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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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USW Activists Get Moving for Collective Liberation in Detroit Nearly 500 USW members and activists rallied at the Transcending arch monument in Detroit, Mich., on Tues., June 11, their chants demanding social and racial justice for all workers echoing through the downtown streets. The “Time to Move” rally was part of the USW Civil and Human Rights Conference, held June 9-12 in the Motor City. Focused around the theme “I’ve Got the Movement in Me,” the gathering was the first of its kind since before the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, revealing long-lasting racial and economic disparities. The conference kicked off on the evening of Sun., June 9, with a welcome by USW Vice President of Human Affairs Kevin Mapp. The former industrial maintenance mechanic was born and raised in Detroit and serves on both the metro-Detroit and national boards of the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI), where he works to promote social and economic justice, voting rights and community education. “This is a time to recommit to the fight for collective liberation and celebrate the victories we’ve achieved together,” Mapp told the crowd at the Marriott Renaissance Center. Mapp also reminded the activists what most of them already know – the outcome of the upcoming general election this November will have profound impacts on marginalized communities. “It’s overwhelming,” Mapp said, “and here’s the truth – we must be all in on women’s rights, on LGBTQ+ rights, on immigrants’ rights, on voting rights, as the rich and powerful look to divide and dominate us.” Wins for Workers The following day, Vice President at Large Roxanne Brown got the group fired up for their first full day of workshops with a fiery and informative speech. She focused on the many ways working-class and marginalized people have benefited from the Biden administration’s policies, including the expansion of the Child Tax Credit, which cut the Black child poverty rate in half in 2021. “Can we afford to lose?” Brown asked the crowd, who responded with a resounding “No!” Brown also highlighted the historic low unemployment rates among both Black and Latino Americans. Later in the day, during an afternoon plenary focused on organizing both of these marginalized communities, USW organizer Leshonda Reeves noted the importance of listening to and uplifting Latino and Spanish-speaking workers. “Most of the Latino workers don’t feel they are included or welcome in these facilities,” said Reeves, who helped organize workers at Kumho Tire in Georgia. “We have to fix that because they and Black workers are now the largest percentage of the workforce in the South.” On the second day, during the morning plenary focused on the importance of solidifying global connections, Susan Matthews of IndustriALL Global Union highlighted the shared challenges faced by workers in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, including rising fascism. “You in America are more resilient than you know,” said Matthews. “When you feel you want to give up, remember you have the unity of your union.” Resilience and Reconciliation A morning panel continued on the theme of resilience and reconciliation with a group of activists in both the United States and Canada speaking on how the union is aiding Indigenous members. Julia McKay, who works in a mine and also serves as USW District 3’s Indigenous Engagement Coordinator, said this work is particularly important in Canada, where the majority of mining occurs on Native land. Chelsea Olar, who is a heavy equipment operator and proud member of Local 2251, also said this activism is meaningful because of the educational opportunities it provides. “Whether it's a workshop or a caucus or a panel like this, it provides a safe space for Indigenous members to share their stories and helps non-Indigenous members understand what we experience,” said Olar. The conference’s third and final day of conversations and workshops began with a discussion on how marginalized communities’ struggles and destinies are interwoven. Pride at Work Executive Director Jerame Davis spoke on the need for all unions to be involved with LGBTQ+ workers’ rights as attacks on their livelihoods increase. “As members of the labor movement, we have a responsibility not only to our fellow workers but to future generations,” said Davis. “We must be on the right side of history standing up for justice and equality for all.” Jessica Rios Viner, member of Local 3657 and president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), reiterated this need for unwavering solidarity when she spoke about immigrants’ rights. “When you invest in your immigrant workers, you invest in your union.” After several days of learning and sharing, Bryan Combs, a member of Local 9443 in Kentucky, reflected on the connections he made between labor and social justice. “I always wore two hats: one for civil rights and one for labor,” said Combs. “After this, I think I’m just going to put both of them together and go at it that way.” Vice President Mapp concluded the week at the closing reception by encouraging the members to take what they learned back to their locals and communities. “Talk to your friends and families and coworkers, hit the streets for worker-friendly candidates, and never, ever stay silent,” said Mapp. Click here to view all photos from the conference. — Jun 25
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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
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
- USW Activists Get Moving for Collective Liberation in Detroit
- Rapid Response Action Call: Help Us Honor Our Michigan Veterans
- Daisy Alvarez Leads with Empathy at Local 8599