Prior to his retirement from active employment in 2012, Bill served on the USW’s International executive board as director of District 4.

Pienta began his career with the United Steelworkers union in 1966, when he began working at the former Allegheny Ludlum steel mill in Dunkirk as an electrician. He became a union activist and was

elected to the grievance committee in 1970. He went on to serve in a variety of local union positions, eventually being elected president of Local 2693. Pienta was appointed to the USW International staff as an organizer in 1990. He was promoted to the position of Buffalo sub-district director and served as the organizing and first contract coordinator for the district.

In 2002, Pienta was named assistant director of District 4 and served in that capacity until his appointment as director in 2004.

As director of USW District 4, Pienta represented about 80,000 members in both the public and private sectors of organized labor. He was responsible for all USW activities in nine states: New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and the island of Puerto Rico.

Bill also served as a vice president of the Buffalo, N.Y. Central Labor Council and as secretary to the Western New York Area Labor Federation. Additionally he represented the USW as a vice president of the New York State AFL-CIO, executive board. He also presided over National negotiations of the Allegheny Ludlum Bargain- ing Council and the National Gas Conference. He was also a director of the New York State Workforce Development Institute, Inc.