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Local 1155L’s Jamie Martinez and the Fight for Life-Saving Care --- The following article is part of the Stories of Pride profile series by the USW LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee. As a Trans person and a worker, Jamie Martinez (they/them) knows that the struggle for dignity and respect is never over. Recently the Local 1155L member engaged in one of the most important battles of their life when fighting for gender-affirming care. When starting their transitioning journey, Martinez was focused primarily on top surgery. Their first call was to their insurance company, who told Martinez that their policy excluded gender-affirming procedures. “It is critical that gender-affirming care is accessible to folks like me,” said Martinez, who works at Bridgestone-Firestone in Tennessee. “It’s life-changing and, in many cases, life-saving. To be told there was a specific exclusion preventing me from getting the care I needed was absolutely devastating.” Fortunately, this is not where the story ends. After several weeks of reaching out to various USW siblings for advice, working with their local P&I rep, and reading through the union’s collective bargaining agreement and insurance policies, Martinez discovered that the company’s non-union employees did not have the same gender-affirming care exclusion as bargaining unit members. Martinez then brought the company’s human resources department into the conversation, and after several more weeks of back and forth, together they were able to eliminate the exclusion in the union members’ insurance policy. Immediately, a weight lifted from Martinez’s shoulders. “At multiple points during this whole ordeal, I didn’t believe it was possible,” said Martinez. “This change has greatly improved my mental health and overall well-being.” Martinez also noted that this benefit will trickle down to future members and any dependents who need similar care. “This isn’t just about me,” they said. The support from other union siblings, even if it was simply a few words of encouragement, were also vital to this victory. Martinez said no member should engage in a fight like this on their own. “While ‘no’ was the first answer I got, ‘yes’ was the only one I accepted,” said Martinez. “Familiarize yourself with your CBA and policies. Get involved with your local. Ask for help. And never, ever give up standing for what is right.” Click here to view and download model contract language specific to LGBTQ+ protections. — Jun 8
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SOAR is Back! By Bill PientaSOAR President Unfortunately, COVID-19 caused many of our SOAR chapters to either stop entirely or reduce significantly doing what we do best: dealing face-to-face with people. Many chapters stopped holding meetings, and those that did saw a poor turnout with severely limited activities. Consequently, many of our chapters have struggled to engage in the important issues relevant to SOAR. Well, I am happy to report that most chapters are showing increased activity and returning to their pre-pandemic level of activism. In March, SOAR contributed to the success of the Next Gen Conference by hosting workshops and engaging in discussions with many of the delegates in attendance. Additionally, SOAR made up a strong showing at the recent Rapid Response Conference, assisting less experienced delegates in getting around Washington and demonstrating how to conduct business effectively with their representatives. SOAR is participating in the 2024 Your Union, Your Voice (YUYV) town hall meetings currently being held throughout our USW districts. SOAR members are also taking the YUYV membership survey, which is still available on the USW Voices website. To take the survey or find a town hall meeting in your area, go to www.uswvoices.org Many of our chapters are again showing up on picket lines, taking part in events that benefit their communities, and becoming active once more. If you visit the SOAR Facebook page, you can view photos of our members participating in various initiatives. Whether it's lobbying at the state house, attending town board meetings, or organizing collections for the homeless and veterans, SOAR members are actively engaged in their communities. As SOAR resumes activities that benefit our active and retired USW members, we see more people wanting to get involved in our program. Despite these difficult times, we are witnessing a growing number of chapters forming, and many retirees who were previously inactive are now joining SOAR due to the activism demonstrated by the chapters. Thank you to all the existing SOAR chapters and to those who have formed new ones. You indeed are the "next level of activism," which is what SOAR is all about. We are back! Click here to download the latest SOAR Connection newsletter. — Jun 3
