On June 7, 2026, the Seafarers’ International Union of Canada will mark its 65th Anniversary, celebrating a historic milestone for the country’s largest union representing unlicensed seafarers in Canada.
While the SIU Canada’s history officially dates back 65 years, the Union’s roots in Canada stretch even further. The organization was active throughout Canada in the 1940s as the Canadian District of the Seafarers’ International Union of North America, representing Canadian seafarers during a transformative period for the country’s marine industry following the Second World War.
However, it was on June 7, 1961, that the SIU Canada formally became a distinct Canadian organization, separate from its American counterpart, with the adoption of its own Charter. That moment marked the beginning of a new era for Canadian seafarers, establishing an autonomous Canadian union dedicated specifically to protecting their interests, both at home and abroad on Canadian-flagged vessels.
Over the course of the past 65 years, the SIU Canada has experienced tremendous growth and change. The Union has faced economic downturns, industry restructuring, technological advancements, changing labour laws, numerous crises, and ongoing threats to Canada’s domestic shipping industry. Through every challenge, generations of SIU members have continued to adapt and evolve alongside the industry they keep moving.
Despite those changes, one thing has remained constant: the Union’s unwavering commitment to defending the rights, livelihoods, and dignity of Canadian seafarers. From collective bargaining and workplace protections to defending Canadian cabotage laws and advocating for fair treatment for all workers, the SIU Canada has remained a powerful voice for seafarers across the country.
Today, the SIU Canada continues to represent seafarers working aboard vessels operating throughout the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, East Coast, West Coast, and Canada’s Arctic. As the Union marks this important anniversary, it also recognizes the generations of members, officers, and staff whose dedication helped build the organization into what it is today.
For 65 years under its own Charter, and for even longer within Canada’s marine sector, the SIU Canada has remained committed to the principle of a strong Canadian shipping industry whose success comes entirely from the work of highly trained and dedicated Canadian seafarers.
As the Union looks toward the future, the SIU Canada remains focused on continuing that legacy for generations of seafarers to come, from coast to coast to coast.
