USW Next Gener one of Saginaw’s newest City Council members

A USW Next Gener is making history. 

Clint Bryant, a member of USW Local 9036, is Saginaw, Michigan’s newest member of City Council.  At age 27, Clint will be the council’s youngest member when he takes office on Monday, May 23.    

Despite his youth, Clint has never shied away from a challenge.  Eight years ago Clint joined the USW when he took a job as a bus driver at First Student Transportation. Not long after joining the union he was elected Unit President.  In addition, Clint – a USW Leadership Scholarship student – has also served on the Bargaining Committee, and he is currently the Recording Secretary.

As a public employee Clint has seen firsthand how politics can impact the day-to-day lives of workers.  In 2010, Rick Snyder was elected Governor; and, his administration has ushered in some of the most regressive labor laws in the entire country.  In addition to making Michigan a so-called “Right to Work” state, Snyder’s administration has drastically cut funding for education and sought to dismiss the local control of municipalities.    

All of this has driven Clint to be more involved in his local community.  He is currently a member of the Saginaw Riverfront Development Commission and president of his local neighborhood association.  When he takes office next week he’ll be adding City Councilman to that list.

Last year, Clint was one of 5 USW members chosen to attend an intensive training on all of the details regarding how to run a political campaign.  This training week was designed for people who have aspirations to run for office or who are spearheading a political campaign.  He immediately went back to Michigan and applied this training, along with his experience as a union activist at his Local Union.  He is now filling an open seat on the council and will stand for election in November.

If you are interested in running for local office, or participating in various USW trainings, reach out to your district office. You can find contact information for your district by clicking here. 

More on Clint’s story by clicking here or here.