June 23, 2008:

Green Jobs, Climate Change Are Focus of Town Hall Meeting – District 2
Global climate change, energy independence and opportunities for "green" jobs will be discussed at a Green Jobs for America -- We Can Solve It town hall meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Cleary Alumni & Friends Center at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The event is hosted by the United Steelworkers union and sponsored by the Blue Green Alliance in conjunction with former Vice President Al Gore's We Campaign. Speakers include Ryan Schryver of The Climate Project; Phil Neuenfeldt, secretary-treasurer of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO; La. …more

 

Union Members Approve Contract, Won’t Strike – District 12
Union workers at the Idaho National Laboratory won't be going on strike. Members of the United Steelworkers Union voted with 94 percent support to accept a new contract offer worked out by a federal mediator. That's after the union members had rejected an initial contract offer earlier this month from Battelle Energy Alliance, the company that runs the lab for the U.S. Department of Energy. The 280 members of the steelworker's union at the eastern Idaho nuclear research facility handle jobs at the laboratory including electrical and mechanical work. …more

 

Groups Request Water Test – District 4
A coalition of environmental and labor groups wants testing of private drinking water wells near the DuPont Co.'s Chambers Works plant here for the possible presence of PFOAs. The DuPont Accountability Coalition consisting of Delaware Riverkeeper Network, NJ Environmental Federation, United Steelworkers International Union- Local 4-943 which represents workers at the Chambers Works, New Jersey Work Environment Council, South Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, Edison Wetlands Association and the NY/NJ Baykeeper wants wider testing …more

 

Union Workers In South Side Protest Big Oil – District 10
Some working families from western Pennsylvania gathered in Pittsburgh 's South Side to protest the big oil companies on Saturday. The protesters, representing the Allegheny County Labor Council, blamed President George W. Bush and U.S. Sen. John McCain., R-Ariz., the Republican presidential nominee. "It's hard on everybody. The crisis is affecting everybody. I just had to go to a cheaper car to be able to afford it," said Kelly Vereb, of the United Steelworkers. "Some people, I don't know how they do it, I don't know how they get back and forth to work, filling you … more

 

More Unions Endorse Obama For President – District 2
More major labor organizations, including the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO, are poised to support Democratic Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., in his campaign for the White House. By a unanimous vote, the AFSCME Executive Board voted June 18 to endorse Obama, union President Gerald McEntee said. In a telephone press conference, McEntee said his union expects to mobilize at least 40,000 of its 1.4 million members as activists for Obama in the fall campaign. It also expects to spend "close to $50 million on the campaign," including …more

 

Let's Renegotiate NAFTA
U.S. presidential candidate John McCain apparently thinks Canadians, and perhaps American voters, will be reassured by his promises yesterday in Ottawa to defend the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The truth, however, is different. Citizens in both countries, especially workers, could benefit greatly from a thorough rewrite of NAFTA to put their interests first, rather than the interests of corporate investors who alone have reaped the benefits in the 15 years since NAFTA was signed. Moreover, a poll conducted in March by Angus Reid Strategies …more

 

FreightCar, Union Reach Tentative Deal – District 10
Years of contention may be at an end as FreightCar America Inc. and the United Steelworkers union have reached a tentative agreement on contract issues and ongoing litigation. Details of the deal will not be released until an informational session for union members Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Aces Lounge, Cambria City , said Raymond Jastrzab, staff representative with USW. Workers will vote on the deal Thursday, he said. Although an approved agreement still may mean the plant will not reopen, the deal includes a provision that the Franklin Borough plant may not be sold … more

 

 

 

 

 

June 21, 2008:

A MESSAGE FROM LEO GERARD

Brothers and Sisters,

 

Live streaming video, daily news, photo slideshows, audio reports, updated blogging and a wealth of USW information right at your fingertips. This is what you’ll experience at the newly designed www.usw.org.

 

Scheduled to launch Monday, June 26, the revamped Web site catapults our union into the exciting world of Web 2.0.

 

The new usw.org gives you all the Steelworker information you’re used to in new ways –  and more. There’s a special section just for members where members can update their personal information, stay informed about union issues, get in touch with union leaders and participate in the movement like never before by sharing information, photos, videos and more through social networking sites such as facebook and flickr.

