USW, AFL-CIO Rally in Newport News, Assailing Trump’s Attacks on Working People

Contact: Joe Smydo, jsmydo@usw.org, 412-562-2281

(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.)— More than 100 members of the United Steelworkers (USW) championed the power of collective action and denounced Donald Trump’s attacks on working people, welcoming the AFL-CIO’s nationwide bus tour to Newport News.

The bus tour, “It’s Better in a Union: Fighting for Freedom, Fairness & Security,” launched Wednesday in Washington, D.C., and made its first stop today at USW Local 8888 on Huntington Avenue.

Local 8888 represents 10,000 shipbuilders who make nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers for the Navy. Many of these union members served in the armed forces themselves, earning the medical and other benefits now imperiled by Trump’s proposed cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Our veterans put their lives on the line for us. It’s unconscionable for Trump to turn his back on these heroes—but that’s exactly what he’s doing to all of the people who do the hard work of powering this country,” said USW International Vice President at Large Roxanne D. Brown, who addressed the gathering of union members, elected officials and supporters.

Trump’s efforts to slash the VA represent one part of his broader scheme to decimate essential services and workplace safety protections as well as undermine Americans’ fundamental labor and civil rights. In the face of this onslaught, it’s important for workers to stand together and resist efforts to distract and divide them, noted USW International Vice President (Human Affairs) Kevin Mapp.

“They’re trying to make us turn on each other,” said Mapp, citing efforts to whip up hostility against immigrants and trans people. “In all these cases, we’re being told to fear, even hate, not the billionaires and CEOs who hoard wealth at the expense of working people, but instead our fellow workers.”

Newport News served as the ideal backdrop for the bus tour. The strong union town is anchored by USW members who not only wield the power of collective action to win good contracts but also support workers across the country as they fight for the same benefits.

“We understand that all workers deserve dignity, both on the job and in their retirement,” said USW District 8 Director Larry Ray, who leads tens of thousands of USW members in Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and West Virginia. “Here in District 8 and across our labor movement, these shared values serve as the bedrock of our power.”

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, mining, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, the service, public and health care sectors and higher education. For more information: www.usw.org.

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