Young Steelworker Uses Union-Negotiated Benefit to Earn Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

USW Local 6115 member and District 11 Next Generation Coordinator Emily Bombich recently completed her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree using Tuition Assistance through her union-negotiated Institute for Career Development (ICD) benefit.

Bombich’s great-grandfather and grandfather were miners. Her dad, Dave, has 43 years at Minorca Ore and is currently Local 6115 Vice President. She knows the value of a union.

When she was offered a job in the mines, even though she was in school and halfway to her bachelor’s, the job offer was too good to pass up, so she came home and started online classes at the University of Minnesota-Crookston.

Using her union-negotiated ICD benefit, she graduated with her bachelor’s in quality management in 2016. From there, she enrolled in the master’s program at Bemidji State University in 2018. She was awarded her master’s degree in business administration on July 31, 2020.

Watch the video to learn more about her story and the ICD benefit that helped her along her journey.

MORE ON ICD

The ICD is a contractually negotiated benefit for eligible members of the United Steelworkers and the companies that employ them.

ICD is a joint labor-management training program in which members participate in self-directed learning opportunities on their own time. Members can choose from a wide range of course offerings to learn new skills or simply brush up on old ones.

Currently, ICD has 65 locations in the steel, tire & rubber, glass, container and utility sectors and 16 participating companies.

Click here to learn more.