 

A new multimedia section gives our union a place to showcase videos, photos, POWERcasts and other productions that help tell the story of working families and the issues important to us.

 

There’s a revamped press center, action center, a brand new blog and so much more.

 

The new site, designed and developed by Chicago-based Articulated Man (www.articulatedman.com) helps modernize, expedite and improve our communications, giving us another valuable tool for education, mobilization and activism as we take on tough, global fights. Award-winning Articulated Man is no stranger to top-notch Web sites – they’ve designed for presidential candidates, advocacy groups and members of Congress.

 

What you’ll see Monday is just step one in our process to give you the best Web site in organized labor. Stay tuned – and please be patient with us – as we work to perfect the site and redesign all the USW sections.

You’ll have plenty of opportunity on the new site to give us feedback, so please do so and we’ll try to incorporate your suggestions. For now, enjoy usw.org and check back often for updates, including multimedia coverage from the Constitutional Convention in Las Vegas, June 30-July 3.

 

 

 

 

 

June 20, 2008:

2,000 Loggers, Sawmill Workers Laid Off – District 3
Western Forest Products announced sweeping curtailments Thursday, laying off 2,000 loggers and sawmill workers in the face of softening demand for cedar It was the largest single layoff yet in the 18-month-long decline of the provincial forest industry. Half of Western's logging operations will go down for the months of July and August, along with shifts at its Port Alberni and Duke Point sawmills on Vancouver Island , said Western vice-president Duncan Kerr. The temporary shutdowns affect 1,850 loggers and 150 sawmill workers. hursday's announcement … more

 

Meridian Says No To ACH Deal – District 1
The potential buyer of a local automotive facility announced Thursday it will no longer consider making a deal for the plant Meridian Automotive Systems terminated a memorandum of understanding it reached last year with Automotive Components Holdings and Ford Motor Co. The non-binding agreement outlined plans for Meridian to acquire the Sandusky plant, which employs about 1,000 workers in headlight production. Kevin Furr, president of UAW Local 1216, said the announcement will not affect the contract reached earlier this week … more

 

Residence Champlain Workers Protest – District 6
Unrest is growing among employees at the former Pleasant Rest Nursing Home in L’Orignal where union and management representatives are to hold an arbitration session next Tuesday. Both sides in the dispute at the Residence Champlain maintain that they have the best interests of the 60 residents at heart. “Workers are being told that they must change the way they work to meet a corporate agenda,” says Dorothy McRae-Golden, a staff representative with the United Steelworkers, the union that represents about 60 of the 70 employees at the residence… more

 

U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Issues Final Affirmative Vote on Antidumping and Countervailing Decisions on Circular Welded Steel Pipe From China
Six U.S. pipe makers and the United Steelworkers (USW) today commended the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) for its affirmative decision that unfairly traded imports of circular welded steel pipe from China injured the U.S. industry and its workers. The ITC’s decision will allow an antidumping duty order to be imposed on Chinese exports of circular welded steel pipe with duties ranging from 69.20 to 85.55 percent. The decision will also result in a countervailing duty order imposing duties that range from 29.57 to 615.92 percent, with … more

 

Groups Give Example On Working Together – District 7

Two seemingly disparate groups agree we can have it all. We can have clear air and jobs. We can have clean water and good wages. We can have an improved environment and economic development. The Save the Dunes Council and the United Steelworkers District 7 issued a joint statement recently that outlined their belief that we can save the economy and the planet. We've long made that same argument, as long as all involved take the responsibility they have. For businesses, it is to follow environmental law calling for the most stringent pollution … more

 

 

 

 

 

June 19, 2008:

No Progress Made In Latrobe Steel Negotiations – District 10
No progress was reported Wednesday during negotiations between the steelworkers union and Latrobe Specialty Steel Co., where workers have been off the job since May 1 in a protracted labor dispute. "The company's proposal does not come close to meeting the needs of our members or the community of Latrobe," said United Steelworkers Local 1537, which represents about 360 production and maintenance workers at the specialty steel company. Kevin Caruso, president of USW Local 1537, could not be reached for comment. The union had … more

 

