Solidarity Works Podcast
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EPISODE 60
The Life, Death, and Legacy of Karen Silkwood
Most people who are familiar with Karen Silkwood likely learned of the chemical technician through the 1983 film Silkwood starring Meryl Streep and Cher. But the movie is no mere Hollywood drama; it is based on the true story of a young woman and union member who fought to expose her employer for deliberately misleading workers and exposing them to harmful chemicals.
This battle ended in Karen Silkwood’s death on November 13, 1974, a death that few people see as accidental.
Today we’re recounting the legacy of Karen Silkwood as we approach the 50th anniversary of the fatal car crash that took her life. We’re also talking with Jim Key, former head of the USW Atomic Workers Council and who, like Karen, became a whistleblower in the nuclear industry and who feared for his safety as he fought to protect himself and his co-workers.
Direct Download | Episode 60 Link
EPISODE 59
Fighting for Fair Trade: Why It Matters and How We Do It
Last month, members of the United Steelworkers union from across the U.S. traveled to the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., to talk to their elected officials about the importance of reauthorizing Trade Adjustment Assistance. This program, which expired in 2022, provides training and educational opportunities for workers who lost their jobs due to foreign countries like China circumventing trade rules.
In today’s episode, we’re talking with David Van Pevenage, who was part of the D.C. coalition and who worked at a WestRock paper mill in Washington state until it was shuttered due to unfair trade. We’ll also hear from USW Legislative Director Roy Houseman, who was fortunate enough to benefit from TAA years ago, about why this program is so vital to American workers and their communities.
EPISODE 58
Workers of the World: Labor and Global Solidarity
The USW partners with labor organizations around the world to connect workers with common employers and help them build power. In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with Local 12075 President Kent Holsing and USW retiree Mike Zielinski about some of these partnerships, including a years-long alliance with rubber workers in Liberia, and why this solidarity is vital for union members everywhere.
Direct Download | Episode 58 Link
EPISODE 57
Bills, Bills, Bills: USW Members Take Legislative Action
On Thursday, June 13, USW member and retired military policeman Eric Phillips walked up to the podium at the state house in Lansing, Michigan, to give powerful testimony about his experience as a veteran.
He and other activists were there to voice their support for Bill 5736, which would require employers to display a poster that outlines resources available for veterans and their families.
This is just one of many pieces of legislation USW members are fighting to pass for workers and their families across the United States, and they’re doing it through the union’s Rapid Response program.
Check out the latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear from Eric and other USW activists about what inspires them to take legislative action and why you should, too!
EPISODE 56
Full Steam Ahead: Restoring Domestic Shipbuilding
In 1975, the United States was a leader in global shipbuilding. The industry employed 180,000 workers who built more than 70 commercial ships in American shipyards.
In the early 1980s, that changed as federal spending on domestic manufacturing was slashed and foreign competitors like China employed predatory practices to dominate the industry.
Of course, the USW isn't letting this go without a fight. In this episode, we talk to USW Sub-District 1 Director Jamie Walker about the union's campaign to restore domestic shipbuilding.
EPISODE 55
Health and Safety Wins in Washington
More than 80 years ago, U.S. Labor Secretary Frances Perkins identified silica dust as a deadly hazard. Finally, this past April 16, MSHA, through the Department of Labor, issued a final rule reducing silica dust exposure to better protect America’s miners.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, known as OSHA, also clarified a rule in another major victory for workers this month to ensure workers are able to choose their own representative to join OSHA agents during workplace inspections.
Today, we’re talking with two USW health and safety experts about both of these new rules’ impacts and how the union has been fighting nonstop to keep workers safe, and will continue to do so in the future.
EPISODE 54
The Future of Solidarity: Next Gen Activists Take the Lead
The USW’s Next Gen program saw its humble yet historic beginnings in a resolution at the International union’s Constitutional Convention in 2011. It endorsed the training and development of younger Steelworker activists to take on increasingly greater roles in their local unions, their governments and their communities.
Since then, young and newer members of the USW across the United States and Canada have answered the call to become activists, and we're talking with three of them for our latest episode.
They'll share how they became involved in their local unions, what they believe is currently driving young workers to organize, and why they believe the labor movement’s future is bright because of the next generation’s diversity.
