulation and stronger policing of work sites.
Through participation in health and safety committees and safety training we can ensure that our members, the lifeblood of our organization, will remain healthy and working to build better communities for all of us.