SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC WORKERS 4 NEW WESTROCK CONTRACT 10 HOUSE PASSES PRO ACT 19 NEXT GEN FIRED UP 28
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SPOTLIGHT ON PUBLIC WORKERS 4 NEW WESTROCK CONTRACT 10 HOUSE PASSES PRO ACT 19 NEXT GEN FIRED UP 28
“AS WE LOOK ACROSS THE UNION, WE SEE WE ARE IN A TRANSITION. YOU SHOULD BE AMBITIOUS. YOU
SHOULD WORK AT LEARNING SKILLS AND MASTERING THOSE TOOLS BECAUSE THIS UNION IS PREPARING TO
TURN IT OVER, AND WE INTEND TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU.”
INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT THOMAS M. CONWAY AT NEXT GENERATION CONFERENCE, NOV. 18, 2019.
CURRENT
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
THOMAS M. CONWAY
International President
JOHN SHINN
Int’l. Secretary-Treasurer
DAVID R. McCALL
Int’l. Vice President
(Administration)
FRED REDMOND
Int’l. Vice President
(Human affairs)
KEN NEUMANN
Nat’l. Dir. for Canada
LEEANN FOSTER
Int’l. Vice President
PAPER CONTRACT GREEN BUSES, GOOD JOBS RAPID RESPONSE
ROXANNE BROWN
Workers ratify a new contract at Proterra, a manufacturer of More than 700 activists who
Vice President at Large
packaging giant WestRock that battery-powered buses and charging participate in the USW’s Rapid
establishes wages, benefits and stations, has recognized the USW Response program lobbied Congress
DIRECTORS working conditions for 9,400 USW as the bargaining agent for skilled for legislation to protect unions and
DONNIE BLATT members. assembly workers in California. preserve endangered pension funds.
District 1 10 12 20
MICHAEL BOLTON
District 2
STEPHEN HUNT FEATURES
District 3
SPEAKING OUT TRADE WATCH NEWS BRIEFS
DEL VITALE USW members, retirees and their The USW and the AFL-CIO endorsed Local 8888 reaches 10,000
District 4 families are invited to “speak out.” a reworked replacement for the di- members. ATI bargaining is underway.
ALAIN CROTEAU Letters should be short and to the sastrous North American Free Trade Back to work at Lucky Friday mine.
District 5 point. We reserve the right to edit Agreement that includes stronger USW sues to save Chemical Disaster
MARTY WARREN for length. protections for workers. Rule. Mendoza named paper sector
District 6 3 24 chair. Persad Center workers vote
union. USW launches podcast.
MIKE MILLSAP
District 7
33
ERNEST R. “BILLY” THOMPSON
District 8
COVER
Roberson Castor, Local 9158 COMMUNICATIONS STAFF
DANIEL FLIPPO JIM McKAY JESS KAMM BROOMELL AARON HUDSON AND GREG COLE
Photo by Steve Dietz.
District 9 Editor Director of Communications Graphic Designers
4
CHELSEY ENGEL, LYNNE HANCOCK, R.J. HUFNAGEL,
BOBBY “MAC” MCAULIFFE
TONY MONTANA, CHEYENNE SCHOEN, JOE SMYDO
District 10
EMIL RAMIREZ USW@Work (ISSN 1931-6658) is published four times a year by the United Steelworkers EMAIL: editor@usw.org
District 11 AFL-CIO•CLC 60 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Subscriptions to non-members: $12 for one MAIL: USW@Work
year; $20 for two years. Periodicals postage paid at Pittsburgh, Pa., and additional mailing offices. 60 Blvd of the Allies
GAYLAN PRESCOTT Pittsburgh, PA 15222
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: USW@Work, USW Membership Department,
District 12 60 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 USW@WORK
Volume 15/1
RUBEN GARZA Copyright 2020 by United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO•CLC. All rights reserved. No part of this Winter 2020
District 13 publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the United Steelworkers.
2 U S W @ Wo r k • W i n t e r 2 0 2 0
SPEAKING OUT
Your Union, Your Voice Union Strong
I attended the USW’s “Your Union, Your Voice” town hall I was glad to read the latest edition of the USW magazine.
meeting this January in Midland, Mich., and I really enjoyed it. It seems to me that the strength of unions is increasing and
I was able to learn more about what the USW’s core issues the movement is spreading.
are and how that affects which candidates the union endorses, Keep up the good work.
and how the USW influences politics, policies and bills.
Sam Alessi
I am glad that hearing our voices and what matters to us
Jamestown, N.Y.
is important enough to the USW that the union created this
forum for us to take notes and send them to the International
headquarters. Educating Next Generation
I also appreciate how many different people the USW rep- The Next Gen conference (held in Pittsburgh last Novem-
resents. I work in an auto industry-related field. The woman ber) was so many things: powerful, touching and extremely
who was next to me works in health care. Other people there educational. To say I left the conference feeling hungry for
were from foundries or from Dow. There were both active more is an understatement.
members and retirees. The idea that our union puts such great effort toward
For members who have a chance to attend one of the up- educating its membership is amazing! Providing over 900
coming town hall meetings, I highly recommend that you go. Steelworkers with the knowledge needed to build a better
The union’s facilitators did an amazing job. They taught, they union environment will result in lasting impact. I’m proud
listened, they kept us on track, speaking on the issues. that our union is educating the next generation of leaders,
I feel like I am a more informed voter now. while at the same time addressing today’s issues that will
Echo Carson, Local 690L affect us all tomorrow.
Auburn Hills, Mich. Eric Gaskins, Local 1014
Gary, Ind.
Fighting Workplace Violence
As a nurse and member of Local 7600 in Fontana, Calif., A Great Event
it was an experience of a lifetime to travel to Washington, The first International Next Gen conference was a great
D.C., and watch the U.S. House of Representatives vote on event. Meeting members from all over North America and
and pass the Workplace Violence Prevention Act. sharing stories with them was very inspiring. Some of our
Being able to witness firsthand how our democracy works members are doing amazing things at their locals and I was
was a blessing. Seeing the fruits of our labor come to fruition glad to learn from them. Our group came back energized and
while watching the vote from the gallery was an experience I ready to get to work at our local.
will never forget.
