USW Blog

Dozens of health care workers from districts across the union sharpened their skills and shared their stories last week at the 2024 Health, Safety and Environment Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Dietary workers, paramedics, pharmaceutical workers, CNAs, LPNs, and others participated in a full day of customized health care programming on Wednesday. 

In a first-of-its-kind offering, health care workers discussed how new technologies impact workers and patients alike in a session titled Technology in Health Care: Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Sensors, and More. Members shared their experiences with robots that deliver food to patients, electronic welcome screens and kiosks, and automated call-backs for patients. 

While AI and new technologies will continue to impact USW workplaces, the union provides avenues to address issues and respond proactively at the bargaining table and beyond. 

“We’ve been down this road before as Steelworkers,” said Tamara Lefcowitz, course facilitator and coordinator for the Health Care Workers Council. “We’ve been dealing with new technologies and automation for 80 years. The biggest weapon that we have is a seat at the table.”

Health care members of all stripes also benefited from workshops like Ergonomics in Health Care: Safe Patient Handling and Office Equipment, which reviewed ergonomic hazards unique to patient care and office work. 

Lisa Baum, an Occupational Health and Safety Representative for the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and a member of USW Local 9544, and Micki Siegel de Hernandez, the Communication Workers of America’s (CWA) National Deputy Director for Occupational Safety and Health facilitated the course. 

The workshop also featured a hands-on presentation of safe patient handling equipment and a practice computer workstation. Equipment specialists were available to answer specific questions.

Wednesday’s programming concluded with Mental Health for Health Care Workers, a panel discussion examining the taxing nature of caregiving and how the union can help. The panel had several important takeaways for Elaine Stewart, a personal support worker from Local 8300 in Toronto.

“Mental health impacts all of us in some way,” said Elaine. “As a union steward and member of my local’s health and safety committee, I feel like I will be better able to serve my coworkers if someone calls me needing help or support.” 

The health care track at this year’s conference was made possible by the USW Health Care Workers Council, the USW Health, Safety, and Environment Department, the Tony Mazzocchi Center, the Education and Membership Development Department, and the union’s Legislative and Policy Department. 

With your help, our veterans’ bill has been signed into law. For the last four years, the USW has been championing legislation across the country that requires a standardized workplace posting that includes basic information about benefits to which veterans are entitled and a way to learn more about programs designed to help them.

Here's what is included:

• Free advocacy and assistance through the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Crisis Line

• Federal disability compensation and other VA benefits

• Educational opportunities

• Assistance with substance abuse and other forms of addiction

• Available tax exemptions and credits

• Armed Forces Designation on IN driver license or ID card

• Employment and re-employment rights

• Pro bono legal services

• Information for constituency groups like African American and LGBTQ+ Veterans Groups

Our veterans often return to civilian life after serving our nation without guidance on how to receive the benefits their service entitles them. This legislation brings us one step closer to making sure their sacrifice is properly honored.

We are so happy to share our bill passed the Senate and Assembly unanimously (http://usw.to/511) and has been signed into law in Indiana! (http://usw.to/512) This was done through the hard work of our Veterans of Steel siblings and USW members who support them through our lobbying efforts. We will continue to push for the same legislation in every state across the country. These efforts help to ease the transition back into civilian life and ensure that families and communities are supported after giving selflessly for our country.

Stand Up for Aluminum Extrusion Jobs

USW members know firsthand that U.S. workers can compete with anyone when the playing field is level. However, in a global economy, we have to fight to ensure that workers are protected from unfair trade practices. 

That is why, October 25, 2023, alongside the U.S. Aluminum Extruders Coalition (http://usw.to/4YL), USW filed a trade case (http://usw.to/4Z4) regarding unfair aluminum extrusion imports from several countries that have harmed domestic workers and producers. These imports, sold at unfairly low prices, have led to reduced shifts, workforce downsizing, and idled extrusion presses across the country.    Our union is committed to advocating for fair trade practices and supporting the ongoing investigations to safeguard this vital industry. For more information about the ongoing trade case, please visit the U.S. Aluminum Extruders Coalition (http://usw.to/4YL) website or read this article (http://usw.to/4Z5) co-authored by, USW International President David McCall. The final determinations regarding our petition will be made by the end of fall 2024.   To prepare for the final sprint, USW District 1 is hosting Senator Sherrod Brown, who has been a supporter of this trade case since filing, to discuss the importance of the aluminum extrusion industry in Ohio and our nation’s trade enforcement laws. All USW Members are welcome to attend!
Details for Event with Senator Sherrod Brown
DATE: Thursday, August 29, 2024 TIME: 10:45am (EST) LOCATION: USW Local 1375 684 North Park Avenue Warren, OH 44483   Although an RSVP is not required, it is helpful for us. Please send an email to District 1 Rapid Response Coordinator, Sue Browne at sbrowne@usw.org, if you plan to join.

