United Steelworkers: News Articles

USW Applauds Agreement to Extend Uranium Enrichment Operations at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant for an Additional Year

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The United Steelworkers (USW) today applauded an agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Northwest, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and U.S. Enrichment Corporation, Inc. (USEC) to keep the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, which was slated for closure at the end of this month, open for an additional year.

Under the agreement, the DOE will provide 9,000 metric tons of high-assay depleted uranium hexafluoride, also known as “tails,” to Energy Northwest. USEC, the contractor at the Paducah, Ky., facility, will enrich the tails to make 480 metric tons of low-enriched uranium.

“This agreement will keep 1,200 men and women employed for another year,” said Jim Key, Vice President of USW Local 550, which played a key role in working with the parties involved to secure the agreement. “It was several years in the making, and we are glad our hard work paid off,” said Key ... more

Pinnacle Bankruptcy Bargaining Deadlines Extended, USW Advises Court of Problems with Pinnacle's DIP Financing

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that through the successful work of Pinnacle Airlines’ Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, Pinnacle and Delta Air Lines have agreed to extend to July 13 the bankrupt regional carrier’s deadline to renegotiate its union labor contracts. The USW is one of seven members of the committee.

In its presentation to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, which convened today to consider Pinnacle’s motion for approval of Debtor in Possession (DIP) financing and other agreements, the USW advised the court that agreements between Pinnacle and Delta will pose problems in upcoming bargaining.

USW International Vice President at Large Carol Landry, who leads the union’s Airline Division, stressed that the complex economic and non-economic issues that must be addressed in negotiations will require patience, good faith and commitment from top-level corporate management, Delta and other stakeholders in order to ensure that Pinnacle emerges from bankruptcy as a viable, more stable employer in the future. ... more

USW Urges Extending Advanced TSA Screening to Flight Attendants, Cabin Crew

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The United Steelworkers (USW) today urged the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Transportation Security to expand advanced Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening programs used by pilots to airline flight deck and cabin crew members.

In testimony submitted for today’s subcommittee hearing, “Access Control Point Breaches at Our Nation’s Airports: Anomalies or Systemic Failures?” USW International Vice President At-Large Carol Landry said that expanding these advanced screening programs to airline flight deck and cabin crew members would grant them expedited access through screening checkpoints and make everyone safer.

“The problem is that the current limited versions of risk-based surveillance screening systems like CrewPASS and Known Crew Member are available only to pilots and limited to a few locations,” Landry said. “Excluding flight attendants from the risk-based surveillance program creates a system where TSA agents must spend valuable screening time inspecting workers who are trained to be the last line of defense in the aircraft cabin ... more

USW Praises Continued Duties on Tin Sheet Imports From Japan

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The USW said today’s vote to affirm continued duties on tin-coated steel imports from Japan is recognition of the vulnerability that still exists for American steelworkers whose jobs depend on fair trade for steel products covered by duty orders.

“We appreciate the 6-0 unanimous vote of the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) that sends a strong message for support of the domestic tin mill industry and the current anti-dumping order on imports from Japan,” USW President Leo W. Gerard said. The major domestic tin-coated steel producers employing USW members are: ArcelorMittal, U.S. Steel Corp., USS-Posco Industries, R-G Steel Corp., and Ohio Coatings Co.

Gerard said testimony by the domestic steel companies and the USW at last month’s five-year sunset review hearing presented a good case on the incentives for Japanese mills to ship significant volumes to the U.S. “If the duties were allowed to expire, a flood of tin sheet imports would have quickly depressed fair prices, putting at risk the jobs of 3,000 USW-represented steelworkers and the American industry ... more

USW Blasts House Bill for Weakening DOE Worker Safety

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

A bill set to come before the U.S. House would gut health and safety standards at Department of Energy (DOE) weapons sites and put workers at DOE facilities, and residents of neighboring communities, at greater risk of exposure to hazardous materials and radiation.

United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard raised those concerns in a letter sent to Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. The committee approved the bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2013, which is scheduled for a vote before the full House this week.