Each year, some 2 million Americans report having been Rick Pietrick, Local 979
a victim of workplace violence. The vote was a win for all of Cleveland, Ohio
us who selflessly work in the health care industry and serve as
caretakers across this nation. To every legislator who listened The Union’s Future
to our stories and who took the time to vote in solidarity with As the Next Gen coordinator for District 1, I could not be
us, thank you. more proud of how the first International conference turned
Although we came through with a victory, it was disheart- out! Next Gen is the future of our union. It is our job as cur-
ening to witness opposition to our bill from a few legislators rent leaders to mentor and prepare the younger generation to
whose reservations didn’t pertain to the bill itself, but were fight for workers’ rights, good contracts, sustainability of our
more a matter of party partisanship. great union and the labor movement. These young activists
I look forward to the day when bipartisan support on bills showed promise, dedication and determination during this
will be the new normal, as it should be. How powerful we historic week!
will become when we all rise together.
Tiffany McKee, Local 200L
DeJonae Shaw, Local 7600 Delphos, Ohio
Fontana, Calif.
EMAIL: editor@usw.org USW active, retired members and their
MAIL: USW@Work families are invited to “speak out.” Letters
60 Blvd of the Allies should be short and to the point. We
Pittsburgh, PA 15222 reserve the right to edit for length.
•
PUTTING
FIRST
USW Public Castor, a Local 9158 member
and construction project man-
Workers ager. “You’re working not just
for yourself. You’re working
Thrive Despite for everyone.”
Challenges For the USW’s public
workers in Boston and around
W
hen Joe Plagenza the country, that community-
travels the streets of first spirit permeates their
Boston, the reception workplaces and their union
he gets resembles a family hol- halls. Nearly two years after
iday or a high school reunion. the Supreme Court gave public
Seemingly on every block in the employees the right to reap the
city of 700,000, a resident has a benefits of union representation
smile and a kind word for him. without paying dues, USW
For the Local 9158 treasur- public employee locals are
er and 30-year city employee, strong and growing thanks to
it’s just another day at the a renewed focus on organiz-
office. That’s because, for him, ing, both inside and outside of
the office is synonymous with USW workplaces.
his hometown. In June 2018, the right-wing
Plagenza has spent most of court majority overturned de-
his career responding to res- cades of precedent by ruling, in
idents’ concerns on behalf of the case of Janus vs. AFSCME,
the Boston parks department. that public workers no longer
He also is one of the more than had to pay dues or even smaller
25,000 public workers across “fair share” fees to cover the
North America who are mem- cost of bargaining, arbitration
bers of the USW. and other union business.
“As public employees, you “The Janus ruling was an
carry a great burden on your attack on working people, but
Greg Mosman, Local 9158
Photos by Steve Dietz shoulders,” said Roberson it also was a call to action,”
•
The Steelworkers do Stefanie Seskin,
Local 9158
a great job of keeping
checks and
balances.
Michelle Alcaraz, LOCAL 8599
Anthony Hennessy Sr.,
Local 9158
Roberson Castor, Local 9158
Steven McHugh, David Hinton,
Local 9158 Local 9158
•
said International Vice President Fred
Redmond, who oversees bargaining for
the union’s public workers.
“That’s why we must keep fighting
every day to organize new workplaces
and demand that our elected officials
make it easier for people in both the
private and the public sectors to join
unions.”
Changing the game
The Janus case was part of a decades-
long, systematic effort by corporate
America to starve unions financially
and, thus, subjugate and silence workers.
However, for USW members, so far the
ruling has had the opposite effect.
“We recognized that Janus was going
to change the game,” said Jim Williams,
president of Local 8599, which represents
school employees in Fontana, Calif.
“That’s why we focused
on organizing from day
one. We don’t have our
heads in the sand.”
Williams decided
to put his strongest
organizer in charge of
welcoming new workers
and encouraging them
to get involved in the
union. That approach
has paid big dividends,
with only eight of the
local’s 1,900 members
choosing not to pay dues.
“I take it person-
ally,” he said. “I am per-
sonally offended when
somebody opts out.”
That devotion to
building strength and
solidarity is an attitude shared by the USW’s public workers, from Boston and Pitts-
burgh to California and New Mexico. And the approach has been a success, not just
for Steelworkers but for the families and communities they serve.
“I take a lot of pride in the work that we do,” said Boston arborist and Local 9158
member Greg Mosman, who helps to care for the city’s 38,000 trees across 2,800
acres. “We make Boston a more beautiful city.”
Mosman’s USW brother and colleague Anthony Hennessy is the city’s super-
intendent of horticulture. He oversees roughly 40,000 plants and flowers each year
in more than 100 locations. He said the work that he and his fellow city employees
perform helps to give residents and visitors a more positive outlook on life.
“Urban beautification is important work,” he said. “People love their city.”
Maintaining quality of life
The work that other public employees do, whether they drive school buses, serve
in law enforcement, prepare food, maintain roads or perform other vital tasks, is also
critical to the quality of life for residents.
“Public employees always show up. Whenever something happens, we are there,”
said Steven McHugh, deputy superintendent for Boston’s emergency medical service
•
Jerry De La Torre,
Local 9424
and a USW member. “Emergen-
cies happen anytime, anywhere –
nights, holidays, weekends.”
That 24/7 need for services
means that life can be difficult and
unpredictable for public workers.
“You learn to work around it,”
McHugh said. “Sometimes, Christ-
mas has to be on the 23rd or the 27th.”
The misconception that public
workers have overly comfort-
able schedules or are a drain on
taxpayers is a deliberate distortion
created by the same anti-union
Santiago Goytia, Local 9424
forces who supported the Janus
case and who have been fighting
against workers for decades,
Williams said.
Although unionized public
workers have better retirement
plans and more on-the-job
protections than their non-union
counterparts, they often make
sacrifices in other areas to secure
those benefits, said Joe Smith,
president of Boston’s USW Local
9158, known as SENA (Salaried
Employees of North America).
“Nobody is getting rich doing
this kind of work,” said Williams.
“It has to be a labor of love,
doesn’t it?”
The Janus ruling was AN
attack on working people,
BUT IT WAS ALSO A CALL TO ACTION.
International Vice President Fred Redmond
U S W @ Wo r k • W i n t e r 2 0 2 0 7
Good contracts critical
Still, with union membership comes
a degree of certainty. Public workers’
contracts ensure that they receive good
pay, quality benefits, fair scheduling, a
secure retirement and respect on the job.