When Heather Roberts travels outside of her small hometown of Charleroi, Pa., and tells people where she is from, more often than not, they recognize that it also is home to Pyrex, the iconic heat- and shatter-resistant glassware that has been a staple in American kitchens for generations.

Roberts is president of Local 53G, which includes more than 260 workers who produce the glass storage and mixing bowls, measuring cups and baking dishes for which the Pyrex brand has been known for more than a century.

“We take a lot of pride in what we do,” Roberts said of herself and her co-workers, which over the years have included her husband, mother, father-in-law, sister and numerous other relatives and neighbors.

Members of Local 53G make the well-known glassware while, about 150 miles to the east, in Greencastle, Pa., members of Local 1024 process and manage online orders and distribution of the products.

Roberts has worked at the factory for 17 years, and in 2015, she joined her co-workers and the town (population 4,200) in celebrating the brand’s 100th birthday. In honor of the centennial, Charleroi renamed itself Pyrex, Pa., for 100 days and held a large-scale celebration with a giant measuring cup as the centerpiece.

When she and her fellow Women of Steel engage in their regular community outreach efforts, Roberts said, they often encounter residents who identify closely with the Pyrex brand, even if they never worked at the factory.

When the company holds occasional public sales in town, lines stretch out the door, Roberts said.

“People come from everywhere,” she said.

For More Information: Visit corelle.com/pages/pyrex.

#USWMade is a feature focusing on products made by USW members that consumers can purchase in stores or online. Follow the #USWMade hashtag on social media and check out the #USWMade playlist on YouTube to learn about other products made by USW members. If your local makes a product that you would like to feature in USW@Work, send an email to: editor@usw.org.

For Paige Cisco of Local 689, fighting for workers’ health and safety is what motivates her every day.

Cisco first began working at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Ohio six years ago in order to be closer to her family. Both her parents worked at the plant, and her father was facing cancer for the second time.

One thing she knew she wanted to do with her time in the union, especially since the nuclear field can be a dangerous one, was become a health and safety representative.

“I don’t want anyone getting sick again like my dad,” she said. “I don’t want anyone else to struggle the way my family has struggled.”

Cisco said that many outsiders, and even some atomic workers, believe the only risk of the job is radiation. Chemical exposure is also a concern as workers at the plant tear down old facilities and enrich uranium.

“I care about everyone out there, and this new generation coming in has no historical knowledge about the industry and its dangers,” said Cisco.

The full-time health and safety representative educates her fellow members every chance she gets, as well as serving as a worker-trainer through the USW Tony Mazzocchi Center. Her team is currently implementing hazard mapping to train everyone across the massive atomic site.

Cisco believes this education is vital as the local’s membership continues to grow.

“We’re organizing constantly,” she said. “People want to join the union and work here.”

Cisco was first motivated to get more involved in the union, particularly the USW Women of Steel Leadership Development Course, from the encouragement of two women in her local.

“Watching those two and how they handle things made me want to get involved,” she said. “I want to keep the gate open so more women step up when the older generation leaves. I want to be a mentor the way others were mentors for me.”

What Cisco loves most about the leadership program is its focus on comradery and self-care.

“What we learn goes beyond the union,” she said. “It’s really about building us up as people and making us the best version of ourselves.”

From Rail Lines to Steel Pipe to Rebar, USW Members at Colorado Mill Support Nation’s Infrastructure Needs

Chuck Perko is a fourth-generation steelworker who still wears his grandfather’s USW dues-payer’s pin. The president of Local 3267, he works at a mill in Pueblo, Colo., that has existed for more than 150 years.

The mill has employed thousands over those decades, providing an economic boom for the entire region. While Perko and his 1,000 USW colleagues in two local unions at EVRAZ Pueblo are rightly proud of that history, the future of their workplace is just as compelling as its past.

Construction for a state-of-the-art $900 million long rail mill is ongoing, and the facility is scheduled to begin operations early next year. The mill will have the capacity to produce quarter-mile-long sections of rail that can be used in high-speed train projects.

“We will be one of two mills in the country that can produce it,” Perko said. “We definitely stand to benefit from the rail business.”

Infrastructure Law

That business got a significant boost from the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which included $66 billion in new funding for passenger and freight rail over 10 years.

That, coupled with hundreds of billions more earmarked for roads, bridges, waterlines, and other projects, means USW members in Pueblo can look forward to a future of good-paying, community supporting jobs, the kind that the mill has provided for generations.

“What this mill does for Pueblo is just amazing,” said Ashton King, who works at the factory with both of his parents. “It’s great being a part of that history, and still being able to make these rails today.”

Steelworkers’ Pride

While the new rail mill represents the future for members of Local 3267 (clerical and technical) and Local 2102 (production and maintenance), other parts of the mill – where members recycle and manufacture reinforcing bar, known as rebar, steel rod, and seamless pipe – also stand to benefit from the infrastructure law.

