TORONTO - United Steelworkers' (USW) National Director Ken Neumann said Thursday that his union will work to ensure the 'Buy America' provision in the US $825-billion economic stimulus package works to the benefit to the entire North American steel industry.

"The North American steel industry has always been an integrated market, long before the cross-border ownership that now exists," said Neumann. "That integration was recognized by the US International Trade Commission in 2002 after the USW fought and won the exclusion of Canadian steel from measures against foreign steel dumping."

Neumann pointed out that the US policy is aimed at creating more jobs, which is likely to translate into more American workers buying cars, which could help Ontario's auto sector.

"'Buy America' is a principle, but it is simplistic to portray it as protectionist since it must be applied in consideration of international obligations," he said. "I only wish our finance minister had made a similar commitment to 'Buy Canada' when he announced his too-little-too-late budget on Tuesday."

Neumann said the USW supports the 'Buy-America' policy and has a long history of helping the steel industry on both sides of the border.

"We saved Algoma as a worker-owned company in the early '90s and only a few short years ago it was the Steelworkers' union that fought to save Stelco, its employees and retirees, making it an attractive acquisition for US Steel Corp.

"As an international union, the USW has been active on trade issues and we will continue to play that role in working with the Canadian steel industry to keep North American steel from Canada flowing into the US."