These are benefits, won through
years of labor activism, that some non-
union workers simply take for granted,
said Local 9424 President Filiberto
Aguirre, who works as a water and sew-
er line locator in the city of Las Cruces
in southern New Mexico.
But union workers have an added
benefit. “I don’t have to worry about re-
percussions for using my voice and doing
what is right,” Aguirre explained.
Ensuring that bosses treat work-
ers fairly is one of the most important
aspects of union membership, said
Michelle Alcaraz, a Local 8599 member
who works in tech support for Southern
California’s Fontana Unified School
District.
That guarantee helps to ensure that
women and men are treated equally in
a profession that is often dominated by
men, she said.
“The Steelworkers do a great job of
keeping checks and balances,” Alcaraz
said.
In the wake of the Janus ruling, that
promise of justice and fairness can be
one of the strongest selling points union
leaders can use when organizing new
members, Williams said. Another, he
said, is the strength that comes from
being Steelworkers. “There are financial pressures in so
“We’re strong locally and national- many communities, and they want to
ly,” said Williams, whose local rep- blame somebody,” he said. “The first
resents employees of the Fontana school things they look at are the pensions, the
district who are not classroom teachers health care.”
or administrators. The local includes Public workers can fight back
library aides, technical support and food against negative stereotypes by giving
service workers, custodians and security back to their communities and by being
officers. “We are part of a strong manu- good stewards of the public trust, Wil-
facturing union.” liams said.
“Sometimes people ask me what “All we have to do is continue to do
products we make,” he said. “And we a good job,” he said.
do make something – we make people. Maintaining public trust is part of
They’re on a long, 13-year conveyor the job for USW member David Hinton,
belt, and when they leave our factory, who manages a community center in
they’re wearing that cap, if we do our inner-city Boston. His facility runs on a
jobs right. We are all educators.” combination of support from city funds,
Fighting stereotypes grants, private donations and nonprofit
Williams said he understands the organizations.
anti-public-worker trope is repeated so “It’s a good partnership, and it gives
often by corporate and anti-union media the community a sense of ownership,”
that many have come to accept it as Hinton said.
fact. But he knows it is not.
•
Value of public work a senior custodian in Fontana, said he For Aguirre, making a difference,
Making sure that the public, and by knows that schoolchildren and other staff not just for the 400-plus members of
extension elected officials, understand members appreciate his efforts to main- Local 9424, but for the 100,000 res-
and buy into the value of their work is an tain a healthy environment for them. idents of his city, is what keeps him
essential part of being a public employee, During a recent shift cleaning up af- coming back each day.
said Boston’s Stephanie Seskin, a SENA ter a lunch period, a student approached If he makes a mistake on the job,
Local 9158 member who plans and cre- him and placed a sticker on his shirt it could result in water getting cut off
ates bicycle paths throughout the city. thanking him for his hard work. from homes, businesses, schools or
Her work cuts down on traffic, “Little things like that make it worth hospitals.
reduces the need for road repairs, helps coming in every day,” Romo said. “Even something like fire safety
combat pollution and climate change, For the USW’s public workers, could be affected,” Aguirre said. “It
makes travel safer and provides a fitness knowing that the people and communi- gives me pride to know that because of
opportunity for residents, she said. ties they serve appreciate and support us, the water is going to keep running,
“Working for the public is a heavy their work can be the difference between our parks are going to be clean, our fa-
weight,” Seskin said. “But all of these staying in a job for decades and finding cilities are going to keep running. We’re
things contribute to the public good.” employment elsewhere. That, in turn, keeping Las Cruces beautiful and safe.”
Local 8599 member Richard Romo, keeps the USW’s public sector strong.
We do make something -
we ,make people.
They re on a long, 13-year conveyor belt,
and when they leave our factory, they,re
wearing that [graduation] cap.
Local 8599 PRESIDENT JIM WILLIAMS
Michelle Alcaraz, Local 8599
Dawn Dooley, Local 8599 Jose Medina, Local 8599 Rosemarie Tibbels, Local 8599
Judy Nordlund, Local 8599
U S W @ Wo r k • W i n t e r 2 0 2 0 9
U
SW members voted overwhelm- improvements to the retirement plans
ingly to ratify a new four-year and sick and accident benefits took
master agreement with packag- effect on Jan. 1.
ing giant WestRock that sets standards WestRock is the second-largest
for wages, benefits and working condi- packaging company in the United States
tions for more than 9,400 members of and one of the world’s largest paper
71 local unions. and packaging companies, operating in
The new contract, approved last more than 30 countries and generating
December, contains wage increases annual revenue of nearly $20 billion.
totaling about 10 percent over the term In September 2018, the USW,
of the agreement, along with other sig- through IndustriALL and the UNI
nificant improvements, particularly in Global Union, worked with other labor
health and safety. The agreement main- organizations around the world to create
tains the existing high-quality, afford- the Global WestRock Trade Union Alli-
able health care plan with no changes ance to combat the effects of increasing
and makes improvements to the pension globalization and consolidation. Inter-
and 401(k) plans. national Vice President Leeann Foster,
“Thousands of USW members who oversees bargaining in the union’s
across the country stood together to paper sector, serves as a co-chair of that
demand a fair contract with WestRock,” council of unions.
International President Thomas M.
Conway said. “With the strength and No concessions accepted
solidarity of the membership behind Initially, the company approached
them, our local leaders joined together the 160-member USW bargaining team
at one bargaining table and won a fair with demands for concessions, includ-
agreement. This victory is a credit to the ing cuts to health care and a two-tier
entire membership.” wage system, but the membership stood
The contract covers workers at 62 strong throughout the negotiations.
WestRock facilities across 26 U.S. “The USW’s bargaining committee,
states. While wage increases at each consisting of local union leaders from
facility won’t go into effect until each every location and international leaders,
local ratifies its individual agreement, entered these negotiations knowing that
we were facing a number of challeng-
es,” said Foster. “These challenges
included the company’s proposals, but
also overcapacity in the paperboard
market, a shaky economic outlook,
especially in manufacturing, and related
falling box demand. All of these factors
combined to create uncertainty.”
