In his first full term as United Steelworkers International President, Leo W. Gerard has launched a wide range of new initiatives that have brought more than 350,000 workers into the union's ranks — a sixty-percent increase. The union has utilized strategic bargaining to secure tens of thousands of jobs throughout North America, strengthened workers' bargaining leverage by forging strategic alliances with unions across the globe, and advanced the USW's historic leadership in coalitions committed to protecting the health, safety, and environment of workers, their families and their communities.

The son of a union miner, Gerard started working at Inco's nickel smelter in Sudbury, Ontario at age 18. Inspired by a lifelong commitment to economic and social justice, Gerard rose through the ranks to become the first president of the new USW. Prior to his election as USW President, Gerard served as the union's International Secretary-Treasurer (1994-2001), as National Director for Canada (1991-1994), and as Director of District 6 in Ontario (1986-1991). He was appointed a USW Staff Representative in 1977.

Gerard has led the effort to restore the financial strength of the USW's Strike and Defense Fund, and launched a union-wide Building Power program designed to educate and mobilize the membership for continuing success in collective bargaining, expanded communications and organizing capabilities, and for renewed political activism to protect and improve the economic security and quality of life for workers, their families and their communities.

He also exerted global leadership in demanding worldwide standards for workers in the tire, rubber, aluminum, mining and forestry products industries. In October 2002, he chaired the Second World Rubber Industries Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil and serves as the Chair of the Rubber Sector of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM). The following year, Gerard co-chaired the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) World Aluminum Conference in Montreal, where delegates formed a global network of unions to strengthen workers' rights in the aluminum industry.