Local 2 Regular Membership Meeting will be held at the Local Union Hall at 10:30 am.

Although there is no formal Children's Christmas Party due to the Pandemic, USW Local 6500 Elves have been hard at work disributing gifts to the children of our members again this year.  If you haven't dropped by the Hall with your children yet, we will be here from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. December 17, 18, 21, 22, 23.  Social distancing will be adhered to and masks must be worn by all family members. 

We wish our members and their families a very Merry Christmas and safe and happy New Year.

Members of Local 6500 are very proud to once again donate to the Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive.  Edgar was a proud Steelworker and showed compassion for those less fortunate.  His Union brothers and sisters are dedicated to keeping his dream of "one more can" alive by raising funds for the Sudbury Food Bank. 

The Blue Door Soup Kitchen is one of the 117 charities across Canada to benefit from the $226,750 raised by the Steelworkers Humanity Fund.

Founded in 1985, the Steelworkers Humanity Fund is a registered charitable organization that supports Canadian communities.  USW Members contribute to the fund through clauses negotiated into collective agreements.  In some cases, employers make matching contributions to the fund.

Contract negotiations for our members working at the Itasca Hospice in Grand Rapids are set to start this afternoon. The Negotiating Committee is made up of Michele Fredrickson, Deanna Hughes and Donna Helgerton. Wish them luck and stay tuned for updates on how the negotiations go!

Kaiser Permanente is one of several organizations selected by the government to provide the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccine availability is limited at first. Health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities have been prioritized by federal and state public health departments. 

The vaccine will be provided in phases 

Phases are based on federal, state, and local public health guidelines and reflect guidance from Kaiser Permanente’s experts in infectious diseases and clinical ethics.

The first group vaccinated will be those roles in Phase 1a, in order of priority: 

• Workers in direct patient care or in high-risk exposure procedures with confirmed/ suspected COVID-19 patients, including workers in long-term care facilities 
• Workers exposed to / handling specimens from patients who have COVID-19 
• Workers with higher risk of getting severe COVID-19 and/or who care for populations at greater risk of death or severe illness from COVID-19 
• Workers administering vaccines for phase 1a, 1b, and 1c populations 
• Additional frontline workers at highest risk of exposure to suspected/confirmed COVID-19 patients via high public exposure and procedures 

Workforce vaccination planning is under way 

• Vaccination for KP employees and physicians is strongly encouraged, but not required. 
• Kaiser Permanente is one of multiple approved vaccine providers in each state where we operate.
• All approved providers must make the vaccine available to the state’s prioritized populations. 
• We are working to make getting vaccinated onsite at Kaiser Permanente easy and convenient before or after work or while on break. Employees and physicians can also get vaccinated by any COVID-19 vaccine provider approved by their state. 
• If your role is included in Phase 1a prioritization, you will be contacted by your local manager, supervisor or...