Workers responded to the challenges
head-on by standing together. They held
Photo by Steve Dietz
•M
a series of solidarity action days at embers of USW
WestRock locations, which bolstered Locals 608 and
the bargaining committee’s positions. 712 ratified a new
In addition, the union’s global alliance agreement with Clearwater
helped to deliver a strong message of Paper in Lewiston, Idaho,
unity to the company, making it clear on Jan. 8 after negotiations
that USW members would not take stalled over health care cov-
steps backward. erage and other contract
“Through the strength and soli- items.
darity of the members in a year-long “It was a long and
campaign involving all locations, we tedious 2 ½ years, but it was
achieved a package with no conces- only by sticking together
sions, no givebacks, only gains,” Foster that we got the agreement
said. “In short, we achieved security we got today,” Local 712
for our members.” President Mark Rhodes said
In addition to ensuring financial after the votes were counted.
gains for members, the agreement The two USW locals and
guarantees regular safety courses and Local 73 of the Internation-
meetings at USW-represented facil- al Brotherhood of Electrical
ities, establishes an annual company Workers together represent
safety conference and commits the two more than 870 workers at
parties to creating a labor-manage- the Lewiston facility. Their
ment study on the effects of excessive new contracts run through
overtime. August 2025.
The contract, which runs through The union members
2023, covers workers at WestRock pa- turned down the company’s
per mills and converting and merchan- last, best and final offer last
dising display facilities in Alabama, summer by an overwhelm-
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colo- ing margin.
rado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Rhodes gave credit to
Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mis- the local’s Communications
souri, New Jersey, New York, North Action Team for maintain-
Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South ing solidarity.
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, “We had a great action
Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington team. We distributed car
and Wisconsin. window flyers saying, 'Fair
“This contract sets a standard for Contract Now,' and our
the industry,” Foster said. “It positions membership did not hold
the company to succeed and invest in back voicing their unhap-
our facilities while making sure that piness to their supervisors.”
workers, families and communities
continue to share in that success.”
•Proterra photo
Winning
Combination
N e w U S W M e m b e r s B u i l d B at t e r y- P o w e r e d B u s e s
G
ood, family-sustaining union management that respects employees,” manager with Tesla, the electric car
jobs can be green. The USW’s Conway said. “This is a winning com- company, voluntarily recognized the
newest members include more bination not only for this company and USW as the bargaining agent on Nov.
than 60 production workers who build these workers, but for our country as a 12, 2019, after an overwhelming ma-
zero-emission, battery-powered electric whole as we look at the kind of jobs we jority of its California factory workers
buses in California for Proterra, an want to have in the future.” signed authorization cards.
emerging U.S. vehicle and energy stor- Headquartered in Burlingame, Proterra is also working with a
age company. Calif., Proterra manufactures bat- nonprofit organization, Jobs to Move
International President Thomas tery-powered transit buses up to 40 feet America (JMA), toward a community
M. Conway congratulated the new in length, as well as electric charging benefits agreement that could commit
members of Local 675 after Proterra stations that are located in maintenance the company to hire and train workers
recognized the union last November at facilities and at bus route terminals. from disadvantaged backgrounds.
its factory in the city of Industry, some The USW hopes Proterra will “This is what happens when a
30 miles east of Los Angeles. Local grow manufacturing in California. The company remains neutral and allows
675 is a large amalgamated local that company currently employs some 126 the employees to choose. The employ-
represents thousands of oil refinery workers in LA County, including the ees choose union wholeheartedly,”
workers. factory and the Burlingame headquar- organizing Director Maria Somma said.
“In Proterra, we have a dedicated, ters. Proterra also has an assembly “Within 24 hours, a majority of work-
highly skilled, productive work force, operation in Greenville, S.C., to serve ers signed cards in support of forming
an American company committed to the East Coast. their union.”
manufacturing in the United States and CEO Ryan Popple, a former finance Commuter buses are expected to be
12 U S W @ Wo r k • W i n t e r 2 0 2 0the fastest growing segment of electric, “Over the last two to three years,
heavy-duty vehicles as public transit transit agencies across the country
authorities around the world move away have committed to purchasing more
from diesel-fueled fleets to cleaner battery-powered electric buses,” said
alternatives. Hector Huezo, senior workforce equity
It is imperative that emerging clean coordinator for JMA in Los Angeles.
technologies foster good jobs and “This is an opportunity to move to
healthier communities, Conway said. cleaner technologies that are better for
That means materials and components our environment. It’s also an opportuni-
must be made in the United States and ty to ensure early on in a relatively new
those workers who produce them should industry that workers building electric
earn fair wages and good benefits. buses can have quality employment,
“U.S. manufacturing and man- good working conditions and a voice on
ufacturing workers are vital to the the job,” he said.
innovation and economic future of this The local’s chief of staff, Xochitl
country,” Conway said. “It’s important Cobarruvias, said the union can help
that we capitalize on the technological promote the company while it seeks
advancements and strengths of Ameri- new bus orders from public transit agen-
can companies to seize the tremendous cies. “All of us, the workers, the union
momentum happening in the domestic and the community, can work together.
electric vehicle sector and promote Everybody wins,” she said.
American leadership in this next trans- " This is a winning Employees were invited in late Oc-
portation revolution.” tober to meet representatives of Local
The USW is partners with JMA, a combination not 675, known for representing oil refinery
national nonprofit organization with only for this com- workers. The local convinced Proterra
offices in Chicago, New York, Bir- employees that they understood the is-
mingham, Ala., and Los Angeles. JMA
pany and these sues related to climate change and were
builds community coalitions and lobbies workers, but for committed to helping existing members
for public transit agencies to create local our country as a survive an eventual transition to a more
jobs when spending money on buses, carbon-neutral economy.
trains and other manufactured equip- whole as we look “This is not about one or the other,”
ment. at the kind of jobs said staff rep Moises Hernandez, who
“This is a first-of-a-kind in achiev- we want to have worked on the campaign. “We need
ing collective bargaining rights for us workers in both sectors. They will all
because we did it with the support of in the future. " have wages, benefits and a voice at their
a coalition of different organizations jobs.”
aligned with Jobs to Move America,” INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT Two weeks later, the Proterra work-
Somma said. “It’s a real recognition that Thomas M. Conway ers chose the USW through card check.
collective bargaining is a benefit to the “This is my first time being in a
communities where our members live.” union, and I’m actually excited about
The partnership first approached it,” Blanchard Pinto, a supervisor on
Proterra a few years ago when it an- the assembly line, told the Los Angeles
nounced it was considering a factory Times. “It was a no-brainer for me that
location in California, which offers tax it was something we could use for job
credits and other help to companies that stability.”
establish permanent facilities and hire Popple, the CEO, said the coopera-
locally. tion with the USW is an unprecedented
The factory was funded in part by a opportunity to solve some of the great-
$3 million grant from the California En- est challenges of the day while creating
ergy Commission, which spends $100 and preserving quality American manu-
million a year to spur green innovation facturing jobs.
in a transportation system responsible “Proterra and the United Steelwork-
for much of the state’s greenhouse gas ers share a common vision to support
emissions. American workers while building a
In 2017, the LA Metro committed healthier and more resilient future for
to full bus electrification by 2030 and is all, and we look forward to a strong
actively seeking funding to buy bat- partnership,” Popple said.
tery-powered buses and make system
changes to accommodate them.