Gerard said many USW members at DOE facilities deal with operations that are completely unique to the DOE. As a result of these threats, more specific worker safety orders are necessary to provide the proper protection. Unfortunately, the bill would eliminate those protections and turn back the clock on long-established standards in nuclear safety ... more

USW Says Marathon Petroleum's Actions Impinge on Safety and are Unlawful

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

United Steelworkers (USW) Local 8-719 says that the terms and conditions of employment Marathon Petroleum unilaterally implemented do not promote safe staffing levels to safeguard the refinery’s employees and the surrounding community.

The local’s contract with Marathon expired on January 31, 2012. The company accepted the National Oil Bargaining Pattern Agreement the USW negotiated with the industry, but disputes arose over local issues involving work schedules, vacation allotments and re-alignments of departments that result in job duty and schedule changes.

“All these changes are Marathon’s attempt to reduce our staffing levels,” said USW Local 8-719 President Bret Queen. “We strongly believe this further reduction in our work force will jeopardize the safety of refinery employees, the environment and the surrounding community ... more

USW Statement on President Obama's Appointment To Lead New Interagency Trade Enforcement Center

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard issued the following statement today on President Obama’s appointment of Bradford Ward to head the new U.S. Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC):

“Today President Obama sent another powerful message that trade enforcement is a priority by appointing Brad Ward as director of the new Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC). Brad has three decades as a trade practitioner at the U.S. Department of Commerce before joining the USTR in 2009 with the skills, experience and creativity to turn ITEC into a force for workers, farmers and businesses producing here in the United States.

“We are also pleased to learn the appointment of the ITEC Deputy Director as Constance Handley from the U.S. Commerce Department, where she has 15 years of trade enforcement experience ... more

USW Objects to Pinnacle Airline's Bankruptcy Financing, Citing Unfair Conditions Set by Delta Airlines

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that the union has filed an objection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to Pinnacle Airlines, Inc.’s motion for approval Debtor in Possession (DIP) financing provided by Delta Airlines.

The DIP financing package includes new connection agreements negotiated on the eve of the bankruptcy filing, which the USW states, produces “insufficient revenue to cover current and projected labor costs under the existing collective bargaining agreements.” Likewise, the USW states in its objection that the DIP financing establishes “overly aggressive and unrealistic milestones for collective bargaining” that would unnecessarily push Pinnacle toward filing motions to reject the company’s labor contracts under Section 1113 of the Bankruptcy Code.

Under the proposed DIP motion, Pinnacle has 45 days to renegotiate collective bargaining agreements with its employee representatives, which includes the USW representing Pinnacle’s flight attendants, as well as two other unions. The USW received the company’s proposals on Tuesday, May 8 ... more

USW Welcomes GAO Report on Employer Policies, Programs and Practices that Discourage Workplace Injury Reporting

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The United Steelworkers (USW) today welcomed the release of a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that underscores the pervasive nature of employer policies, programs and practices that discourage workers from reporting job injuries and illnesses and outlines actions that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) should take to address these practices.

The report, “Workplace Safety and Health: Better OSHA Guidance Needed on Safety Incentive Programs,” presents the results of a GAO survey of U.S. manufacturing companies that found that 75% of firms had safety incentive programs or other workplace safety policies that can affect workers’ reporting of injuries and illnesses.

“The USW has long warned and campaigned against workplace programs and policies that discourage workers from reporting job injuries,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “Such programs make employers’ injury rates look good while job hazards go unidentified and uncorrected. We’ve seen far too many tragedies and catastrophes in facilities where employers are playing these numbers games ... more

The Future is Creating Wealth by Making Things

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

United Steelworkers International President Leo W. Gerard talked with progressive talk show host Ed Schultz about President Obama’s plan to create opportunities to secure American manufacturing jobs.

They talked about the decline in education and how Republicans have been cutting back on funding for training and community college. They agreed that the future cannot be built on just banking and services.

“The future is in creating real wealth … giving people real skills so that they can make things,” said Gerard.

When asked if he thought the Republicans would change their attitude toward manufacturing, Gerard said, “When this election cycle is over later this year, I think what you’re going to see is Republicans taking a very heavy toll at the ballot box.”