“It feels good to be a part of something that I know is going to make a difference,” said Theo Garcia, a Local 2102 member and utility man whose family has worked at the mill for three generations.

Like Garcia, Rodney Himelrick has worked at the mill for about seven years. And, like his union siblings, he takes tremendous pride in the products they produce at EVRAZ Pueblo.

“We’re making a good, strong product that is going to last a long time,” Himelrick said. “It’s going to help America for a long time.”

Focus on Sustainability

In addition to supplying essential components for the nation’s growing infrastructure needs, EVRAZ Pueblo is one of the world’s most sustainable steel mills. The mill boasts the largest on-site solar field for a U.S. mill, with 750,000 panels providing 95 percent of the plant’s electricity needs.

As one of the largest vertically integrated steelmakers in North America, EVRAZ also operates 17 recycling facilities throughout the continent, supplying scrap metal for their electric arc furnaces.

The new rail mill – which EVRAZ Pueblo’s senior director of operations Dmitry Belov calls the steel mill of the future – will bring with it the promise of hundreds of jobs and a prosperous future for the company, its workers and the community.

Core USW Values

That was exactly the idea when, in 2021, USW members mounted a campaign for, and President Joe Biden delivered, a massive $1.2 trillion infrastructure package. The plan was to provide much-needed upgrades to the nation’s roads, bridges, airports, shipping and rail systems, communications, water and utility networks, and other vital programs, while putting more Americans to work in good-paying union jobs that support families and build strong communities.

Moody’s Analytics predicts that, by 2025, the new law will create nearly 900,000 jobs, many of them in industries where USW members work. The law also includes strong Buy American provisions to ensure U.S. workers reap the benefits of their tax dollars, an important step as China continues to undercut the North American steel market with cheap, subsidized and often illegally traded products.

The infrastructure program – promised but never delivered by his predecessor –  was one of several key legislative wins Biden achieved that match up perfectly with the USW’s core values. Those values are reflected in members like Jeff Varner, who has worked at EVRAZ Pueblo off and on since 2013.

Varner, now in his second stint at the mill, looks forward to a secure retirement thanks to his service at the plant and his membership in the USW.

“I knew that this was an opportunity to support my family,” said Varner, who spends his shifts operating and monitoring activity in the furnace. “How many people in the world get to do what I do every day?”

The opportunity to work at a historic and cutting-edge steel mill, while earning strong USW-negotiated wages and benefits, makes jobs at the Pueblo site among the best in Colorado, said Local 2102 President Eric Ludwig.

Mary VanGorder, who has worked at the mill for nearly three years, said that between pay and benefits, she received a “life-changing” $32,000-a-year raise from her previous job when she arrived at the mill.

“There aren’t many places in Pueblo that can offer what this place has to offer,” said seven-year member Daniel Duran.

Besides the solid financial benefits, their USW membership gives workers in Pueblo a voice in efforts to improve health and safety at the plant, a priority that they share with mill management.

USW member Rich Darris, who serves on the labor-management safety and health committee, described the group’s efforts as a “symbiotic relationship.”

“We work hand-in-hand with the company,” he said. “With the union behind you, there is more of a safety net.”

Continuing that collaboration as the future of steel unfolds in the Rocky Mountains, and at similar facilities across the union, means a solid foundation for U.S. manufacturing for years to come, said District 12 Director Gaylan Prescott, whose region includes thousands of members in Colorado and 10 other Western states.

“Thanks to the infrastructure law and other federal efforts, we are growing our manufacturing capacity, strengthening our supply chains,” Prescott said, “and USW members are leading the way.”

That resurgence is as evident in Pueblo – known as the “steel city” of the West – as it is anywhere in the country.

“It is ingrained in this town,” Darris said. “It’s a matter of pride.”

Click here to view and download the summer 2024 issue of USW@Work.

Click here to download this Feedback Report as a PDF.

The legislative session has ended in the Massachusetts statehouse, and we are thrilled to report that we were successful in two key USW issue areas.

Protecting Our Job Security and Health and Safety
Last month, you sent over 1,100 letters to your legislators asking that they put Massachusetts’ safety first by stripping out two amendments from an energy bill that would impact both the work our gas workers do and the safety of the communities they serve.

Because of your engagement, those amendments did not make it into the bill for final passage. We know this issue will resurface in the next legislative session, so we must be ready to have a responsible plan in place to ensure we are protecting our members as well as the environment. We know both can be accomplished through commonsense and responsible measures.

USW members have long led the fight within the labor movement to help both America and the world meet important climate goals, while also creating and maintaining good, family-supporting jobs in our union. However, not all legislation shares these goals, and we have to be sure we have a seat at the table for those discussions.

Honoring Our Veterans
For the last four years, the USW has been championing legislation across the country that requires a standardized workplace posting that includes basic information about benefits to which Veterans are entitled and a way to learn more about programs designed to help them. Our veterans often return to civilian life after serving our nation without guidance on how to receive the benefits their service entitles them. This legislation brings us one step closer to making sure their sacrifice is properly honored.