•John Kanosky
Photos by Steve Dietz
S
hades, globes and other light “Hand Made Glass by Skilled Craftsmen.” a distinction that USW members take
fixtures sold throughout America Only a few companies can make that pride in and labor to maintain.
are hand-crafted by USW mem- claim. Davis-Lynch is one of the last “It’s a dying art, but it’s hard,” said
bers at a West Virginia factory that’s hand-blown glass factories in America, Mark Morris, a glass blower for 19 years,
surviving stiff competition from foreign noting the job requires strong lungs and
imports. the stamina to wield blowpipes holding
At Davis-Lynch Glass Co. in Star City, as much as 30 pounds of glass.
a small town of 2,500 residents near Bob Lynch, co-owner of Davis-Lynch,
Morgantown, about 45 members of said the top-quality craftsmanship keeps
Local 1-09 keep two dying arts alive: customers—including home stores, dis-
They hand-blow glass pieces and tributors and contractors—coming back.
hand-decorate them. “You look at some of the homes being
The finished products—including globes built, and you’ll see some of our glass
for commercial lighting fixtures, elegant and fixtures,” he said, adding he’s proud
tops for torchieres and ornately painted of the company’s strong relationship
shades for table lamps—are shipped out in with the USW.
boxes with a red stamp that says:
14 U S W @ Wo r k • W i n t e r 2 0 2 0Turning sand to glass
The glassmaking begins in a room lighted
by fires fueled with natural gas in open-faced
tanks. Each afternoon, workers add sand and
chemicals to the tanks. The raw materials meld
together, producing a fresh batch of molten glass
to use the next day.
Several workers operate as a team or shop.
The gatherer works molten glass onto the end of
a blowpipe, then blows and shapes it into a small
ball. “You breathe life into the glass, really,”
explained Mike Radwell, a gatherer who’s
worked at Davis-Lynch for about two years.
Next, a ball boy takes the pipe and blows into
it, enlarging the glass orb. A blocker takes the
pipe back to the tank, adds more molten glass
onto the existing ball to make it bigger, and
smooths and rounds it.
Maneuvering in close quarters with hot glass,
the workers must anticipate each other’s
movements to avoid injury and keep
production moving.
Finally, the blower, standing on a raised plat-
form, takes over. Beneath him, steam rises from a
hot mold that’s just been hosed down to remove
impurities from the last use. It’s one of hundreds
of molds in the factory, some used exclusively to
produce special items for select clients.
Depending on the size and shape of the
product being made, the blower further enlarges
the glass ball or swings the pipe to elongate the
glass. Then he puts the glass into the mold. He
blows until the glass fills out the mold while
simultaneously turning the pipe to prevent the
mold from leaving marks.
When done, his co-workers open the mold
and remove a perfectly formed shade, globe or
other product that is then annealed, or tough-
ened, while slowly running through a lehr oven,
or long kiln, to other parts of the plant.
After that, the products may be decorated or
trimmed so that they fit onto a lamp or another
fixture. Then they’re packed and shipped.
Founded in 1943
Davis-Lynch has been producing glass this
way since the company’s founding in 1943
by Mert Davis and R. Emmett Lynch, both
of whom worked at other glassmakers before
striking out on their own. Today, the company
is run by Lynch’s sons, Bob and John. Bob’s
sons, Rob and Scott, also work there.
Scott Fike
•At its peak, in the 1970s, the compa-
ny employed about 330, including 60
to 70 decorators. It had as many as 16
shops running during a single shift. It
operated its own fleet of trucks.
Back then, the company did a lot of
business with New York lamp manu-
facturers, who, in turn, sold to major
department store chains. But consoli-
dation in the retail industry and over-
seas competition – first from Mexico,
now China and Europe – eroded that
market for Davis-Lynch’s goods.
“When you can import lamps at
cheap prices, it hurts,” Lynch said.
Now, only a couple of shops oper-
ate at a time. Davis-Lynch survives
by forging new niches. For example,
it sells fixtures for office buildings
looking to do away with fluorescent
lights. It markets to buyers—includ- Cody Benninghoff
ing Schoolhouse and Rejuvenation,
a branch of Williams-Sonoma Inc.—
that specialize in custom and high-
end home goods.
Rejuvenation buys opal and crystal
shades from Davis-Lynch and uses
them in fixtures it manufactures
in Portland, Ore. On its webpage,
Rejuvenation promotes the “gentle,
graceful curves, the flawless struc-
ture, artisanal hand-painted touches,
and the undeniable character” of
Davis-Lynch’s work.
Each piece unique
Davis-Lynch is revamping its own
website to better showcase USW company’s efforts to find new cus- them for decals.
members’ workmanship—the com- tomers for those lost to foreign trade. Rowe wears no apron, uses noth-
pany’s chief selling point in an age of But she worries about the long-term ing to steady her hand and proudly
mass-produced goods. prospects for the special skills she declares: “I don’t slop paint.”
“We’d like for people to get more and her co-workers have. She’s looked at imported lighting
interested in what we do,” said deco- “It’s just going to be lost,” she said. fixtures in stores and wondered why
rator Kathleen Rowe. No two pieces Rowe contributes to the exceptional anyone would buy them. Some of
of hand-blown glass are exactly the appearance of Davis-Lynch products. them, she said, look like they’ve been
same, she said, and the uniqueness She hand-paints lines, floral patterns decorated with house paint instead of
makes them special. and other designs on shades and oth- the special kind she uses.