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

USW Rejects Romney's Attack on Unions and President Obama

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

As guardians of the middle class, we will expose Republican distortions and lies

Leo W. Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers (USW), today was critical of Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney’s dishonest attack on President Obama and American labor unions in remarks he made at the Lansing Community College.

Gerard said, “President Obama has listened to us as American workers and laid out a vision of the America we need. One that creates jobs and prosperity for all Americans and not the 1% who have looted the economy as presumed Republican candidate Romney did when he led his private equity firm known as Bain Capital.

“Romney’s latest attack on American unions and President Obama in his address at the community college in Michigan is what we’ve come to expect from the ‘Etch-A-Sketch’ candidate who can’t help himself in trying to pretend the demise of the Oldsmobile was the fault of the current administration and labor unions ... more

USW Tells Compass Minerals to End Illegal Practices

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Company Fires Worker for going to Veterans Administration Appointment

A United Steelworkers (USW) delegation told Compass Minerals shareholders today that the company’s abusive, illegal practices must end and that its treatment of decorated veteran Derrick Forestier could reflect poorly on the company’s business.

“Compass Minerals needs to heed our message and ensure that its subsidiary, North American Salt, obeys labor law and reinstates Derrick Forestier with back pay,” said Local 14425 President Mark Migues. “The longer this dispute goes, the greater the damage to the company’s reputation and business.”

Migues’s statement to Compass Minerals shareholders can be found HERE.

North American Salt owns a salt mine in Cote Blanche, La., that employs about 100 workers who are represented by the USW. In 2010 the company illegally implemented new employment terms without its workers’ approval. After a brief strike the USW filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

An administrative law judge for the NLRB ruled that the company acted illegally and ordered the terms and conditions of employment under the expired collective bargaining agreement be reinstated and that the employees be made whole for any losses they suffered under the illegally imposed employment conditions. The judge also ordered the company to bargain in good faith with the union over the terms of the new collective bargaining agreement. Bargaining is continuing.

Last fall North American Salt fired Forestier for going to a mandatory Veterans Administration appointment, even though he told the company in advance of his hiring that he was required to attend such appointments. Forestier was in combat three times and deployed five times. He earned a Bronze Star for his bravery and service to our country.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (TX-25th Dist.) introduced the Wounded Veteran Job Security Act to protect veterans like Forestier from discrimination in the workplace for time spent receiving treatment for injuries and disabilities caused by their service ... more

USW Joins President Obama In Calling On Congress To Create Jobs

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The United Steelworkers (USW) said today that Congress needs to follow President Obama’s lead in creating jobs by acting on a “To Do List” that would help restore middle-class security. In a speech today in Upstate New York, the President emphasized that Congress now has the opportunity to create secure American jobs by manufacturing goods for the international economy.

“Manufacturing is the key to rebuilding our economy and creating family-sustaining jobs,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “Middle America wants an economy that makes things and works for them, not one based on outsourcing, tax loopholes and shady financial deals.

“Rewarding the creation and retention of good-paying American jobs and eliminating the tax incentives to ship them overseas should be a top priority of Congress ... more

USW Statement Regarding Closure of PinnPro Ground Services Unit

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The United Steelworkers today issued the following statement concerning Pinnacle Airlines Corporation’s announcement that the bankrupt airline plans to shutter its PinnPro Professional Ground Services unit:

The USW is outraged that more than 800 hardworking men and women will be losing their jobs as a result of Pinnacle management’s mistakes.

The company has issued a three-page “Q&A” concerning the closure of the PinnPro business where management describes the benefits that it intends to offer employees at closure. The USW has reminded both its members and management that the economic terms of any such package will and must be subject to negotiations with our union.

The USW is committed to making sure Pinnacle management is held accountable throughout the bankruptcy process and will fight at the bargaining table to ensure that workers are not asked to sacrifice their jobs, wages and benefits so that the company’s top managers can continue to give themselves raises ... more

An Assault on a Women's Personage

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Progressive talk show host Leslie Marshall recently spoke with United Steelworkers (USW) Assistant to the President Leeann Foster on the War on Women. Leeann is also the Associate General Counsel for the USW.

They discussed federal and state legislation which has created a lot of controversy and has women, and men, recognizing the Republican assault on women’s health and other issues.