We are so happy to share our language was included in the HERO Act (H.4976). This was done through the hard work of our Veterans of Steel siblings and USW members who support them through our lobbying efforts. We will continue to push for the same legislation in every state across the country. These efforts help to ease the transition back into civilian life and ensure that families and communities are supported after giving selflessly for our country

This good work never gets done without you. Thank you!

Click here to download this Feedback Report as a PDF.

The legislative session has ended in the Illinois statehouse, and we are thrilled to report that, with your help, we were successful in ushering through two bills we lobbied on at the District’s Illinois Lobby Day back in April.

Ensuring Fairness in Our Right to Organize
When Illinois voters passed the Workers’ Rights Amendment in 2022, they made it clear that workers’ rights come first. When we get momentum, we take opportunity in it. That’s why we made our next priority the Illinois Worker Freedom of Speech Act, SB 3649.

The legislation tackles the growing problem of employer-run “captive audience” meetings where an employer shares their political or religious views with employees who are forced to attend. Meetings often include anti-union rhetoric in an attempt to derail organizing drives. Because of your hard work, SB 3649 has been signed into law in Illinois. This is a massive win for workers and the labor movement!

Honoring Our Veterans
For the last four years, the USW has been championing legislation across the country which would require a standardized workplace posting that includes basic information about benefits to which Veterans are entitled and a way to learn more about programs designed to help them. Our veterans often return to civilian life after serving our nation without guidance on how to receive the benefits their service entitles them. This legislation brings us one step closer to making sure their sacrifice is properly honored.

We are so happy to share our bill, HB 4757, has now been signed into law! This was accomplished through the hard work of our Veterans of Steel siblings and USW members who support them through our lobbying efforts, and we will continue to push for the same legislation in every state across the country. These efforts help to ease the transition back into civilian life and ensure that families and communities are supported after giving selflessly for our country.

This good work never gets done without you, and having your voices front in center in front of legislators has critical impact. Thank you!

 

Jessie Newson Jr. of  Local 7686 led 700 of his fellow USW members on a march and rally in Washington, D.C., this spring as they called on Congress to restore the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, a crucial support system for displaced workers.

Newson learned in 2016 how vital TAA benefits can be when he, along with hundreds of his fellow members, endured the idling of the Missouri aluminum smelter where they worked, a casualty of unfair imports.

“TAA provided a lifeline for us,” he said. “It helped out union members in a very dark time.”

With their workplace now idled again, Local 7686 members are facing similar struggles, this time without any help from TAA, a support system that has been in place since 1962 but which Congress failed to reauthorize for the past two years.

Rapid Response Issue

For decades, TAA provided a wide array of benefits to workers harmed by illegal trade. Restoring the once-robust program was one of the issues that brought Newson and other members from across the United States to Capitol Hill in May for the 2024 Rapid Response, Legislative and Policy Conference.

The event began with two days of speeches, panel discussions, workshops and training sessions designed to prepare members for the focal point of the conference – the third and final day, when members visited their senators and members of Congress to advance the union’s core values.

“All the issues that we talk about here, they are all directly tied to legislation or government actions that impact us at the bargaining table,” International President David McCall told the delegation. “You are part of the most effective grassroots program in the labor movement.”

Pro-Worker Priorities

In addition to seeking the renewal of TAA, members urged lawmakers to support additional funding for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), safe staffing requirements for nursing homes and other important pro-worker legislation.

International Vice President Roxanne Brown, who oversees the union’s legislative and policy work, rattled off a list of victories that USW activists played a key role in delivering in recent years. Those wins – which Brown dubbed “epic shit” in her rousing keynote address – include new laws to invest billions in infrastructure, create jobs, rebuild supply chains, reduce health care costs, and save the pensions of more than a million workers, including 120,000 USW members.

“These victories have been life-changing,” said Brown. “This will have a massive long-term impact, largely because of all of you in Rapid Response.”

Manufacturing Policy

Thanks to the strength of the USW’s nationwide grassroots network and how it amplifies workers’ voices, Brown said, the union was able to work with the White House and Congress to achieve a national manufacturing policy for the first time in decades.

“This is the industrial revolution of our time, and our job is to make sure that it happens with American workers and American industries,” she said. “Our job is to seize this moment.”

That was the goal on members’ minds as they headed to the Capitol, engaging in more than 175 face-to-face meetings with lawmakers and staffers, while providing information on the union’s core issues to the office of every legislator in Washington.

Veteran of Lobbying

Such lobbying is nothing new for Lloyd Allen, paperworker and member of Local 983 in Augusta, Ga., who said he has traveled to Washington more times than he can count to talk to legislators about the union, as well as on behalf of the Pulp and Paperworkers’ Resource Council.

Allen said having face-to-face interactions with representatives is essential to making sure they understand the diverse issues workers face.