Rowe, who’s worked at Da- er products after they cool. They’re Davis-Lynch is part of a rich glass-
vis-Lynch for 25 years, praised the so lovely that some people mistake making tradition in West Virginia,
•Donnie Cost
Leanna Brown Shane Stephens
Rodney Jaggie Annette Justus
and some of its products are featured
in the Museum of American Glass in
Weston, W.Va.
Over the years, workers said,
they’ve recognized the company’s
products on television shows and in
hotels, restaurants and Disney parks.
There’s no mistaking them, said Mike
King, a blocker for 13 years. “Just
seeing them, you can tell.”
Kathleen Rowe
•BATTLING OVER
THE BALLOT BOX
Union Activists Attend Political Boot Camp to Honor Memory
of Dr. Martin Luther King JR.
E
lection Day 2020, when Amer- the basic tenet of democracy. To reverse it’s something we need to fight back on.”
icans will head to the polls this, workers and activists must reclaim
to make their voices heard, is their collective power, Trumka said. Running for office
around the corner. Yet the freedom to “We’re not going to shy away from Marcia Cannon, a biochemistry lab-
vote remains under attack 55 years after this fight because we’re the ones who oratory technician for Merck Pharma-
passage of the Voting Rights Act. make America great,” Trumka said. ceuticals in Pennsylvania and a member
That’s why nearly 400 union activists of Local 10-00086, was inspired by a
from across the United States hustled Grassroots action workshop on the importance of women
through a weekend of political bootcamp AFL-CIO Vice President Tefere running for office at all levels.
at the annual AFL-CIO Martin Luther Gebre also touched on the need for “It was really empowering,” said
King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Con- grassroots action in the fight for eco- Cannon, who has been considering
ference in Washington, D.C. nomic and racial justice. running for a position on her local’s ex-
“Dr. King’s fight, our fight, was for “Real change happens on the ecutive board. After hearing the work-
goals both big and basic,” AFL-CIO ground,” said Gebre, who came to the shop facilitator’s call to move beyond
President Richard Trumka said in his United States as a refugee from Ethiopia merely talking to walking, Cannon said,
opening speech on Jan.17. “It was also in the 1980s. “I think I just may take her advice.”
about the insidious and inane injustices The activists turned from talking Everything union activists do must
that protected the powerful.” about making change to creating it by be done in solidarity and for the cause
Members from multiple unions, volunteering with several organiza- of the common good, Cannon said.
including a large delegation of Steel- tions in the D.C. area on the second “It’s about humanity and about us
workers, gathered at the nation’s capital day of the conference. USW members, all working together,” she said. “When
for three days of reflection and action in including Sarah Werth of Local 12775 we work together in our community, we
honor of the slain civil and labor rights in northern Indiana, spent the morning make a difference to our country.”
hero. Dynamic panels and workshops delivering groceries to home-bound The weekend’s closing reception
at the event focused on protecting and residents, while others painted walls at echoed Cannon’s sentiment as Inter-
strengthening voters’ and workers’ rights, a local veterans’ center and helped serve national Vice President Fred Redmond
to which Dr. King devoted his life. breakfast at a nursing home. reminded attendees to take what they
The first day of the conference Werth, an equipment operator at gas learned at the conference and use it to
included conversations about attacks and electric company NIPSCO, came to bolster the labor movement back home.
on the ballot box, as legislatures across the conference with the hope of learn- “You must leave here committed to
the country pass laws that weaken the ing how to better protect her members do the work of changing our country,”
ability of citizens to vote. from discrimination. As vice president said Redmond, who is co-chair of the
Gerrymandering, draconian voter of her county’s AFL-CIO labor council, AFL-CIO Civil and Human Rights
purges as seen in states like Wisconsin she found a workshop on union ballot Committee. “This is our opportunity to
and Georgia, squashing access to voting initiatives valuable. build a better future for our children and
on college campuses and restrictive ID “It’s hard to get labor issues on the our grandchildren, and the stakes are
laws are all systematically undermining ballot here in Indiana,” said Werth. “We too high for us not to do the work.”
have right-to-work now in our state and
18 U S W @ Wo r k • W i n t e r 2 0 2 0HOUSE PASSES PRO ACT
Employers Violate Federal Law in 41.5% of All Union Election Campaigns
T
he USW called on the U.S. Senate employers violate the law. avoidance industry got its start after the
to quickly pass a comprehensive “For too long, we’ve seen workers’ National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)
labor reform bill, the Protecting wages stagnating and benefits being cut was enacted in 1935. Before then, em-
the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, after it while productivity, corporate profits and ployers had the legal liberty to spy upon,
was approved by a bipartisan vote of the CEO pay keep increasing,” said Eduardo question, punish, blacklist and fire union
U.S. House of Representatives. Placencio, a USW member who attended members.
“Workers have the right to join to- the House vote and whose local (937) is Attempts to thwart organizing are
gether to improve their lives on the job, engaged in an unfair labor practice strike widespread. The report estimated that
and the PRO Act three-quarters of all
will make sure that employers engaged
fundamental right in union elections
is protected,” Inter- with 50 or more
national President voters hired union
Thomas M. Con- avoidance consul-
way said after the tants.
Feb. 6 House vote. “The main goal
“Too often, com- of union avoidance
panies bully and consulting firms is
intimidate workers to prevent a union
to keep unions out election from tak-
and face little to no ing place—and if
punishment, even that fails, to ensure
in cases when they that workers vote
break the law.” against the union,”
The 224-to-194 Photo by Steve Dietz the report said.
House vote was an From left to right: Johnny Archuleta, Richard Perez, Director of Rapid
Response Amber Miller, Michael Sanchez, John Saavedra and Eduardo Placencio
Using infor-
important elec- mation gathered
tion-year gain for through Freedom
labor even though the measure, opposed against ASARCO, the mining company. of Information Act requests and from
by corporations and anti-union lawmak- “The PRO Act will reverse those trends government reports, EPI found that em-
ers, faces an uphill fight in the Senate and help rebuild the American middle ployers in 2016 and 2017 were charged
and a promised presidential veto. class.” with violating federal law in 41.5 percent
It’s an opportunity, a litmus test, to of all union campaigns conducted under
see who stands with workers. Employers break the law National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
“So many politicians in Washington, Employers routinely engage in a oversight.
including President Trump and members wide range of tactics – both legal and Employers were charged with ille-
of the Senate, got elected by promising illegal – without fear of reprisal to frus- gally coercing, threatening or retaliating
to stand up for workers. Now, we will trate workers’ rights to form unions and against workers for supporting a union in
find out if that’s all just talk,” Conway collectively bargain, according to a study nearly a third (29.2 percent) of cases.
said. supporting the PRO Act by the Eco- They were accused of illegally
“The Senate should pass the PRO nomic Policy Institute (EPI), a nonprofit disciplining workers for union support at
Act, and the president should sign it. think tank. about the same rate.