When the House in Georgia passed an abortion bill during the debate, Republican State Representative Terry England compared women carrying still-born fetuses to livestock on his farm.

“He basically said that his calves and pigs had to deliver their fetuses, dead or alive. They had to carry them to term,” said Foster, “and he dealt with them when he had time to deal with them. There was no reason why a woman shouldn’t have to carry that fetus to term.”

Romney and GOP supporters are attempting to downplay any attack as a figment of their imagination.

They talked about comments made by Republican supporters such as Foster Friess saying, “Back in my day, they used Bayer Aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees.”

“It’s this kind of disdain for women that really almost amounts to an assault on our personage,” said Foster.

Click the audio button below to listen to the conversation.

Saving Jobs by Fighting Unfair Trade

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

This is an article by Bob Davis from Wall Street Journal (online) called The Great China Tire Debate: Steelworkers Respond

Convincing President Obama to shut off tire imports from China was a big win for the United Steelworkers, who take a hard line on trade and China, in particular. So when Peterson Institute for International Economics researchers Gary Hufbauer and Sean Lowry calculated that the hard-won protection actually cost U.S. consumers nearly $1 million in added costs for every job saved, the Steelworkers yelled foul.

According to a lengthy Steelworkers response, the Peterson Institute analysis focuses too much on the cost of protection – how tariffs boost retail prices – and not enough on the benefits of protection. “The authors fail to recognize the massive investment in new plant, equipment and production that have been announced” since the U.S. decided to shut off imports in Sept. 2009 under a provision of a deal signed by China to get U.S. support to enter the World Trade Organization.

Click Here to read more of the article.

Below is the full response by the United Steelworkers

Saving Jobs by Fighting Unfair Trade

President Obama, in his 2012 State of the Union Address, highlighted the success of the relief he authorized for U.S. passenger and light truck tires from surging imports of these products from China. Utilizing Section 421 of our nation’s trade laws, a provision which China agreed to as part of its protocol of accession to the World Trade Organization, the President granted three years of relief to re-establish a stable market and address the injury that had occurred to America’s producers and workers in this sector.

Gary Hufbauer and Sean Lowry of the Peterson Institute for International Economics recently released a study portending to be economic analysis that attacks the Section 421 relief as not being worth the expense. But for the thousands of Americans who benefited, and will continue to benefit from the President’s actions, the relief was vital.

Before commenting on the predictability of Mr. Hufbauer’s conclusions, let’s look at some of their arguments in this most recent study.

Let’s start with the authors saying that only 1,200 jobs were saved, a calculation that does not recognize the full benefits of the President’s actions, despite their one-sided account of other “costs” of the relief provided.

First, there is no question that the injury that occurred from the flood of tires from China caused significant damage and dislocation in the U.S. market. The job losses, plant shutdowns and community devastation were significant and well documented at the International Trade Commission (ITC) when hearings were conducted. Perhaps we should have sought relief earlier under Section 421, but the refusal of President Bush to accept the recommendations of the ITC that relief be provided on every single previous 421 case presented to him dissuaded us from acting. Why would we want to provide false hope to our members when President Bush had already turned his back on the workers in other industries by refusing to enforce U.S. trade laws?

The estimate that only 1,200 direct jobs were saved was based on a simple calculation of a static change in tire sales, a questionable measure at best. But even if 1,200 jobs is an accurate number, it still provides plenty of reason to fight because in our economy today, every job is worth saving.

More significant is the way the Hufbauer/Lowry study underestimates the benefits of the President’s action and overestimates the costs. Here the authors fail to recognize the massive investments in new plant, equipment and production that have been announced in the three years that Section 421 relief has been in place. Foreign and domestic producers have announced nearly $600 million in investments in the United States, investments that not only put people to work expanding facilities and installing new equipment as well as making the production equipment to create new capacity

In addition, there are thousands of indirect jobs the tire jobs saved and the investments being made. These include jobs producing all the materials used in building tires - from steel wire for the beads to fabrics to carbon black. Also, the study fails to account for the truckers and warehouse personnel who ship, store and distribute products and the countless jobs created by the purchasing power of these workers – the retailer, the grocer, the restaurant employees and others in Main Street businesses. The bottom line is that each job saved has a multiplier effect that creates five to seven other jobs.

