Dear ATU delegates and friends,

It is a pleasure to welcome you all to the 2025 ATU Canada Conference in the thriving and resilient city of Edmonton, Alberta.

We acknowledge that as we gather in Edmonton, we are on Treaty 6 territory – the traditional and contemporary homelands of the Métis Nation and many Indigenous Peoples. These lands have long served as a meeting place, travel route, and home for diverse Indigenous communities, including the Nehiyawak/Cree, Tsuut’ina, Niitsitapi/Blackfoot, Otipemisiwak/Métis, Nakota Sioux, Haudenosaunee/Iroquois, Déné, Anishinaabe/Ojibway/Saulteaux, and Inuit. We are grateful to be here and honour the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded these lands for generations.

Our conference theme is Building Power — a reflection of our expanding ATU footprint across Canada. From coast to coast, our rising brand recognition and unwavering commitment to transit workers are helping shape a better Canada and positioning the ATU at the forefront of the labour movement.

We build power through member engagement and education, by showing up for actions, and by standing in solidarity with ATU Locals, affiliates, and fellow unions across the labour movement.

Many of us were fortunate to experience the energy and solidarity of the 2025 ATU International Convention, driven by the “Our Voice, Our Power” campaign. That commitment carries forward and is reflected in the momentum of our ongoing efforts to build power here in Canada.

From organizing new workers to engaging in political battles and negotiating strong collective agreements, the ATU continues to lead as the transit union of choice.

As we gather here in Edmonton, Alberta, hosted by Local 569, we are reminded of the strength of collective action – and why building power remains essential for our members across the country.

Welcome to ATU Canada Conference 2025.

In Solidarity,

John Di Nino
ATU Canada President