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Rapid Response Info Alert: Ohio Steelworkers: Let’s Rally for Fair Representation 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. — Jun 28
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Rapid Response Info Alert: Protecting Our Job Security 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. — Jun 28
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Rapid Response Action Call: Help Us Honor Our Michigan Veterans Tell Your State Representative to Support H.B. 5736! Our nation is home to nearly 16 million veterans of the Armed Forces, and in Michigan, 562,000 residents are military veterans. Many have come home and entered the civilian workforce in a variety of occupations and industries. We’re extra proud of those who are USW members. Steelworkers are working hard to ensure our veterans are taken care of when they return back to the workforce and their communities. In May, Michigan Steelworkers were in Lansing lobbying on H.B. 5736 to bring light to the importance of supporting our veterans. Last week, two of our members, Eric Phillips from Local 2-21 and Tyson Jackson from Local 2659, both veterans, gave powerful testimony to the House Labor Committee. This week, we are excited to report that their stories helped the bill to pass out of the committee. 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
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Daisy Alvarez Leads with Empathy at Local 8599 --- The following article is part of the Stories of Pride profile series by the USW LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee. Daisy Alvarez (she/her) has worked as an interpreter/sign support for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students across the Fontana Public School District since 2007. Throughout the years, what she has loved the most about her job is watching her students grow. “Witnessing those ‘ah-ha’ moments they experience because I’m able to bridge the gap of communication for them is so rewarding,” said Alvarez. Alarez is driven by her empathy for others; it’s why she has been getting more involved in her union, Local 8599, in southern California. And although having a union contract protects Alvarez and her siblings in many ways, she also said it is still an anxious experience being a member of the LGBTQ+ community while working in an educational setting. Meanwhile, Alvarez said a lot of her straight friends don’t understand why she is worried about her future. “There are a lot of districts in California that are going backwards and it’s very scary.” Alvarez sees unions as being in a position to endorse and host trainings on sexual orientation and gender identity for teachers and other educational workers. “Sometimes just acknowledging someone’s pronouns makes a huge difference to their wellbeing,” said Alvarez. “That’s what I believe schools need more of–community and safety.” For this reason, Alvarez said she’s become an unofficial mentor for union siblings and co-workers who aren’t comfortable being open with their own identity but need someone to talk to. “I’m gay, I'm Mexican, I'm a woman – I've had all these strikes against me, but to know I’m someone who’s become a shoulder to lean on makes me proud,” said Alvarez, who idolizes Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association. She also does what she can to be a support system to students who are struggling with their mental health, which she said is becoming more common. As the mother of a daughter, this is particularly personal to Alvarez. “I try to point them in the right direction and get them to counseling, because it can be particularly hard if they’re LGBTQ+ and their family isn’t supportive,” said Alvarez. “The suicide rates amongst young people are stunning." This is why Alvarez believes it’s more important than ever for unions to be vocally supportive of queer and trans people. For her, it’s all about equity. “Our only agenda is we want to be seen and heard and represented like everyone else,” said Alvarez. Click here to download a glossary of LGBTQ+ terminology, model contract language, and more resources. — Jun 24
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Abagael West of Local 1088 Celebrates New Life as Union-Represented Professor --- The following article is part of the Stories of Pride profile series by the USW LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee. As Abagael West (they/them) wrapped up the academic year at the University of Pittsburgh this past May, the Teaching Assistant Professor began a new chapter that was a long-time coming: one as a USW member protected by a collective bargaining agreement. At midnight on May 11, nearly 3,000 faculty members at Pitt, including West, ratified their first-ever union contract, nearly three years after voting to join the United Steelworkers. When West first learned about the union campaign six years ago, they didn’t know much about labor, yet as they grew to know the organizers, the biology professor quickly found a like-minded community. “I knew they were doing something good and right,” said West, who is now a proud member of Local 1088. They acknowledge that there are those who don’t understand why workers at a university need the protections of a union. West, who believes “the more unions, the better,” expects this is because many people still hold a view of academia that doesn’t exist anymore. “Most higher education jobs nowadays are very contingent and fairly low-paid,” said West. “I went through more than a decade of schooling to be qualified to do my job, and when I tell people my salary, they’re surprised.” Although the money is important – and West is getting a significant wage hike thanks to this agreement – they believe other wins in the contract are just as vital, including an academic freedom article. “As an educator and a queer person who brings personal life experience to the classroom, being protected in this case is really important.” West also said this issue is becoming more relevant by the day, as right-wing legislative attacks on education and the LGBTQ+ community increase. They view unions capable of, and responsible for, combating both. “We’re seeing queer people and educators under attack in every state, and these laws they’re passing and proposing are absolutely outrageous,” said West. “The political influence that unions can have in this sense is going to be really important.” West said part of this work includes unions investing in these issues and ensuring LGBTQ+ workers are protected like everyone else. “Queer people are everywhere,” said West. “They might not be as loud in every sector, but they might be louder knowing they’re protected by a contract that’s enforced and their union has their backs.” Click here to listen to a USW podcast episode featuring Pitt faculty activists. — Jun 15
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United Steelworkers Press Releases Feed
- Rapid Response Info Alert: Ohio Steelworkers: Let’s Rally for Fair Representation
- Rapid Response Info Alert: Protecting Our Job Security
- Rapid Response Action Call: Help Us Honor Our Michigan Veterans
- Daisy Alvarez Leads with Empathy at Local 8599
- Abagael West of Local 1088 Celebrates New Life as Union-Represented Professor
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