The report also fails to recognize that the President’s actions reversed the tide of job loss in the sector and the credit he deserves for the large number of jobs not lost. The ITC report accompanying the affirmative decision to provide relief shows an increased number of plant closures over time, some announced and carried out even after relief was granted. The President’s decision not only slowed the employment decline, but actually reversed the trend, something clearly reflected in official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Most of the focus of the study is on estimating the “costs” supposedly incurred by consumers. Hufbauer and Lowry include the impact of China’s illegal retaliatory tariffs in these alleged “costs,” leading one to believe that we should never enforce provisions of our trade laws because our competitors may get angry and seek to respond in kind, even without any basis in international trade rules. One wonders if the authors would take the same passive position if intellectual property embedded in one of their studies were at issue.

Also, one must question why the study fails to look at the impact of rising raw material costs and the impact of oil prices and natural rubber on the retail cost of tires. Nowhere in the study is this taken in account. Neither is the fact that when addressing pricing issues, consumers have increasingly moved to buying larger, more complex and higher cost rim-diameter tires.

While we certainly agree that the profits that flowed into the corporate coffers of the companies benefiting from the Section 421 relief should be more equitably shared, and appreciate the recognition by Mr. Hufbauer and his co-author of the unfairness of corporate governance in this area, their analysis is once again flawed. We’ve already noted the expanded capital expenditures resulting from the relief as companies gained confidence that their investments in serving the U.S. market would not be undermined by Chinese state capitalism and their subsidized export-led approach to trade. But, the authors neglect as well to account for the payments by these companies into their employee’s pension and health care plans. The issue is not just wages, but total compensation, where every worker being asked to pay more for health care or experiencing pension cuts is all too well aware.

The flaws in this study are not surprising given Mr.Hufbauer’s previous misreadings of international trade policy. For example, as the final debate on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was coming to a head in 1993, Mr. Hufbauer co-authored a major study that predicted that “U.S. exports to Mexico will continue to outstrip Mexican exports to the United States…”¹    As the official data shows, in 1992, before NAFTA was finalized, the U.S. had a merchandise trade surplus of more than $5 billion with Mexico. In 1995, despite the projections by Mr. Hufbauer that the U.S. would run a trade surplus with Mexico of between $7 and $9 billion,   the U.S. trade surplus had disintegrated to a devastating $15.8 billion trade deficit. Last year, that trade deficit had mushroomed to more than $65.5 billion.²

The study also projected that a net total of 171,000 jobs would be created by NAFTA.³   We all know how far off the mark that projection was, as virtually every state in the nation has experienced job losses that continue to this day from NAFTA.

Mr. Hufbauer himself recognized the error of his analysis and told the Wall Street Journal in 1995 that “The best figure for the jobs effect of NAFTA is approximately zero…the lesson for me is to stay away from job forecasting.”4 While we disagree with Mr. Hufbauer’s analysis of the job loss, we do agree that he should stay away from job forecasting and maybe even economic analysis altogether.

Unfortunately, there has never been a trade agreement that Mr. Hufbauer and the Peterson Institute for International Economics hasn’t supported. They do not believe in strongly enforcing trade laws, either. We, however, believe that facts - not misguided and incomplete economic analysis based on antiquated theories of trade - should guide our policy decisions.

Until President Obama’s decision to provide relief under Section 421 for this important sector, there simply was no confidence that our government could or would respond effectively to the Chinese government’s aggressive and rule-breaking approach to trade. The President complimented this action with efforts on Chinese export restraints and subsidies in the alternative power sector. “Inshoring” is now a real topic among business leaders.

President Obama’s policies and actions are making a difference. Not only to the 1,200 workers cited by Mr. Hufbauer, but to millions of Americans and businesses who believe in this great country and simply want a fair chance to compete.

The President deserves our nation’s thanks. He certainly has ours.

