Delegates Support Women of Steel, Health Care Workers  

Delegates passed resolutions on the final day of the USW convention on Thursday committing the union to fighting for its core values and building on the success of its activism and advocacy programs. 

More than two dozen delegates spoke from the convention floor in support of a resolution – “Women of Steel: Know Your Power” – that doubled down on the union’s commitment to the program that provides educational and empowerment opportunities for female-identifying members. 

“These women are badasses,” declared Paula Uhing of Local 2-369 as she provided delegates with a list of reasons why the union’s Women of Steel (WOS) committees are so important to the USW as a whole. 

One of those reasons, Uhing said, is that WOS members, through service and activism, give the union a face in USW communities across North America. 

Likewise, she said, “when the union needs community support, the community is there.” 

Several women attending their first USW convention spoke from the floor about how the WOS program inspired them and other members to get more involved in often male-dominated local unions. 

One of those members, Jacqueline Smith of Local 8888 at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, said the WOS program is essential for her local, one of the union’s largest, with 10,000 members. Women make up about 30 percent of the workforce at the shipyard, Smith said. 

Gloria Patterson, also of Local 8888, said the WOS program inspired her to take on a leadership role. 

“They gave me the opportunity to learn and grow,” Patterson said. “They gave me the confidence to get things done.”

Delegates also passed a resolution – entitled “Healthcare, Service Sector, Education, Security, Telecommunications, Office, Technical, Professional and Public Employees” – that recommitted the union to organizing workers in health care, telecommunications, education and public sector jobs, while addressing issues such as artificial intelligence, health and safety, staffing standards, mental health and workplace violence. 

Speaking in support of the resolution, Zac Tuominen of Local 9460 noted that health care workers are more than 300 percent more likely to experience violence on the job than workers in other fields. 

Delegates also passed resolutions Thursday pledging their continued support for the union’s Veterans of Steel program, Rapid Response grassroots activism and education program and legislative and policy advocacy efforts on behalf of workers in the United States and Canada.  

In addition, International President David McCall referred a number of proposed resolutions and motions to the International Executive Board for future consideration.