When the presidential primary contests began last year, our Union felt strongly that because of Senator John Edwards’s deep commitment to working people and because of our shared beliefs, he deserved our strong endorsement. His belief that unfair trade policies must be changed, his commitment to pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) to restore workers’ rights to freely choose workplace representation, and his proposal for universal health care were widely shared by our members... more

The United Steelworkers (USW) demanded today that Esmark, Inc. repudiate the agreements that it recently entered into with Essar Steel Holdings Limited. In a letter to the company dated today, the USW asserted that the agreements with Essar are in direct violation of the company’s collective bargaining agreement with the union. According to the company’s recent Form 8K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), on April 30, 2008 Esmark entered into a memorandum of agreement and other understanding ... more

Study reveals a 20.6 percent union wage advantage for lowest paid workers Being a union member significantly augments wages for lower-paid workers, a study released today by the Center for Economic and Policy Research shows. Union membership boosted the wages of workers on the bottom rung of the wage ladder (in the 10th percentile) by 20.6 percent, ... more

Union workers locked out at Latrobe Specialty Steel have filed with the National Labor Relations Board an unfair labor practice charge stating that the lockout, which begun on May 9, 2008, is unlawful. Union members voted on May 8 to end the strike that began on May 1, but management flatly rejected that proposal ... more

Over 2,000 members of the United Steelworkers Union (USW) voted by a 4 to 1 margin to accept a four-year umbrella agreement with Domtar that covers 4,000 members at 10 Domtar facilities. “This umbrella agreement was a result of unprecedented coordination and solidarity by our local unions,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “While our members’ standard of living is improved, Domtar also has the labor peace it needs to compete in a global economy, providing both of us a valuable ... more

The 850,000-member United Steelworkers and the Blue Green Alliance are working jointly with the We Campaign to educate their members about global warming and activate them behind solutions that promote economic prosperity. Our member-to-member program is the first of its kind to build a blue collar constituency for global warming solutions, highlighting ... more