LiUNA in Southwestern Ontario

We Are Local 1059

Regional chapters of LiUNA are known as “Locals.” Based in London, ON, Local 1059 proudly represents nearly 5,000 members working in construction, industrial, and service sectors across Southwestern Ontario. From Grey and Bruce to Middlesex, Oxford, Huron, Elgin, and Perth counties, our members play a vital role in building, maintaining, and servicing the communities where they live and work. As one of LiUNA Canada's fastest-growing Locals, Local 1059 is committed to delivering good wages, strong benefits, and safe workplaces — and to ensuring every member has a voice on the job.

What We Do

Local 1059 advocates for its members by negotiating collective agreements that cover workplace safety, fair wages, overtime, and comprehensive pensions and benefits. We connect construction members with employers through exclusive referral opportunities, ensuring our members have access to quality jobs while giving signatory employers access to a well-trained, reliable workforce. Together, these efforts support safer worksites, stronger businesses, and thriving communities.

How We Work

Local 1059 is governed by a democratically elected seven-person executive board, responsible for ensuring the Local meets the needs of its members. The board focuses on workplace safety, training, employability, fair wages, benefits, and access to job opportunities.

The Local also recruits new members by engaging non-union workers and sharing the benefits, rewards, and opportunities of joining Local 1059. Workers can choose to join directly or organize within their workplace, exercising their right to union representation.

4.1million

of all workers in Canada are union members

500,000+

LiUNA Union members across North America

130,000

LiUNA Union members in Ontario

History of LiUNA

LiUNA’s story began on April 13, 1903, when Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labour, called on independent construction unions to unite. They came together to form what was first known as the International Hod Carriers and Common Labourers’ Union of America—named for the “hod,” a tray carried on the shoulder to transport bricks and mortar on construction sites.

Over the decades, the union grew and evolved alongside the construction industry. In 1965, it adopted the name we know today: the Labourers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA).

Through more than a century of industrial shifts, LiUNA has expanded its influence beyond typical construction work. It has pushed for better wages, safer job sites, civil rights, training and education programs, and broad benefits for its membership. Today, LiUNA stands not just as a union, but as a movement: rooted in history, driven by solidarity, and built on the belief that workers deserve dignity, equity, and a voice in the future.

Our Average Member

$50-100k+/yr

Income range of our construction members.

1,800 hrs

worked by each member on average per year.

41 yrs old

is the average age of our construction members.

$17,000

is the average amount our construction members have saved in the Local 1059 Benefit Plan dollar bank.

Sector Coordinator

Philip Da Silva

Sector Coordinator

Josh Stewart

Sector Coordinator

Business Representatives

Representatives are assigned to a specific construction or maintenance sector. All Representatives deal with organizing, grievances, negotiations and employment issues for our members, and construction sector Representatives are also responsible for construction job referrals to employers.

Executive Board

Our executive board demonstrates a mix of both the old guard and our younger membership and reflects the geographic and cultural makeup of our membership.

Brandon MacKinnon

Business Manager

Carlo Mastrogiuseppe

President

Danny De Sousa

Vice President

Philip Da Silva

Secretary-Treasurer

Josh Stewart

Recording Secretary

Megan Quinney

Executive Board Member

Patrick Bubb-Clarke

Executive Board Member

Training Centre

Our team at the regional training centre is dedicated to all aspects of construction industry training and education, including apprenticeships and safety certification.

Mike Ropp

Training Director

Laryssa Parker

Training & Financial Assistant

Rachel Patterson

Administrative Training Assistant

Legal & Communications

Our in-house Legal Counsel represents and manages all legal matters for Local 1059 and its members. Our Communication Specialist manages communications, sponsorships, social media, events, and advertising.

Lauren Donohue, BA, JD, JD

Legal Counsel

Chris Montanini

Director of Communications

Support Staff

LIUNA Local 1059 support staff assists in the day-to-day administration and activities of the union.

