CONTACT: Tony Montana (USW) 412-562-2592
PITTSBURGH, -- The following is a statement by USW International President Leo W. Gerard on the passing of Paul J. Fasser, Former Assistant Labor Secretary:
The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that the union and working men and women across the country lost an important friend and advocate for fairness in the workplace with the passing of former Assistant Secretary of Labor Paul J. Fasser, Jr., who spent 20 years working on behalf of USW members between 1951 and 1970, before retiring as the director of the union's arbitration department and accepting a position at the U.S. Department of Labor.
President Richard Nixon appointed him Assistant Secretary of Labor for Labor-Management Relations in 1973, where he served under Secretaries of Labor Peter Brennan and John Dunlop. After leaving his government position in 1976, he continued to uphold the rights of American workers as a respected, impartial labor arbitrator.
As a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association and the National Mediation Board, Fasser spent over 30 years shaping the dispute resolution process that our members rely upon to enforce their contracts and protect their rights.
During the course of his career, he oversaw cases that covered a wide array of issues that included sexual harassment, absenteeism, layoffs, contracting-out and outsourcing, sick leave and many others in workplaces that ranged from government offices to steel mills, paper mills and railroads.
The USW extends its most heartfelt thanks for his years of service directly to our members and appreciation for an entire career built on the principle that fairness and dignity belong in every American workplace, and we offer our condolences to his family.
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