It’s time to take some of the power out Employers’ bad behavior includes That type of activity should stop.
of the hands of corporate America and making illegal threats, engaging in “Under the PRO Act, companies will
Wall Street and give it back to working surveillance, harassing workers and face real consequences for their behav-
Americans.” spending $340 million annually on legal ior, and workers will be able to choose
The PRO Act would make it easier “union avoidance” consultants to stave for themselves – without interference
for workers to certify unions, restrict off representation elections. – whether they want to join a union,”
some of the most damaging tactics Employer interference is not new. Conway said.
employers use to oppose organizing, Union busting dates to the Industri-
and impose meaningful penalties when al Revolution, and the modern union
U S W @ Wo r k • W i n t e r 2 0 2 0 19U
SW members took the fight for unite us,” International Vice President Conway said, urging the members in
workers’ rights to the halls of Roxanne Brown said in her opening attendance to take what they learned
the U.S. Capitol and the streets remarks to members of the Rapid in Washington back to their locals and
of Washington, D.C., during the union’s Response program, the USW’s nonpar- expand the union’s base of activism.
three-day Rapid Response and Legisla- tisan, grassroots effort to educate and “That’s how we build strength, and
tive Policy Conference. mobilize members on issues important that’s how we build unity,” he said.
The climax of the annual event, to working families.
held last October, came on the final day In the two days before the legislative Undercutting workers’ rights
when more than 700 activists, divided meetings, union members engaged in The conference occurred against the
into small groups, visited the offices dozens of training sessions and panel backdrop of a series of National Labor
of hundreds of members of Congress discussions designed to prepare them Relations Board and Labor Department
to push for legislation to ensure safer for sometimes difficult conversations decisions undercutting workers’ rights.
workplaces, protect union organizing with elected officials. But Conway warned: “This union’s
rights, preserve endangered pension International President Thomas not going to go away. We’re going to
funds, and secure stronger protections in M. Conway said the strength of the continue to confront them on the issues
the new United States-Mexico-Canada 25-year-old Rapid Response program is affecting us in the workplace.”
Agreement (USMCA). the main reason why the USW “punches Brown noted that advocacy, espe-
The conference included detailed way above its weight” in influencing cially related to pensions and work-
presentations addressing each of those legislators on Capitol Hill and in state- place safety, is enshrined in the USW’s
four legislative priorities. houses around the country. founding principles. And retired
“All of these principles are the “The labor movement is the only Secretary-Treasurer Stan Johnson, who
ties that bind us and the values that voice that stands up for workers,” was involved in the Rapid Response
•program from its earliest days and who That nonpartisan, issue-based Organize (PRO) Act, a bill that would
oversaw its growth in his role as an approach is one of the hallmarks of strengthen workers’ rights to organize
International officer, explained that the the program and one of the keys to its and penalize employers who illegally
program is needed to counter corporate success. obstruct those efforts. The House passed
America’s army of lobbyists. On Oct. 29, USW members held a the bill on Feb. 6.
“Corporate America is always at the rally outside the U.S. Department of District 10 Rapid Response Coordi-
table,” Johnson said. “This makes sure Labor calling for support for HR 1309, nator George Piasecki said the PRO Act
our voices are heard, too.” the Workplace Violence Prevention for gets to the heart of everything that the
Amber Miller, who became director Health Care and Social Service Work- union is about.
of the Rapid Response program in 2019, ers Act. About a dozen lawmakers and “Every right we have in the work-
said that workers must demand that law- several USW members spoke in support place is connected to a piece of legisla-
makers listen to them, or their priorities of the legislation, which would require tion,” he said.
will be pushed aside. health care employers to implement In lobbying for the PRO Act, the
District 1 Director Donnie Blatt, a violence-prevention plans to protect Workplace Violence Prevention Act and
Rapid Response activist since its found- their workers. the Butch Lewis Act, Jackson Suter, a
ing, said the program works because it Stephanie Adams, a nursing assistant maintenance technician at U.S. Steel’s
is a member-driven initiative. and member of Local 9230 in Minneso- Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock,
“You are the reason this program ta, said that violence is a more common Pa., found a friendly ear in U.S. Rep.
is a success,” Blatt told the delegates, occurrence in the health care field than Mike Doyle, whose father was a mem-
who were urged to help recruit the next most people realize. ber of Suter’s union, Local 1219.
generation of activists from among the “Sometimes it feels like manage- Doyle thanked the USW members
USW’s younger members. ment doesn’t care about violence in our for their support and said any new trade
workplace but, thankfully, we have a agreements must include strong protec-
Achievements made union that does care,” Adams said. tions for workers and communities.
Blatt, Secretary-Treasurer John The next day, Steelworkers marched
Shinn and other speakers offered a to Capitol Hill armed with more than Changing minds
series of examples of the program’s 80,000 postcards signed by USW mem- Suter said that while Doyle supports
national- and state-level achievements bers demanding that Congress pass the all of the USW’s priorities, Braddock
over the years, from lobbying for trade law. residents may be more difficult to con-
enforcement actions in the mid-1990s Vernon Beck, president of Local vince. Attending the Rapid Response
to save a Dayton, Ohio, citric acid plant 12775, asked an aide to Rep. Larry conference gave him the information
to calling for an extension of unem- Bucshon of Indiana to get the congress- and the confidence he needs “to change
ployment benefits to hasten the end of a man — a cardiothoracic surgeon before some minds,” he said.
lockout at National Grid in Massachu- coming to Congress — to sign on as a Changing minds one at a time is ex-
setts in 2018. co-sponsor. actly what the Rapid Response program
“We fight for every job,” said Inter- “It’s not a major ask. It’s not a heavy was designed to do, said retired Secre-
national Vice President David McCall. lift,” Beck told the aide in a hallway out- tary-Treasurer Johnson.