“It’s important for them to know we’re here,” Allen said. “We have to find a middle ground.”

Whether they were from states considered red, blue or purple, finding that middle ground was a big part of members’ connections with legislators.

“We’re speaking for everybody,” Newson said.

Julie Sweet of Local 912 in Toledo, Ohio, attending her first national Rapid Response conference, led a delegation of members from northwest Ohio to the office of their longtime representative, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, where they discussed trade, occupational safety and health, staffing shortages, and other issues.

Sweet said it was eye-opening to witness USW members wielding their collective power.

“The passion that everybody has is amazing,” she said. “I really feel like I made a difference, and that’s a great feeling.”

While the conference focused on federal issues, Brown was quick to point out that the Rapid Response network is active at the state and local levels as well. Members put a stop to union-busting right-to-work (for less) laws across numerous states, and led the way on issues such as veterans’ rights, unemployment, minimum wages and voting access.

Safe Staffing

Chad Shepersky of Local 9349 in Minnesota, a certified nursing assistant, said that the fight to achieve safe staffing in health care and nursing facilities would benefit workers and patients, as well as the families of both.

Shepersky said chronic understaffing leads to a “chaotic” environment where workers can’t possibly deliver the care that patients truly deserve.

“You have to work faster and spend less time with people,” he said.

While unionized health care workers can at least try to bargain for better staffing, they’re often faced with a choice between wages and staffing. “There’s only so much money to go around,” he said.

District 11 Director Cathy Drummond, who oversees bargaining for the union’s 50,000 health care workers, said improving enforcement of labor laws would help health care providers, and workers in all sectors, achieve justice.

“We’re seeing a pattern of employers acting more aggressively,” Drummond said, calling on Congress to fully fund and staff the NLRB so workers’ concerns can be addressed quickly.

After a successful day of lobbying, McCall encouraged attendees to return home, talk to other members and encourage them to get involved.

“Those conversations have more power than any other form of communication,” he said.

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Click here to read the Summer 2024 issue of USW@Work.

Thirty-five USW members in Hibbing, Minn., who work as home care and hospice workers at Fairview Range Medical Center, last month ratified their first union contract, lasting through 11 grueling months of bargaining and overcoming a robust anti-union campaign. 

The group, which includes registered nurses, physical therapists, social workers, administrative assistants, home health aides, licensed practical nurses, workers in scheduling and billing, and more, began organizing in February of 2023 in the wake of  the pandemic.

Zach Lahti, a Registered Nurse at the facility, said that employee morale deteriorated as management made unilateral changes to workers’ job duties and responsibilities during that turbulent time. 

Lahti also said that the pandemic led to other employers in the region raising wages and providing extra incentives. “When we looked at our pay compared to other facilities in our area, we realized how far we had fallen behind,” he said. 

In addition to maintaining current practices and working conditions, such as scheduling flexibility, Lahti is most proud of the across-the-board wage increases he and his colleagues secured. 

“We were able to raise wages for people pretty significantly, especially our longevity employees. Over a twenty-year period, they really fell behind, but working with the company we developed a plan over the life of the first contract to get people to where they should be,” Lahti said. 

Now, Lahti and his fellow members are looking forward to enjoying the benefits of a first contract. 

“I’m so proud of how we persevered and stuck this out,” Lahti said. “It’s been such a great accomplishment for us, and we’re looking forward to having our contract in place so our members have a voice in their jobs.”

The home care and hospice workers at Fairview Range Medical Center are members of amalgamated Local 9349. 

USW members who serve as government support staff members in the U.S. Virgin Islands secured a major victory this summer when the union and the government agreed to a $20.4 million settlement following a 12-year fight for back pay.

Under the USW contract with the territorial government, about 500 USW members were owed pay increases covering the years 2009 to 2013, which they never received. The USW fought back, filing grievances and a lawsuit, and holding numerous public events calling on the government to fairly compensate the members of Locals 8249 and 8677 on St. Thomas and Local 8248 on St. Croix.

“These hard-working and dedicated union members are the backbone of the essential pubic services on the islands,” said District 9 Director Daniel Flippo, whose territory includes the U.S. Virgin Islands and seven southern U.S. states. “It’s a shame that it took 12 years, but they kept fighting and never gave up. That’s what Steelworkers do.”

USW members’ fight for justice faced a series of delays, including changes in governmental leadership, a series of devastating hurricanes, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

USW leaders said they would make sure that the territorial legislature includes the back pay funds in its fiscal 2025 budget.

“It should be very simple – the government must meet its obligations to its work force,” Flippo said.

In mid-May, Tammie Botelho, a retiree from Bic Corporation and proud member of Local 134L in Milford, Conn., joined dozens of SOAR members and hundreds of rank-and-file Steelworkers for the USW's annual Rapid Response conference in Washington, D.C.

This three-day conference included plenary sessions, workshops, and opportunities to build solidarity with USW local unions and SOAR chapters. On the final day, conferencegoers met face-to-face with federal lawmakers and their staff to discuss various issues, including health care, union rights, workplace issues, retirement security, and more.  

