The Pulse is the print newsletter of United Steelworkers Local 9460 that is mailed out to all of our members periodically.  Here is a list of PDFs of some of our most recent issues.

• Jan/Feb 2023
• Summer 2022
• February 2022
• October 2021
• September 2021
• Spring 2020
• Winter 2018
• Summer 2018
• Spring 2017

Here is a PDF of the 2021-2024 Green Book Contract for Essentia Health workers in the Twin Ports.

We want to give everyone a heads up that this union month’s membership meeting has been moved from April 19 to April 26.  It will still be at 5:30pm in the basement of the Labor Temple, as usual.  The reason for the meeting being moved is that a number of our people will be out of town next week attending the Steelworkers Negotiations Training Conference.   May’s meeting will be held on the 3rd Tuesday as usual.

Our May membership meeting will be held at 5:30pm in the basement of the Duluth Labor Temple in Hall A (2002 London Road - enter via the door to the building facing Lake Superior).  All members of Local 9460 are welcome and encouraged to attend.

This month’s membership meeting has been moved from April 19 to April 26.  It will still be at 5:30pm in the basement of the Labor Temple, as usual.  The reason for the meeting being moved is that a number of our people will be out of town next week attending the Steelworkers Negotiations Training Conference.   May’s meeting will still be held on the 3rd Tuesday as usual.

Join us each month to win a prize. 

Get ready for a surprise! 

Our Mission Will Not Change

I recently attended the USW Installation of the International Executive Board and listened to President Conway speak about our union's plan for Organizing. Many of our traditional businesses have changed significantly and, in most cases, have seen a reduction in membership. So, I took a look at a few of the industries and what I discovered was a surprise.

In 1980 the US steel industry was one of the most efficient globally and used 10-man hours to produce a ton (mhpt) of steel. In 2010 that number was 1.2 mhpt. In some of the most modern mills, the manpower to produce a ton of steel is well below 1 mhpt. 

In 2021 US car dealerships sold approximately 15 million vehicles. In the past, when dealerships used colorful brochures to sell a car, it was estimated that seven brochures were handed out to prospective buyers for each sale of a vehicle. That 105 million brochures represents a lot of top-quality paper that, in most cases, is no longer used. Likewise, many of us in SOAR remember when our paychecks were distributed to us each week in an envelope. Now millions of workers receive their pay by direct deposit.

As we all know, gas and oil have been in the headlines lately, so I looked at the statistics regarding refineries in the US and found that in the last 20 years, there have been 24 refineries that have been permanently shut down. As for new refineries, there has not been a new refinery built in the US in almost 30 years.

As the membership in the USW changes, the membership of SOAR will also change. However, as these changes do occur, our mission will remain the same: To improve the standard and quality of living for our active and retired members, and the labor community.