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Home Care, Hospice Workers in Minnesota Secure Strong First Contract 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. — Aug 7
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Virgin Islands Workers to Receive $20 Million in Back Pay 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. — Aug 5
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From the SOAR Director: What Happens in Washington Matters 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 SteinUSW SOAR Director — Aug 5
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Rapid Response Feedback Report: The "Citizens Not Politicians" Amendment Will Be on the Ballot in November 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
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AEWC President Witnesses Signing of Law to Advance Nuclear Fuel Development 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. — Jul 23
United Steelworkers Press Releases Feed
- Home Care, Hospice Workers in Minnesota Secure Strong First Contract
- Virgin Islands Workers to Receive $20 Million in Back Pay
- From the SOAR Director: What Happens in Washington Matters
- Rapid Response Feedback Report: The "Citizens Not Politicians" Amendment Will Be on the Ballot in November
- AEWC President Witnesses Signing of Law to Advance Nuclear Fuel Development