In meetings with two members of Congress and one senator, Tammie expressed her concerns about a controversial proposal to fast-track cuts to Social Security and Medicare.  

"Our lawmakers need to hear from folks like me who have worked for decades and paid into programs like Social Security and Medicare, so we could someday retire with the dignity we deserve," said Botelho.  

"But it's not just retirees' issues that concern me.  We need to fight against all efforts to undercut the protections Steelworkers are fighting for on the job, and Rapid Response offers all of us an opportunity to do exactly that."

However, like so many SOAR members, Tammie's activism extends beyond attending the annual Rapid Response Conference. 

As a new SOAR chapter president, Tammie leads by example in her community.  

"I wanted to start a SOAR chapter to stay involved in our union's work and help younger members and fellow retirees understand that what happens in Washington matters," she said.

During one of the conference's plenary sessions, Cheryl Omlor, a former healthcare worker who now works as an administrative assistant in the USW's SOAR office, participated in a panel discussion about unsafe staffing ratios in nursing homes.

During the panel discussion, Omlor reflected upon her time as an evening receptionist and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at a senior living and supportive care community.

"Understaffing impacts the quality of care patients receive, as well as the mental and physical well-being of those working in the industry," Omlor explained to Steelworkers attending the panel discussion. 

"One time, I found a resident on the floor who needed immediate help from a qualified nurse.  However, with only one nurse working in the entire facility at the time of the emergency, they ended up passing away before they could get the appropriate care," she said.

The resident's family eventually sued the facility, and an investigation revealed a number of other families with similar stories of their loved ones not receiving assistance when their call bells were pressed. 

Omlor testified in a hearing that their death resulted from understaffing and not an accidental fall like management alleged.

After the hearing concluded, the family did receive some monetary compensation.  However, the family of the resident who passed away did express to Omlor that it was her testimony and the subsequent termination of the facility director that made them believe justice had been served.

Unfortunately, the issues of understaffing persisted even after a new director was appointed, forcing Omlor to decide a month later that it was time for her to move on. 

"The pandemic revealed to many of us the overwhelming struggles health care workers and those who work in nursing homes face each and every day," Omlor said recently.  "That's why the voices of USW members are so important in the fight to address issues like staffing ratios, time off, health care, and so much more."

"It was such an honor to represent SOAR at the USW's 2024 Rapid Response Conference and to see firsthand the impact USW members and retirees can have when we work together,” said Omlor.

-Julie Stein
USW SOAR Director

Click here to download a PDF version of this Feedback Report.

For decades in Ohio, politicians and lobbyists have manipulated voting districts through a process called gerrymandering. It means decision makers are carving out voting districts to protect their interests and guarantee their re-election. In other words, we let politicians choose their voters, rather than voters choosing their representatives. Ohio is one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation. It has historically happened on both sides of the aisle and has always led to unbalance.

That’s why Ohioans came together to deliver 731,306 signatures from every county in Ohio to the Secretary of State’s Office to get the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment on the November ballot. This ballot measure will end gerrymandering by empowering citizens, not politicians, to draw fair districts using an open and transparent process.

The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment will:

• Create the 15-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission made up of Democratic, Republican, and Independent citizens who broadly represent the different geographic areas and demographics of the state.
• Ban current or former politicians, political party officials and lobbyists from sitting on the Commission.
• Require fair and impartial districts by making it unconstitutional to draw voting districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or individual politician.
• Require the commission to operate under an open and independent process

What’s Next?

The Ohio ballot board will meet in August to assign an Issue number for the measure. We need your help now in educating and informing your coworkers, family, and friends about the benefits of this initiative and how a YES vote is a win for Ohio.

Stay tuned to Rapid Response for more information about how you can help. This is our chance to help working people by bringing competitive state legislative and congressional races to the voters and more civility and less extremism to the public legislative process.

For additional information, please contact District 1 Rapid Response Coordinator, Sue Browne at sbrowne@usw.org or 269 - 838 - 5956

USW Atomic Energy Workers Council (AEWC) President Jim Key, who also serves as an appointee to the U.S. Department of Labor Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker’s Health, visited the White House on July 10 to witness President Joe Biden sign into law the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (A.D.V.A.N.C.E.) Act.

The bipartisan bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 88-2 and the House by 393-13, sets forth provisions to incentivize the development and deployment of domestically produced advanced nuclear fuel technologies and to clean up hazardous land.

Key leads union-related activity at the former Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Ky., and sees the new law as having the potential to bring scores of valuable new union jobs to the area.

“This bill lays the groundwork for bringing thousands of family-sustaining wages and good health care benefits to our region, both in the future of small modular reactors (SMRs) and in the resulting labor needed to manufacture SMR components,” said Key.

Click here to read more about what the ADVANCE Act means for Paducah and to watch Key on WPSD Local 6 News.