Michelle Ste-Croix

Controller/Office Manager

Claire Annen

Administrative Assistant

Fatima Camara

Administration & Finance

Grace Carreiro

Administrative Assistant

Kayleigh Darling

Administrative Assistant

Cidalia Resendes

Social Services & Benefits

In the Community

Improving conditions for all workers

Beyond serving its members, Local 1059 works to improve conditions for all workers and strengthen the communities where we operate. The Local advocates with government to advance labour legislation and workplace protections.

For example, Local 1059 played a role in shaping Ontario’s Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act (Bill 148), which raised the minimum wage, expanded protected leaves including family, medical, parental, pregnancy, and critical illness leave, and recognized Family Day as a statutory holiday. We have also helped ensure policies and regulations protect workers’ health and safety, including measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How We Give Back

Local 1059 is proud to support the communities where our members live and work. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our members, we are able to sponsor a variety of charities, fundraisers, and community initiatives across Middlesex, Grey, Bruce, Oxford, Huron, Elgin, and Perth counties, helping make a real difference where it matters most.

In late 2019, Local 1059 established the James MacKinnon Local 1059 Scholarship Fund to honour our long-time Business Manager, Jim MacKinnon. The fund awards more than $35,000 annually to deserving members and their dependents who are pursuing post-secondary education, supporting the next generation of skilled workers and community leaders.

Learn More

One of the ways Local 1059 supports our community is through gifts in kind, where our members donate their time and expertise to construction projects like re-paving parking lots, pouring concrete and improving building infrastructure for various non-profit organizations.

Sponsorships and donations
Scholarships
Volunteer work and gifts in kind

Sponsorships and donations

Local 1059 is proud to support the communities where our members live and work. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our members, we are able to sponsor a variety of charities, fundraisers, and community initiatives across Middlesex, Grey, Bruce, Oxford, Huron, Elgin, and Perth counties, helping make a real difference where it matters most.
Scholarships

In late 2019, Local 1059 established the James MacKinnon Local 1059 Scholarship Fund to honour our long-time Business Manager, Jim MacKinnon. The fund awards more than $35,000 annually to deserving members and their dependents who are pursuing post-secondary education, supporting the next generation of skilled workers and community leaders. Learn More
Volunteer work and gifts in kind

One of the ways Local 1059 supports our community is through gifts in kind, where our members donate their time and expertise to construction projects like re-paving parking lots, pouring concrete and improving building infrastructure for various non-profit organizations.

Local 1059 Charity Golf Tournament

In 2025, Local 1059 held its 25th annual charity golf tournaments in support of United Way Elgin-Middlesex. Thanks to the generosity of our members, signatory employers, and industry partners, we raised $278,000—bringing the total raised for United Way to over $2.4 million since the tournaments began in 2001.

In addition, Local 1059 has hosted golf tournaments in support of United Way Perth Huron and United Way Grey Bruce for the past three years, further demonstrating our commitment to giving back. These events reflect the incredible impact our members’ hard work can have on the communities where they live and work.

The Local 1059 Charity Partnership Program

In early 2020, Local 1059 launched the Charity Partnership Program in collaboration with our signatory employers. Participating employers display the Local 1059 logo on their vehicle fleets or equipment, and in return, the Local donates to a local charity of their choice on their behalf. Since its launch, the program has donated over $100,000 to non-profits and charities across Southwestern Ontario, including Youth Opportunities Unlimited, Children’s Health Foundation, and Ark Aid Mission. The program increases Local 1059’s visibility while supporting meaningful causes—a win-win-win for members, employers, and communities.

Proud Sponsors of Local Fundraisers

Local 1059 is proud to support a variety of fundraisers and community events throughout Southwestern Ontario. These include the London Abused Women’s Centre International Women’s Day Breakfast, the Breakfast for YOU, and the London Addiction Recovery Breakfast, among many others. This is just a snapshot of the important initiatives we are honoured to sponsor each year, helping to strengthen the communities in which we operate.