Teck Cominco And Steelworkers Reach Four-Year Deal For Trail Operations – District 3
Teck Cominco (TSX:TCK.B) and the United Steelworkers have finalized the terms of a four-year collective agreement that will provide wage increases and improvements to pensions and benefits for 1,280 workers in Trail, B.C. The collective agreement calls for wage increases of 15 per cent over the life of the contract, which runs from June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2012. There's also an 18 per cent improvement in basic pension, enhancements to a number of benefits and a $5,000 signing bonus. The company said Wednesday it was pleased with the stability that the … more

 

Pope & Talbot Workers Reapply For Their Jobs – District 12
Wayzata, the mill's new owner, won't honor old labor deals  
On the eve of a sale to an out-of-state investment firm, former Pope & Talbot employees at the Halsey mill started reapplying for their jobs Wednesday. The new owners are likely to open the mill without a union contract and with outstanding claims pending against the company's old owners, who filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last month. The closure of Portland-based Pope & Talbot, a 160-year-old forest products company, left 180 workers unemployed in Halsey, most of whom are still out of work. The mill's new owner, Wayzata Investment Partners of … more

 

More Lumber Layoffs Expected – District 3
Western Forest Products sees peaking demand for cedar
Western Forest Products is expected to announce a sweeping new round of layoffs today in the face of an anticipated decline in cedar sales. Cedar has been one of the few bright spots in the B.C. forest industry, selling for record-high prices, and Western Forest Products has focused production on high-value logs and lumber to counter losses from the depressed commodity lumber market. But cedar log costs are equally high, squeezing margins. And demand for the lumber appears to have peaked, prompting concerns that Western could be considering … more

 

Steelworkers Take Esmark To Arbitration – District 10
In a strange new twist to the corporate drama that has been unfolding in the steel market, the United Steelworkers union is taking Esmark to arbitration to resolve their little spat over the sale of the company. Both parties have claimed they have been wronged over the proposed sale of Esmark (nyse: ESMK - news - people ) to Essar Steel Holdings of India. The decision of the arbitration is expected on Saturday, and not a moment too soon. The union has felt slighted by the company, claiming it agreed to deal without giving the workers time to find a … more

 

 

 

 

 

June 18, 2008:

Rohm And Haas Plant To Eliminate 220 Jobs – District 8
Two-thirds of the workers at the Rohm and Haas chemical plant in Louisville will be out of work by the middle of next year, part of a corporate belt-tightening that the Philadelphia-based company blamed on high energy costs and the housing slump. The Rubbertown plant said it was cutting 220 of 353 positions -- the latest in what has been a steady decline from a peak of 801 in 1989. Most of the jobs to be lost pay between $60,000 and $70,000 a year. "This is a sad day for the plant and the community," said Jane Bowen, plant manager. "These are great people …more

 

Severstal Disappointed by Esmark Actions – Districts 1, 8 and 10
OAO Severstal says Esmark isn't being fair in its dealings with bidders for the steel company. Severstal expressed disappointment at Esmark Inc.'s rejection of its $17 per share offer and said Esmark tipped the scales in favor of a purchase offer from Essar Steel Holdings Ltd Esmark, parent of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp., rejected Severstal's offer in favor of Essar's offer Thursday. On Friday, Esmark adopted a "poison pill" shareholder rights package favoring Essar by diluting the purchase rights of Severstal. Severstal's tender offer expires on June …more

 

Water Company Workers On Strike – District 7
Nearly two dozen union members are on strike against Indiana American Water at the utility's Burlington Drive processing plant. An Indiana American Water company spokesman said the company would negotiate "in good faith" with striking workers but, in the meantime, managers would oversee operations. The strike, called by United Steelworkers Local 12213 on Monday, resulted in picketing Tuesday. Union spokesman Joe New said 23 union members -- who purify water, install meters and repair water mains -- were striking over wages and lesser …more

 

Former EVTAC Workers File Lawsuit Over Pensions – Districts 2 and 11
About 240 United Steelworkers who used to work at EVTAC have filed a lawsuit, against the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. The issue: the pension benefits that were allegedly denied when EVTAC was shut down in 2003. About 400 people worked at the plant when it was shut down. They believed their pension benefits were non-forfeitable. But the PBGC denied paying those benefits, because the plant was re-started later that year by other companies. As you know, Laiwu Steel and Cleveland Cliffs now run what is called United Taconite.…more

 