Click here to download this Info Alert as a PDF.

Last year, the Michigan Legislature passed Senate Bill 271 of 2023 (Public Act 235 of 2023). This bill calls for Michigan to produce all of its energy from clean sources by 2040. An amendment was added to address the specific concerns of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This amendment requires Michigan’s Public Service Commission to prepare a report on the U.P.'s unique energy needs and limitations.

Work on the report has begun and as part of that, the Michigan Public Service Commission is holding a public hearing on July 30. This hearing is intended to provide members of the public an opportunity to share comments regarding the unique conditions influencing electric generation, transmission, and demand in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

USW members have long led the fight within the labor movement to help both America and the world meet important climate goals, while also creating and maintaining good, family-supporting jobs in our union. However, we want to be clear that these decisions must be well thought out and not rushed. This is our opportunity to talk about the impacts on the U.P. and those who live and work there.

 

Please Join Us for this Important Hearing!

DATE:

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

TIME:

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

LOCATION:

Northern Michigan University
Northern Center Ballroom II
1401 Presque Isle Avenue
Marquette, Michigan 49855

Click HERE for more details about the hearing and how you can participate.

For additional information, please contact District 1 Rapid Response Coordinator, Sue Browne at sbrowne@usw.org or 269 - 838 – 5956.

Click here to download this Action Call as a PDF.

USW members have long led the fight within the labor movement to help both America and the world meet important climate goals, while also creating and maintaining good, family-supporting jobs in our union. However, not all legislation shares these goals and right now the Massachusetts legislature is pushing policies that are short-sighted, rushed, and premature.

The Massachusetts Senate recently passed S2838. This bill strips both the “obligation to serve” (a requirement of the state to continue to allow gas companies to provide gas connections) and the Gas Safety Enhancement Program (GSEP). The GSEP program was created in 2014 to ensure that leak-prone gas pipes, a common occurrence with the harsh winters and centuries-old infrastructure in the state, are replaced – important work that our members do. The program provides for the safety of our workers, first responders, and our communities.

We are thankful that the House did not also pursue this path. The final bill will be reconciled by a six-
member conference committee of Senators and Representatives before July 31st. We are asking two
things of the conference committee:

• Maintain the GSEP program (do not include section 101 from the Senate bill).
• Maintain the “obligation to serve” (do not include sections 69 and 97 from the Senate bill).

The disregard for serious safety concerns, coupled with the lack of understanding about the jobs our members perform, is shameful. One Senator was quoted as saying he “can appreciate that transition sometimes cause inconvenience” and “it’s always a pain to change jobs.” Let’s be clear about something: the loss of a job to a working family is not an inconvenience, its life-changing. These workers and their communities deserve better.

We Need Your Help Today!
We need you to help to stop the reckless Senate language from appearing in the final bill!
Click HERE to send a pre-written email to your Massachusetts Senators and Representatives.

Dismantling safety programs in the name of saving costs for the energy transition is an unnecessary and highly irresponsible step. We can afford to do both. With thousands of miles of leak-prone pipe left in disrepair, our members will be less safe on the job and the general public will be at greater risk in their homes and businesses. Put Massachusetts’ safety first! Ask the conferees to NOT include sections 69, 97 and 101 from the Senate bill in the final energy bill.

For additional questions about this issue or ways to get involved in Rapid Response, contact Mark McDonald, USW District 4 Rapid Response Coordinator, at (716) 553-0239 or mmcdonald@usw.org.

Tonya Clark works at aluminum manufacturer Arconic in Northern Iowa and is a proud member of Local 105. She serves in a multitude of positions, including steward, trustee, recording secretary for Women of Steel, Civil and Human Rights Chair, and delegate.

For Clark, helping others comes naturally. Prior to getting hired at Arconic, she worked in home healthcare where she served some of the most vulnerable community members. Now, she is grateful to lend a hand via her union that feels like home.

“I love being a part of a union,” said Clark. “It’s like being in a family, and you’re fighting for what is right.”

Clark said that there are plenty of members who don’t understand what it means to be in a union. She believes it requires looking at the bigger picture.

“It’s not just about wages,” Clark said. “You meet wonderful people, you learn different things. It’s so much more.”

Clark uses her privilege in the union to give back to the surrounding community. Before coming to Arconic roughly ten years ago, she would donate clothing and serve food at a local homeless shelter. Now, she’s honored that her Local 105 siblings participate with her in this and other projects.

“A lot of these people have mental issues, or they’re lost because they have no family left, or they’ve been assaulted and don’t know how to find themselves again,” Clark said.

This empathy is what has always guided her, because she knows what it means to struggle.

“I didn’t always have a lot of money when my kids were younger. I would stand in the Toys for Tots line, even when it was cold and my toes were freezing,” she said. “Now, it’s my turn to help, and I do it happily.”

