Veterans Bill Named for Conway
Dozens of Veterans of Steel from around the country stood with USW leaders and U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio on Jan. 7, as the former Steelworkers organizer introduced a bill that would help veterans gain access to the benefits they earned through their service.
“Anyone who ever served, you wrote this country a blank check,” said Deluzio, himself a U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Iraq War. “In return, our government makes a sacred promise that you will have the care and the benefits that you earned and that you need.”
Making sure veterans can gain access to those necessary benefits is the goal behind the Thomas M. Conway Veterans Access to Resources in the Workplace Act, sponsored by Rep. Deluzio along with Rep. Nick LaLota of New York. Sens. Angus King of Maine and Jim Banks of Indiana are co-sponsoring the bill in the U.S. Senate.
The legislation – named in honor of the USW international president and Air Force veteran who died in September 2023 – would require employers to post notices in plants, offices, and other workplaces outlining the numerous benefits and services available to veterans.
The bill mirrors workplace poster laws that USW members already helped to enact for veterans in 15 states in recent years.
USW activist Marcelo Assis, who served for four years as a U.S. Army medic before becoming president of Local 12000 at Southern Connecticut Gas, sees the nationwide measure as a potential lifeline to veterans who are struggling after they return home.
“One life being saved is priceless,” Assis said.
While the difficulties veterans face can be numerous and diverse, Assis said, the nation must do a better job of reaching out to those who served and providing them with the assistance they need.
International President David McCall, a close friend of Conway’s for decades, said his late colleague would be proud to be associated with the effort to help those who served. “Providing veterans with better access to the support they need will undoubtedly save lives,” McCall said. “I know Tom would be honored to continue to be a part of this vital work.”
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