Court Approves Pope & Talbot Mill Sale To Wayzata Firm – District 12
A Wayzata investment firm has won a bankruptcy court ruling to buy a pulp mill from Pope & Talbot Inc. in Halsey, Ore. An effort by United Steelworkers to nullify the most recent sale of a pulp mill, which shut down in May, was rejected in U.S. Bankruptcy Court last week. Ernie Lamoureux, a representative from the union, which represents 140 of the mill's 180 employees, said a federal bankruptcy judge declared Wayzata -based Wayzata Investment Partners of Minnesota the new owner of the mill. The sale is expected to close on June 20, he …more

 

First Collective Agreement For ALS Canada In Val d'Or - A Huge Step Forward – District 5
The 70 steelworkers at ALS Canada in Val d'Or have ratified their first collective agreement. "We started from scratch. We had a lot to do, because there was no compliance at this company, not even minimum labour standards. Some older workers were paid less than younger workers. There were also health and safety issues, including an environment containing lead where pregnant women were working!" declared Gaétan Lyrette, Staff Representative of the United Steelworkers (FTQ). Negotiations on clauses with non-monetary impact were especially … more

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 17, 2008:

James Ready to Talk Healthcare and Gas Tax in Okanagan – District 1
NDP Leader Carole James and her caucus are making their way to the Okanagan. James will be speaking with organizations in Kelowna on Tuesday and Wednesday about a wide variety of topics. She tells us, "I expect that the gas tax will be a large discussion.  We'll be kicking off a campaign against the gas tax. We'll be talking about healthcare - I'll also be doing a visit in the surrounding communities on the issue of healthcare and I expect that will be a big concern in the Kelowna area as well." On the topic of the "gas tax", she says, "We should in fact cancel … more

 

Esmark, USW Arbitration Set Wednesday – Districts 1, 8 and 10
The United Steelworkers and Esmark plan to head into a grievance procedure Wednesday regarding the union’s belief that the steel company violated its Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. contract. The USW says Esmark entered into agreements with Essar Steel Holdings Inc. without allowing the USW time provided in the contract to mount a competing bid. Esmark said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the arbitration is to take place Wednesday with a decision to come no later than Saturday. Esmark, meanwhile, has filed an unfair … more

 

Burned Glatfelter Worker In Stable Condition – District 10
A male employee who was burned Friday afternoon in an accident at Glatfelter's Spring Grove facility is in stable condition at Johns Hopkins Burn Center , company officials said Monday. Bill Yanavitch, vice president of human resources and administration at Glatfelter, a global supplier of specialty paper and engineered products, said the company is working with experts from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and United Steelworkers to determine the cause of the incident. Because of the ongoing investigation, Yanavitch said, he could not ... more

 

Saskatchewan Potash Mine Accident Spurs $234,000 Fine – District 3
A serious accident at an underground potash mine in Saskatchewan two years ago has prompted a $234,000 penalty against a Calgary-based company. Agrium Inc was fined $180,000 — plus a $54,000 fine surcharge — on June 4 after pleading guilty to failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employee, contrary to Section 3(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), says Donna-Rae Crooks, a spokeswoman with Saskatchewan Advanced Education, Employment and Labour. On August 31, 2006, an Agrium employee was operating a … more

 

 

 

 

 

June 16, 2008:

 

MESSAGE FROM INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT LEO GERARD

 

Last week I e-mailed you a document that is being distributed by the corporate D.C. interest group representing builders and contractors (Download a copy of the document here.)  This organization, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), is anti-union and was actually formed in the 1950’s in an effort to stop the AFL-CIO push to insure community building projects used all-union labor.  They also have been a top adversary to legislation called Davis-Bacon that mandates taxpayer-financed building jobs be done at union wages.

 

They claim to be the very first business group to endorse McCain for President (even before the Chamber of Commerce or the Business Roundtable.)

 

I sent you their pamphlet announcing their support for Sen. McCain for president to show you how such groups are spinning labor related issues by standing them on their head.  

 

Organizations like ABC don’t come right out and say support our candidate because he will get rid of corporate regulation, help us bust unions and keep wages and benefits as low as possible.  Instead they use words and phrases that are often invented by corporate lobbyists and usually hide their true intention which is just the opposite of the natural meaning of the words.