“That’s why this work is so important.” side the congressman’s office as about “One-on-one conversations are at
Through Rapid Response, the USW 15 other USW members looked on. the core of this program,” Johnson said.
was instrumental in gathering 300,000 “Rapid Response has fundamentally
signatures to force a referendum on a Health care violence changed who we are as a union.”
so-called “right-to-work” bill passed by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney of Con- In addition to Johnson, retired Inter-
Missouri’s legislature in 2017. In 2018, necticut, lead sponsor of the workplace national President Leo W. Gerard also
67.5 percent of voters voted against the violence prevention bill, said the level made an appearance, closing out the
law, rolling it back. of violence in health care was “horri- conference by presenting the union’s in-
“We won big,” Bob Ryan, District fying” and that the rate of increase in augural Leo W. Gerard Visionary Award
11 Rapid Response coordinator, told the recent years was particularly alarming. to Local 13-1 President Lee Medley.
delegates. In recognition of his efforts on Following an introduction by U.S.
David Beard, a member of Local behalf of workers, the USW presented Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,
752L at Cooper Tire in Arkansas, said Courtney with a 2019 USW Paul Well- Gerard praised Medley for his leader-
the work that members do in Washing- stone Award, an annual tribute named in ship and urged the attendees to continue
ton is only a small part of the equation honor of the late Minnesota senator and to build the union through relentless
when it comes to the need for activism champion of labor who died in a plane organizing.
in the labor movement. crash in 2002. “The labor movement didn’t get
“This isn’t about who is living in The union also presented a 2019 born; the labor movement got built,”
the White House,” Beard said. “This is Wellstone Award to U.S. Rep. Bobby Gerard said. “This is a great union, and
about who is living in our house, and in Scott of Virginia, who in 2019 in- it’s because we built it.”
our plants.” troduced the Protecting the Right to
•USW MEMBERS
RALLY
District 11 Director Emil Ramirez (Center)
carries a banner with Assistant Director
International Vice President Cathy Drummond and members including
Roxanne Brown Deanna Hughes.
• Photos by Steve DietzH
undreds of USW members rallied outside the U.S. Kicked in the face
Department of Labor to demand protections for health Health care workers are groped by patients with dementia
care workers who are often kicked, punched, groped and assaulted by patients with mental health problems, brain
and threatened on the job. injuries and drug addictions. Yet many employers look the
The protestors, which included health care workers wear- other way when health care workers are injured or claim that
ing hospital scrubs, urged passage of the Workplace Violence the risk of violence comes with the job.
Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act “They don’t do anything,” said Joel Maya, an EKG tech-
(H.R. 1309/S. 851). nician and member of Local 7600 in Fontana, Calif. Maya
The bill would compel the U.S. Labor Department to issue expressed frustration with employers’ lack of concern for
a workplace violence prevention standard requiring health worker safety.
care and social service employers to implement violence pre- One patient threatened to kill Maya. Another threw a tray
vention plans tailored to each workplace. Possible safeguards at him. A third patient, unhappy with a co-payment he had to
range from enclosed reception areas at doctor’s offices to make, threw his checkbook and wallet at him.
panic buttons enabling workers to summon help when they’re Tuan Vu, a behavioral health technician and member of
in danger. the Essentia Red Book unit of Local 9460 in Duluth, Minn.,
The legislation passed the House in November after the said one of his co-workers was kicked in the face while staff
union’s rally on Oct. 28. By the time USW@Work went to members tried to calm an out-of-control patient. Another
press, the bill had not been brought to a vote in the Senate. co-worker was injured during a fight involving three youths.
“We put up with a lot at work. We shouldn’t get punched “I’ve been bitten, scratched, hit, several times this year,”
in the face,” International President Thomas M. Conway Vu said, noting many of his patients have problems with
said before the rally, which was held in conjunction with the impulse control.
USW’s Rapid Response Legislative and Policy Conference in Some health care workers said they manage too many
Washington, D.C. patients alone and hope the workplace violence bill forces
Passage of the violence prevention bill is one of the employers to maintain adequate staffing levels.
USW’s priorities. Marketa Anderson, president of Local 9349 in Chisholm,
Police blocked off streets as USW members marched from Minn., sometimes works alone with 10 patients at a center for
the conference hotel to the Labor Department a mile away. people with developmental disabilities. Over 19 years on the
The chanting was so loud that officials of the Occupational job, she’s been hit, kicked, head-butted, slammed against a
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mentioned it when wall and had a chair thrown at her.
a delegation of members went inside to meet with them about “If somebody goes off, you hope you can get to the phone
the bill. and call 911 because there’s nobody there to help you,” she said.
“We heard you coming,” one official said.
International Vice President at Large Roxanne Brown
opened the rally by demanding action on workplace violence,
TAKE ACTION!
a problem that’s only gotten worse in the last few years.
Violence reports increase
From 2008 to 2017, workplace violence in the health care
and social service industries increased 69 percent. Health care CONTACT YOUR SENATORS AND ASK THEM TO
and social workers are five times more likely to suffer work- SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS TO PROTECT WORKERS:
place violence than workers in other fields.
Other speakers at the rally included U.S. Sens. Sherrod Butch Lewis Act (S. 2254)
Brown of Ohio and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Reps. The U.S. House passed this bill in July to protect endan-
Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Joe gered pensions and ensure workers get the secure retirement
Morelle of New York, and Conor Lamb and Susan Wild of they earned. Urge your senators to support the bill.
Pennsylvania.
Brown noted that the Labor Department building is named Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (S. 1306)
for pioneer labor activist Frances Perkins, who redoubled her Urge your senators to support the PRO Act, which would
remove barriers to union organizing and establish stronger
fight for workplace safety after 146 workers, most of them
penalties for companies that illegally block those efforts.
young women, died in the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
fire in New York City.
The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health
The senator said it sickens him to know that corporate
Care and Social Service Workers Act (S.851)
attorneys climb the steps of that building and go inside to Urge your senators to support the workplace violence
oppose worker safety regulations. prevention bill, which would require health care and social
Instead of improving workplace safety, Wild said, the service employers to implement violence-prevention plans.
Trump administration has rolled back worker protections and
left OSHA inspection positions vacant. Contact your U.S. senators by visiting Senate.gov and
“It’s signaled to workers across the country that (corpora- clicking “Find Your Senators.” Or call the U.S. Capitol
tions) won’t be held accountable if they fail to maintain a safe switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
workplace,” Wild said.
•You can also read
