On Tues., March 29, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO kicked off their 45th Constitutional Convention in Pittsburgh, Penn., in the very same location that hosted the group’s first-ever gathering, the Omni William Penn Hotel.
The three-day-long gathering is the first time union members from across the state of Penn., have been able to come together since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
USW International President Tom Conway addressed the delegates on the second day of the convention with a resounding message of opportunity.
“The sentiment about unions in this country is at an all time high,” said President Conway. “We need to use this opportunity to organize and grow and fight back.”
He urged delegates to work together as a labor movement to organize, “we have an opportunity to teach other people how they can change their lives and make them better by coming together and making a union. Get out there and talk to a workforce who’s anxious to talk to us.”
President Conway went on to discuss the current state of labor in the country. Reports show that for the first time since before the Great Recession workers are seeing real wage increases, and our workforce is young and growing.
“Young workers don’t just tTweet each other, they organize through social media and then they show up. We need to take advantage of that as a whole labor movement–together,” he said.
He reinforced the fact that labor finally has an administration that is working with us on trade and the National Labor Relations Board, saying “we have a president who talks about unions all the time. He knows that forming a union is the quickest path to a real middle class job and a standard of living that makes a difference.”
President Conway left delegates with a clear call to action, “Anything we’ve ever gotten we’ve had to organize and take. It’s time for labor to step up, move forward and get deals that are honest and fair.”
If you’d like to explore more from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention, check them out on Twitter and Facebook for live updates!