Clark is someone who has, literally, given someone the clothing off her back. During a dinner at the shelter, a young girl mentioned that she didn’t own a jacket. Clark removed her coat and gave it to the girl, no questions asked.

“I just like to see a smile on people’s faces,” Clark said.

Click here to download a PDF of this Feedback Report. 

Last week, H.B. 5736 (http://usw.to/4LT), our USW-sponsored veterans’ posting bill passed the Michigan House along party lines with a vote of 56 to 54. This clears the path for the bill to head to the senate after summer recess and hopefully onto the Governor’s desk for her signature.

H.B. 5736 would require a standardized workplace posting that includes basic information about benefits to which Veterans are entitled and a way to learn more about programs designed to help them, such as:

• Free advocacy and assistance through the: Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Crisis Line
• Federal disability compensation and other VA benefits
• Educational opportunities
• Assistance with substance abuse and other forms of addiction
• Available tax exemptions and credits
• Armed Forces Designation on MI driver license or ID card
• Employment and re-employment rights
• Pro bono legal services
• Information for constituency groups like African-American and LGBTQ+ Veterans Groups

These programs help to ease the transition back into civilian life and ensure that families and communities are supported after giving selflessly for our country.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

How Did Your House Member Vote?

We were surprised to see this bill voted along party lines. In nearly every other state where the bill has been passed, both parties came together to support our veterans and voted unanimously for passage.

All Democrats voted in favor of passage; all Republicans voted against. To see how your representative voted, click HERE (http://usw.to/4LQ).

This good work never gets done without you. We are proud of our veterans and happy that this is one more step forward in making sure they know what resources they have after their service to our country. Thank you for your help and stay tuned for additional action in the senate!

Click here to download this Info Alert as a PDF.

For decades, Ohio politicians and legislators have participated in the undemocratic practice of gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is a process that manipulates voting district boundaries to enhance the power and interest of a political party without regard for voters’ rights. Put simply, voters often don’t get to choose their representatives while politicians select their voters. This always leads to an imbalance and is a necessity to change for Ohio citizens.

Earlier this year, we sent an InfoAlert letting you know about The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment. Its goal is to end gerrymandering and draw fair legislative districts by creating an Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission. The amendment bans political officials and lobbyists from joining the commission and makes designing voting districts that favor or discriminate against political groups or politicians unconstitutional. By taking action, The Citizens Not Politicians Amendment will end gerrymandering and make drawing district boundaries a transparent process that fosters fair representation.

Ohioans, join us at a rally against gerrymandering!

On Monday, July 1, Ohioans are rallying at the Ohio Statehouse Atrium to deliver signatures that will put the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment on the ballot for the November General Election. It is important to show your USW pride by wearing t-shirts, hats, and buttons to display our commitment to building power for working people.

Please RSVP for the rally by clicking HERE. The doors open at 11:00am and the rally begins at Noon and lasts until 1:00pm. Please make sure you arrive early to allow time to get through security.

Help us right the wrongs caused by unfair voting maps and give the power to choose our representatives back to the Ohio people. Stay tuned to Rapid Response for other potential actions to ensure everyone receives fair representation.

Click here to download this Info Alert as a PDF.

American workers can compete with anyone on a level playing field, but all too often bad actors in other countries seek to dominate our markets and undercut our industries by engaging in dumping, illegal subsidies, currency manipulation, and other unfair trade practices. Our union has been fighting for a level playing field for decades, and recently, we celebrated some wins.

Section 301: China’s Technology Transfer

In May 2024, President Biden directed the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to increase tariffs under Section 301 on $18 billion of imports from China, including steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, critical minerals, solar cells, ship-to-shore cranes, and medical products. This action directly impacts the competitiveness of sectors where our members work by helping to level the playing field against unfair imports from China and bolsters investment in domestic manufacturing.

Section 301 Petition on China’s Shipbuilding and Transportation Policies

Our union has never shied away from using U.S. trade laws and tools to help defend and bolster our members’ jobs and industries. For decades, the USW has fought against harmful trade policies and held bad actors accountable. With that spirit in mind, we filed a Section 301 petition against China regarding their predatory commercial shipbuilding and transportation practices. In April 2024, the Administration agreed with us and officially initiated an investigation into China’s bad actions. Building back our domestic shipbuilding industry will ensure our country’s national security and supply chains are strengthened, as well as create and sustain thousands of good-paying manufacturing jobs.

New Tools for Antidumping/Countervailing Duty Investigations

On March 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) issued a final rule aimed at enhancing its antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) regulations. This final rule expands the agency’s enforcement capabilities by clarifying its authority to factor in the impact of labor, environmental, and intellectual property law enforcement into duty assessments. The final rule also empowers them to investigate claims of transnational subsidies, specifically targeting countries like China that heavily invest in other nations to evade our trade laws.

Our union will continue to push our elected officials to offer specific, achievable plans to preserve domestic manufacturing and revamp our broken trade system in order to support American workers over the long-term.