 

Below are a few of the deceiving words and phrases they used in the flyer I sent you along with the true meaning they are designed to hide:

 

Free Enterprise – Actually means no government controls that would protect workers or mandate ethical corporate conduct.

 

Open Competition – Actually means no guarantee of union wages on taxpayer-financed building projects.

 

Secret Ballot Elections for Unions – Actually means they want to stop the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) from becoming law so they can continue to delay elections and intimidate and frustrate workers in the interim. The EFCA would mandate that if a majority of workers sign a card requesting union representation, they would have their union immediately – no unnecessary delays, no harassment, no intimidation, and no illegal firings.

 

Health Plan – Actually means no national healthcare plan and no health care coverage for all Americans.

 

Salting Abuse – Actually means they want to be free to fire workers when the find out or suspect they have taken a job in order to help workers at a site form a union.

 

Supports Deregulation to Unburden American Business – Actually means supports any law that would weaken restrictions on corporate behavior and/or would weaken protections for workers.

 

John McCain Supports Workers Rights – Actually means he supports the right of corporate executives to aggressively fight the attempts of workers to organize.

 

 

Please keep this deceiving language in mind as you read or listen to this corporate doubletalk, especially in the media.

 

We know it is time for a change.  We need a stronger union, more American jobs, a better economy, fair trade and national healthcare!  We need Barack Obama as President!

 

 

 

 

 

June 16, 2008:

We Will Stay One Day Longer – District 1
On Saturday afternoon in Fountain Park in Van Wert, a group of locked out workers came together with members of their community, elected officials, and other union representatives in a show of solidarity and support. A little more than 300 people attended the rally in support of the United Steel Workers union members who have been at a labor negotiations standstill since April 2 when the Kongsberg Automotive officials in Van Wert walked away from the table and locked out the employees. No formal negotiations have occurred since that time and Kongsberg … more

 

Esmark Adopts Poison-Pill Measure – Districts 1, 8 and 10
Esmark Inc., a West Virginia steelmaker that has encouraged a bidding war between two suitors, Friday adopted a "poison pill" antitakeover measure. The poison pill would take effect when a shareholder acquires more than 15% of the company's common stock. The plan doesn't apply to a purchase offer by Esmark's labor union, the United Steelworkers. "We believe the adoption of the stockholders-rights agreement will level the playing field among bidders and help maximize shareholder value as we move forward with the current process to sell the company," … more

 

Union Workers Say AGCO Unfair On Sick Leave Policy – District 11
Union workers at a Kansas plant of Duluth-based AGCO Corp. say they're still waiting for a response from the farm equipment manufacturer on what they call an unfair switcheroo that penalizes employees for taking sick leave. The roughly 1,100 unionized employees at AGCO's Hesston, Kan., plant now get two marks — or "points" — each time they take one of the five sick days they are allotted a year. They get also one point for missing up to four hours of work or two points for missing more than four hours for other reasons. After 16 points, employees are … more

 

Safety Program Comes In Wake Of Deaths – District 7
NIPSCO and the union for its 240 linemen have initiated a new safety program in the wake of two on-the-job deaths in the space of a year-and-a-half. "It's long overdue," United Steelworkers Local 12775 President Jim Blythe said. "It's something we should have been doing a long time ago. I'm trying to be positive about this." Five union lineman have been assigned full-time to go to work sites and conduct safety meetings, Blythe said. They also are checking on work practices, procedures and equipment both at local maintenance depots and in the field. The union … more

 

Paid Sick Leave Drive Headache For Strickland – District 1
Gov. Ted Strickland likes unions, and unions like a budding fall ballot issue that would give most full-time workers in Ohio seven paid sick days a year. Yet the proposed ballot issue is giving the governor a headache. Strickland, a Democrat, began speaking out publicly against the so-called Healthy Families Act last week, urging business and labor to get together and work out a compromise that would keep it off the ballot. His motivations are both practical and political. The issue would require companies with at least 25 employees to give workers seven sick … more

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 13, 2008:

Steelworkers Say No To Students Displacing Workers – District 3
The United Steelworkers (USW) Local 6166 opposes Vale Inco's plan to use summer students to displace its refinery workers and expose these students to a high risk of injury or illness. The decision was explained to the union as necessary because of a labour shortage and an overwhelming number of injuries in the refinery. Along with upcoming vacations, keeping production at current levels is said to be unachievable. The union leadership is absolutely opposed to the plan, because it contradicts a letter of agreement in the current … more