###

¹ NAFTA, An Assessment (Revised Edition), By Gary Clyde Hufbauer and Jeffrey J. Schott, Institute for International Economics, 1993, page 14.
² NAFTA, An Assessment (Revised Edition), By Gary Clyde Hufbauer and Jeffrey J. Schott, Institute for International Economics, 1993, page 14.
³ NAFTA, An Assessment (Revised Edition), By Gary Clyde Hufbauer and Jeffrey J. Schott, Institute for International Economics, 1993, page 20-21, reflected by utilizing the study’s projections that “a gross total of 316,000 US jobs will be created by NAFTA while a gross total of 145,000 jobs will be dislocated.”
4 Bob Davis, “Free trade is headed for more hot debate,” Wall Street Journal, April 17, 1995.

USW Announces Death of Retired International Vice President Leon Lynch

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The United Steelworkers (USW) is saddened to announce the death last Friday of former International Vice President Leon Lynch, who retired in 2006.

Lynch served six terms as International Vice President for human affairs. He was first appointed to that post when it was created by the USW’s 18th constitutional convention in 1976. He was elected in 1977 and reelected in 1981, 1985, 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2001.

Lynch joined USW Local 1011 in 1956 at the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. mill in East Chicago, Ind., and quickly became a union activist. He served on many local committees and acted as president of the YS&T federal credit union. He was named a USW staff representative in 1968 and an international representative in 1973 ... more

Cross Border Fight Back!

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

In recent years, USW members have been locked out by some of the biggest, greediest multinational employers around. We always fight back for a fair agreement. And we receive tremendous support from our union friends abroad.

One union that always stands up on our behalf is Unite, our partner in Workers Uniting.

Now Unite is facing a lock-out of its own and needs our help.

On February 18, after Unite objected to the way in which Mayr Melnhof Packaging planned to downsize its Liverpool plant, the company locked-out the entire workforce – the first employer lock-out in England for over fifty years.

During this lock-out of over 140 workers, Mayr Melnhof has victimized Unite activists, including dismissing four workers on trumped up charges. And on March 16, MMP issued illegal notification of site closure – forcing workers into accepting poorer redundancy terms – after no consultation with workers.

These workers make the packaging that holds breakfast cereals – Frosties, Rice Krispies and Cornflakes.

Please help our locked out and sacked Unite sisters and brothers keep the heat on Mayr Melnhof by signing our petition urging the company to withdraw the illegal closure notice and enter into good-faith negotiations with Unite.

Click Here to Sign the Petition

USW Members Tell Tesoro Management: "Bargain a Fair Agreement or else there will be a Strike"

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Workers, Supporters Rally at Corporate Headquarters

Fifteen United Steelworkers (USW) members from Tesoro refineries attended the Tesoro shareholder meeting this morning to ask why the company was not bargaining a fair contract with the union. Afterward, more than 75 USW members from around the country and their supporters marched and chanted for more than an hour.

Inside the shareholder meeting, USW members attempted to raise questions about Tesoro’s labor relations practices and refinery safety, but CEO Greg Goff took no questions from shareholders and ended the meeting after 12 minutes.

“He obviously didn’t want to address the problems the company is creating by not negotiating fairly,” said USW Local 5 member Jeff Clark, from the Golden Eagle (Martinez, Calif.) refinery.

In a separate question and answer session after the meeting, USW Local 12-591 President Steve Garey from Anacortes, Wash., called on management to do the right thing at the bargaining table in order to avert a strike.

“We do not want a strike and we have been trying to avoid a strike,” Garey said. “But do not confuse our patience with fear. If we do not achieve a reasonable agreement soon, there will be a strike.

“Greg Goff, do the right thing for us and for your shareholders and please direct your representatives to come to the table with our union, ready to bargain fair labor agreements.”

USW Welcomes Restoration of Legal Status to Mexican Labor Leader

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The United Steelworkers (USW) today lauded the decision of the Mexican Supreme Court to restore legal recognition to Napoleon Gomez, General Secretary of the National Union of Mine, Metal and Steelworkers (Los Mineros).

The Court's Second Chamber ruled 3-1 that the Mexican Labor Secretary acted illegally when he withdrew legal recognition from the union leader in 2008.