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USW on Pride Month: It is Our Honor and Duty to Uplift Our LGBTQ+ Siblings For Immediate Release: Sat., June 1, 2024Contact: Chelsey Engel, [email protected], 412-212-8173 (Pittsburgh) – The United Steelworkers (USW) President David McCall, along with the USW LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee, released the following statement in honor of Pride Month: “A founding principle of our union states: to seek to eliminate all forms of discrimination to protect and extend our democratic institutions and civil rights and liberties; and to perpetuate and extend the cherished traditions of democracy and social and economic justice in the United States, Canada and the world community. “Pride Month is a time for us to remember and honor this commitment while uplifting our LGBTQ+ siblings. As legislative attacks on their livelihoods reach record numbers, it is incumbent on everyone in the labor movement to do what we do best: organize to protect all workers on the job and in their communities. “We encourage local union members to utilize their Civil and Human Rights committees as a means to engage in LGBTQ+ labor activism and education. Now is the time to share our resources and use our expertise to help a group of marginalized workers build power, as well as to listen to their needs. “Everyone deserves dignity, fairness, and the right to move through the world without fear. It is our honor and duty as labor to help make that a reality.” Visit usw.org/steelpride to access and download model contract language, a guide on talking about LGBTQ+ issues, and other resources. The USW represents 850,000 active and retired workers employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations. ### — Jun 1
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Janet Baic Looks to Engage Next Generation of Women Activists at Local 9548 When Janet Baic first started working at Tenaris Algoma Tubes in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, in 2013, she was only one of a handful of women at the Canadian pipe manufacturing facility. Now, in 2024, an influx of women at the plant is bringing a sense of revival to Local 9548’s Women of Steel (WOS) committee. Figure 1: Janet Baic pictured on far right “Out of the nearly 700 people in the union, I don’t even know how many women we have,” said Baic. “I’ve lost count, actually.” Baic is using this opportunity to breathe new life into the local’s WOS committee and engage more of the women in union work. “The focus for us right now is spreading the word to all of these new women,” Baic said. “I was also able to give each of them the USW guide on Raising the Bar on Women’s Health and Safety, which is super helpful.” Baic said these types of resources are necessary for women who have jobs like hers—laborious, dirty, and sometimes dangerous. “There are some issues that only women see and experience, so having that support is vital.” Baic also acknowledged the importance of creating a space in the movement specifically for women, making the WOS program a no-brainer for the activist and committee chair. “It can be very healing for us to talk about what we’re going through or have gone through,” said Baic. One highlight from Baic’s involvement with the WOS committee occurred last year on International Women’s Day, when she hosted a family-friendly movie night at a neighborhood theater. “A lot of members brought their children, and a lot of folks started talking who had never talked before,” said Baic. The committee also assists a local organization with Tampon Tuesday, a campaign that occurs each year in March. The members donate hundreds of dollars of menstrual hygiene products, which the organization provides to those in need. Baic’s advice to women who feel alone or hesitant to get involved in the union is to simply reach out. “If you don’t have a Women of Steel committee in your local, find another local that does and ask them for help,” said Baic. “We all need community.” Click here to access the action guide on women’s health and safety. — May 23
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Local 9544 Member Takes Infection Control Expertise to CDC with New Appointment Lisa Baum got her start in the labor movement as a secretary at New York University in the 1990s. Now a proud member of USW Local 9544 and nationally recognized subject matter expert on occupational risk management for health care workers, Baum's passion for the labor movement began as she and her coworkers stood up to a hostile employer in an industry marked by high turnover and low wages. Even as Baum worked at the university to obtain an expense-free degree in an unrelated field, her experience as a rank-and-file member left her determined to pave a career in the labor movement instead. Today, Baum is an Occupational Health and Safety Representative for the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), a union of 42,000 front-line nurses advocating for safe staffing, a voice on the job, and health care for all. The staff at NYSNA are members of USW Local 9544. Now, Baum begins her next chapter in her storied 25-year occupational health and safety career as she joins the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). As a member of the committee, Baum will advise the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on infection control practices in health care. Baum will become the first HICPAC member representing frontline health care workers. HICPAC makes critical infection control decisions that can impact worker health and safety, making it especially crucial that frontline workers have a voice on the committee. “What’s significant with this appointment is the recognition that frontline workers have something important to say about infection control," said Baum. "This is about getting a seat at the table for the people who do this work and know firsthand what’s best for health care workers and patients." You can read more about HICPAC here. — May 20
United Steelworkers Press Releases Feed
- Local 1155L’s Jamie Martinez and the Fight for Life-Saving Care
- SOAR is Back!
- USW on Pride Month: It is Our Honor and Duty to Uplift Our LGBTQ+ Siblings
- Janet Baic Looks to Engage Next Generation of Women Activists at Local 9548
- Local 9544 Member Takes Infection Control Expertise to CDC with New Appointment