Direct Download | Episode 54 Link
EPISODE 53
Tackling Two-Tier: Workers Unite and Dismantle Divisive Wage Systems
When late International President Tom Conway took the helm of the USW in July 2019, he made a promise that his administration would work to reduce or eliminate tiered wage and benefit systems in union contracts. Many USW locals have heeded late President Conway’s call and made great strides in eliminating these tiered systems in recent years. Today we’re talking with USW Vice president Luis Mendoza about how members in the paper sector have done just that, including workers at WestRock, America’s second-largest packaging company. We’re also talking with Chris Frydenger, who works at a brass foundry in Illinois, about how his local was able to beat back a two-tier system implemented in 2016.
Direct Download | Episode 53 Link
EPISODE 52
Saving Maxo Vanka: USW Members Preserve Historic Murals
When Croatian painter and immigrant Maxo Vanka first visited Pittsburgh in 1935, he fell in love with the steel town and developed a friendship with Father Albert Zagar of the St. Nicholas Croatian Church in Millvale. Zagar longed for color on his church’s plain walls, but he didn’t want the usual imagery found in most religious houses. He knew Vanka was the perfect artist for the job. Vanka then painted 25 individual murals that cover every inch of the church, and today, artists and activists, including members of the USW, are working to preserve the historic art to its original glory. Today we’re talking with two of these members who are dedicating their time and expertise to saving these murals and what they mean for Pittsburgh and the labor movement as a whole. Learn more at: http://www.vankamurals.org/
Direct Download | Episode 52 Link
EPISODE 51
Union-Made Holidays: USW Gifts to Last a Lifetime
Members of the USW across the U.S. and Canada make the highest quality products in their industries, from Bulleit Bourbon distilled in Kentucky and All-Clad cookware handcrafted in Pennsylvania to clothing spun in Portland, Maine, at American Roots and Custom Foam pillows fabricated and molded in Ontario, Canada. Today we’re speaking with several USW members about the products they and their union siblings make and why these products are the ideal gifts for the labor supporter in your life.
Direct Download | Episode 51 Link
EPISODE 50
We're Made for This: USW Members Serving in Local Politics
Check out the latest episode of USW Solidarity Works to hear from two union members who have stepped up to run for office in their communities. You’ll hear about what inspired them to make these moves and why union activists are uniquely equipped to serve in local government to be a voice for workers and families.
Direct Download | Episode 50 Link
EPISODE 49
America's Nuclear Legacy: Cleaning Up the Past, Powering the Future
Members of the United Steelworkers union are known for being masters of production. On top of creation, we also help repair damage done in the past to ensure our communities can thrive in the future. We do this by cleaning up toxic nuclear sites to protect local residents and wildlife, and we conduct vital tests for various nuclear sector needs.
In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with Jim Key, who heads the USW Atomic Workers Council, about what the sector looks like today and what’s to come. We’ll also hear about the different sites we represent and the role our members play in cleaning up America’s toxic legacy.
Direct Download | Episode 49 Link
EPISODE 48
Organizing the South: Why It Matters and How We Do It
This May, members at electric bus manufacturer Blue Bird in Georgia voted to join the USW. Then, in August, members at Kumho Tire, also in middle Georgia, ratified their first contract after a years-long battle to have their voices heard. Check out the latest USW podcast episode to learn how these historic campaigns happened and why they matter not just for the South but for the entire country.
Direct Download | Episode 48 Link
EPISODE 47
Taking Charge: Health Care Workers Seize Their Safety
This week, nearly 200 USW members who work in the vast and diverse health care sector are gathering in Pittsburgh for their first Health Care Workers Council Conference since 2018. A lot has changed in the industry over these past five years, not only due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of automation, short staffing, and skyrocketing rates of workplace violence.
Health and safety has quickly become one of the top priorities for the sector's workers, and USW members especially aren't waiting for employers to protect them. They're taking matters into their own hands.
In our latest episode, we hear from two members and conference attendees, Kim and Casey, who are using the collective strength of the union to make positive changes in their workplaces in order to keep themselves and their co-workers safe and supported on the job.
Direct Download | Episode 47 Link
EPISODE 46
Unionism on Turtle Island: Indigenous Peoples and the Fight for Reconciliation
For this episode of Solidarity Works, we’re talking with two USW members who are currently serving as Indigenous Engagement Coordinators for the union’s District 3 and 6 in Canada. Listen to learn about how they’ve been reconnecting to their Indigenous roots and how local unions can make a difference in making sure their Indigenous members not only survive but thrive within their communities and workplaces.