"This is a major victory for Los Mineros and all Mexican workers" said USW International President Leo W. Gerard ... more

USW Lauds Delta's Purchase of Philadelphia-area Refinery

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Collaboration key to keeping facility operating

The United Steelworkers (USW) today hailed the cooperation of major stakeholders in making possible the sale and continued operation of the Trainer, Pa. oil refinery that was purchased today by Delta Airlines from ConocoPhillips.

“Retaining these good paying jobs was vital to the community,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “State government, the local union and the companies all worked together to make this happen.

“Our local leadership did a great job telling the public of this facility’s importance. Governor Corbett made state assistance available and the buyers committed to investing $100 million beyond the purchase price for infrastructure improvements ... more

Court cancels warrant for the arrest of Napoleon Gomez Urrutia

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The court ruling recognizes the truth, that the union leader never committed a crime, says Mexican miners' union.

MEXICO: On April 24, the federal tribunal cancelled the only remaining warrant for the arrest of the leader of the Mexican Miners' Union (SNTMMSRM), Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, regarding $55 million of union funds.

On Tuesday April 24, the First Unitary Criminal Court of Mexico City notified the union that the federal justice system had cancelled the preventive measure.

Napoleón Gómez Urrutia's lawyer, Marco Del Toro, said: "All the arrest warrants issued as part of this unprecedented campaign of political persecution have fallen one by one. We are very happy with today's ruling. It is a lesson to those in Mexico who think they can still conduct this kind of immoral persecution, which is alien to our legal system ... more

ExxonMobil Stalls in Accepting Industry Pattern Agreement During Contract Talks at Baton Rouge, La., Facility

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Contact: Lynne Hancock, (615) 828-6169, lhancock@usw.org

Safety Concerns Paramount

Baton Rouge—Despite accepting the United Steelworkers (USW) National Oil Bargaining Program (NOBP) pattern agreement at its other facilities, ExxonMobil is refusing to do so at its refinery/chemical complex in Baton Rouge, La.

The USW and the industry reached a pattern agreement in February that included having a process safety representative at each facility. Although ExxonMobil agreed to the pattern at its facilities in Torrance, Calif., Billings, Mont., Beaumont, Texas, and Chalmette, La., the company is not agreeing to a process safety representative position at the Baton Rouge complex. This has prompted USW members to ask why they are being treated like second-class citizens and why ExxonMobil feels it necessary to risk the lives of its employees by not agreeing to the industry pattern concerning health and safety.

“All ExxonMobil management has to do is treat us equally, give us the same NOBP pattern as they have offered to Billings, Beaumont, Torrance and Chalmette,” said Local 13-12 President Kenneth Duke. “This is all the company has to do to bring us a contract that we can ratify.” ...MORE

Today is About Respect - Worker's Memorial Day

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Friday, April 28, the USW held a ceremony at its Pittsburgh headquarters to honor the memory of the Union’s 41 fallen members who lost their lives this past year due to work-related injuries or occupational diseases.

Keynote speaker and USW Vice President Carol Landry spoke about the importance of the Union’s commitment to workers everywhere and their right to a safe and healthy workplace.

Landry emphasized the fact that these workers are not just part of a statistic, “Often times we hear about someone getting killed on the job, and it’s on the news, briefly mentioned then quickly forgotten as the newsperson moves on to something more sensational. I know that you and I, and our Union, are different – we take the time to put a face to that person – a father, a mother, brother, sister, grandfather, or grandmother, a special friend, one of our members.”

She closed her speech urging everyone to do everything in their power to see that our members return home at the end of their working day.

Click here to view photos from the ceremony.

Click here for more information on Worker’s Memorial Day.

Capitol Hill Hearing to Explore Impact of Northeast Refinery Closures on Price of Fuel Products

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) is holding a hearing this Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 2:15 p.m. (EDT) in room G-50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to address the impact of the Philadelphia-area refinery closures on fuel prices. United Steelworkers (USW) local union leaders from these refineries and the shuttered Hovensa LLC refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands will be available to talk with reporters before and after the hearing.

The hearing, which is titled “Gas Prices in the Northeast: Potential Impact on the American Consumer Due to Loss of Refining Capacity,” will examine how the price and supply of gasoline and heating oil will be affected by the closures and whether centralizing the production...read more.