 

Sick-day Issue On Ohio Ballot Could Boost Obama – District 1
The effect of a hot-button ballot issue on the presidential election in crucial Ohio will be tested again this year if a mandatory sick-day proposal qualifies, experts say Just as the 2004 election of President Bush was shaped in part on turnout for an issue banning gay marriages, Barack Obama should benefit from the sick-day issue, which is strongly backed by several Democrat-embracing unions. The issue would require companies with at least 25 employees to give them seven sick days per year, with any unused sick time to be carried over to the next … more

 

Goodyear Announces 110 More Layoffs in Tyler – District 13
Goodyear has announced to the United Steelworkers Union that it will lay off about 110 people — about two-thirds — of the workforce remaining at its Tyler plant between Aug. 6 and Aug. 19 A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice sent to the union stated the “permanent mass layoff has been necessitated by a lack of work at the plant.” Amy Brei, Goodyear spokeswoman, said about 60 employees will be left. “There has been a decrease in the requirements needed for that rubber from Tyler ,” Ms. Brei said of the Tyler plant … more

 

Union Demands “Decent” Severance For Premier Wire Workers In Alexandria – District 6
Employees at Premier Wire Limited are being unfairly treated by the company which is scheduled to close its Alexandria operations later this month, charges the United Steelworkers. "The union wants to negotiate a package for these workers that recognizes the hard and work and contribution they have made since the plant was locally owned," says USW Ontario-Atlantic Director Wayne Fraser. The union is pressing for "decent" severance now that the plant’s owner, Norfil Inc., of Chambly , has announced the Leroux Street operation will close June … more

 

 

 

 

 

June 12, 2008:

EP Notes Impasse; Union Stages Picket – District 11
An informational picket by a labor union was visible Wednesday, the same day that officials of EaglePicher Technologies in Joplin said for the first time that the two sides are at an official “impasse.” Three members of Local 812, United Steelworkers of America, and a representative from the union’s international counterpart held informational picket signs from noon to 1:30 p.m. on public property across the street from EP Technologies’ plant at C Street and Porter Avenue . Kenneth Sharon Jr., president of Local 812, said the last-minute picket was in response … more

 

CIBC Workers Reject Contract – District 6
The five-month-old strike at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce branches in Greater Sudbury will go on. The 66 employees, members of Local 2020 of the United Steelworkers of America, voted 38-12 (76 per cent) Wednesday against a new offer from the bank reached over the weekend. Some members of the local's bargaining committee and Jim Kmit, the staff representative involved in the talks, recommended members accept the offer. Kmit said the new offer contained the 10 to 20 per cent wage increases from the February offer that was … more

 

Essar Raises Wheeling-Pitt Bid By $80 Million – Districts 1, 8, 10
The battle to buy steelmaker Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel and its parent firm Esmark Inc. heated up Wednesday when Essar Steel Holdings Ltd. of India raised its bid to $19 a share, a $2 jump.

The cash value of Essar Steel's offer rose by $80 million to about $750 million, while its competitor, Russian steelmaker OAO Severstal, kept its bid at $17 a share. Prior to Essar increasing the offer for the outstanding shares, both offers were valued at about $1.1 billion, including the assumption of Esmark's debt. Esmark has had an agreement since April … more

 

U.S. Steel Industry On Rebound
The U.S. steel industry is enjoying a new era of prosperity less than a decade after crippling production costs and lower-priced imports helped trigger a huge wave of bankruptcies that some thought would leave it permanently tarnished. Buoyed by sharply reduced employee costs, soaring global demand, dramatic consolidation that has tamped down cutthroat competition and a weakened dollar that has made imports less attractive, steel prices have tripled in the past five years. For the first time in decades, companies operating in the United States have … more

 

Energy Grab Bag – District 9
City, State, Other Parties Work to Develop Fossil Fuel Alternatives
The alternative energy economy has a long way to go to offset $4-a-gallon gasoline, but signs of progress are emerging locally and statewide in a movement away from oil and other fossil fuels. Although the effort is in the early stages, it holds vast economic and environmental potential. And South Carolina is positioned to be a national leader in the undertaking, according to energy industry watchers and environmentalists. The state’s alternative energy promise, they say, lies offshore along the windy coast, in solar power from a sunny climate, in agricultural … more

