Highlights from Conference Day 2025

This year’s Conference Day attendees spent the morning welcoming new members and learning about mental health, bullying and harassment in the workplace; and spent the afternoon discussing contract articles, recognizing years of service, and announcing contract team members.

New members sworn in this year included: Natalie Bates, Auslyn Benjamin, Alexander Benson, Rick Bonachea-Soto, Gabby Catello, Erin Rose Collins, Cathryn Doraby, Diedra Feeney, Andrew Greco, Ellen Gregory, Kevin Kreis, Helen Park, John Pollock, Chelsea Propati, Bevlynn Sledge, Iris Stelling, Darryl Stevenson, Leah Sykes, Nick Watt, Kassandra Vazquez-Torres, Abigail Winslow, and Sarah Yaghi.

Years of service pins went to the following members:

• 25 years - Annmarie Bikowicz and Dawn Owens
• 20 years - Tammy Carney
• 10 years - Dave Friedman and Mindy Hoffman
• 5 years - Curtis Canham, Danielle Ericsen, Erika Frasier, Maddie Lander, Daniel Manning, and Meghan Keegan

Building on our survey and dialogue at meetings, we reached out to the International to bring the Are You OK? Mental Health, Bullying, and Harassment in the Workplace training so members could learn how to identify, intervene, and support friends and colleagues who may be experiencing bullying or harassment. The training was presented by Randie Pearson, the director of USW’s Women of Steel, who shared personal experiences of bullying and harassment, and asked members to share some of their own.

In the afternoon, members discussed contract articles and shared their thoughts on changes they would like to see in the next round of negotiations. Contract Team members for a successor agreement include Ben Traslavina (chair), Bradley Kolb, Maddie Lander, Patricia Richardson, Kate Stickles, Colin Phillips, David Friedman, George Fernandez, Connor Marble, and Christopher Moreau.

If you were unable to attend Conference Day and would like to receive the giveaways, please contact Kate Stickles in Communications. If you would like to join a committee, please reach out to Maddie Lander at MBP.