About 40 USW members who work in the cement industry spent two days in Pittsburgh this week building solidarity, sharing information and charting a course for the future of the USW Cement Council.
The council, which members revived last year, represents more than 140 units and more than 6,000 members in the cement industry.
Members shared with each other stories of successes and failures at the bargaining table, health and safety concerns, and ideas to improve communication among locals.
The meeting also included a lengthy discussion of imports and how they are affecting the North American cement industry, as well as a training session on new rules governing silica dust exposure.
The group also held a Skype conference call to support locked-out members of Local 816 at LafargeHolcim in Texada Island, Canada.
The council agreed to set aside time to meet during the International Convention in April and to schedule another Cement Council meeting for the fall of 2017.
Bringing together workers in the same industry to share concerns is one of the most helpful aspects of being a USW member, said Shawn Pugh, recording secretary for Local 12-52 at Lehigh Cement in Tehachapi, Calif.
“This is one of the most important meetings for our local union, in terms of the time and money spent,” Pugh said.