 

 

 

 

 

A MESSAGE FROM PITTSBURGH

June 11, 2008

 

 

Looking at the 2008 Election

Now that the Democratic Primary race has come to an end, let’s look at the November election in a clear light of what it will mean to working families. Too many attempts were made in the past months to define working people’s voting decisions as racially based, while completely ignoring the fact that for years Senator McCain and many of his Republican colleagues have treated all working people with complete disdain, whether those workers are white, Black, Hispanic or otherwise. We can expect the Republicans to continue to utilize this tactic to distract attention away from the fact that John McCain will only offer a continuation of the Bush administration’s assault on working people and unions. Here are some facts:

	McCain votes the Bush party line almost 90 percent of the time, according to the AFL-CIO.
	McCain voted “right” on labor bills only 16 percent of the time; Obama’s rating is 96 percent.
	McCain is against the Employee Free Choice Act and the Davis-Bacon Act.  Obama support them.
	McCain is for a national right-to-work law. Obama is not.

 

For more information, click here.

 

 

USW Reaches Global Agreement with ArcelorMittal on Health and Safety Issues

Last week our union announced a groundbreaking agreement with ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel company, to improve health and safety standards throughout the company. The global agreement covers ArcelorMittal workers represented by unions throughout the world. In addition to recognizing the vital role played by unions in improving health and safety conditions, the unprecedented agreement establishes universal minimum standards at every site the company operates. Also included in the agreement is the creation of a joint union-management, global health and safety committee that will target plants in the group in order to work to dramatically improve their performance. 

 

For more information, click here.

 

 

New Contract Ratified at Georgia-Pacific’s Brewton, Ala. Mill

Our members at Local 888 and Local 941 recently ratified a four-year labor agreement by a wide margin at the Georgia-Pacific (GP) paper mill in Brewton, Ala. that will provide wage and benefit increases, improve retiree health care and pensions, in addition to restoring all seniority rights that existed on Sept. 27, 2007 under the plant’s previous owner. Unlike the old contract, this one contains successorship language. When Smurfit Stone sold the mill to Georgia-Pacific in September of 2007, all of our members were forced to re-apply for their jobs. That won’t happen again.

 

For more information, click here.

 

 

USW Supports Severstal’s Purchase of Esmark

The USW continues its active and vital role in consolidating a healthy steel industry in North America by strongly supporting OAO Severstal’s proposal to acquire Esmark. We will also exercise our full contractual rights to prevent the transaction between Esmark and Essar. Under the successorship clause of the contract, Esmark and Essar cannot close the proposed transaction until Essar has entered into a collective bargaining agreement with the USW. We will not enter into such an agreement.

 

For more information, click here.

 

 

USW’s Blue Green Alliance Links Jobs and Global Warming

Our union and the Sierra Club last week sent a joint letter under the banner of the Blue Green Alliance to the U.S. Senate pushing for Climate Security legislation that also addresses the competitiveness provision. We want to make sure that manufacturing capacity in the U.S. is not encouraged to relocate offshore to avoid the increased costs of energy resulting from the pricing of carbon. America ’s manufacturing workers and their communities have already suffered enormously from the global economy over the last two decades.  As we craft the necessary and scientifically based solutions to global warming, we must make sure that we do not worsen their plight and that we share the benefits of our investments in the clean renewable energy economy of the future with those who have been the most disadvantaged.

 

For more information, click here.

 

 

USW and U.S. Companies Fighting Back Against Dumped Circular Welded Steel

The U.S. Department of Commerce may soon impose duties on Chinese circular welded pipe. This is the first investigation involving Chinese government subsidies to the steel industry. The Commerce Department found that Chinese pipe exports are being dumped at rates ranging from about 70 to 85 percent.  In addition, the Commerce Department found that Chinese pipe producers benefit from illegal government subsidies at rates ranging from about 30 to 615 percent, with an average subsidy rate for all respondents of some 37 percent. The trade suit was brought by the Ad Hoc Coalition for Fair Pipe Imports from China and the USW.

 

For more information, click here.