David McCall

International President

The USW International Executive Board appointed David McCall the union’s ninth International President on Sept. 26, 2023.

McCall, a fourth-generation Steelworker, was born and raised in Gary, Ind. He was 18 when he joined USW Local 6787 and went to work as a millwright at Bethlehem Steel’s Burns Harbor Works in northwestern Indiana. McCall was elected a grievance committeeman in 1971, then elected grievance committee chair in 1975 and Local 6787 vice president in 1985.

While working shifts in the mill, he was able to attend and graduate from Indiana University Northwest with a degree in labor studies in 1975. He also graduated from the Harvard Trade Union Program in 1989.

Those experiences helped to prepare him for future battles as he joined the USW staff in 1986, serving first as a Staff Representative and then as Sub-District Director in Gary, Ind., from 1989 until his appointment as Assistant Director of District 7 in 1997.

He became the District 1 Director in January 1999 and was elected to five consecutive terms (20 years) in the position, leading tens of thousands of USW members in Ohio. In 2019, the International Executive Board elected him as International Vice President (Administration).

McCall is currently a member of Local 979 in Cleveland, the chairman of the Steelworkers Health and Welfare Fund, and a trustee for the Steelworker Pension Trust. He is also a member of the AFL-CIO Executive Council.

Over his career, McCall has led negotiations that delivered wage increases, stronger job security and other gains for workers in steel, tire, paper, oil, glass and other key industries.

McCall’s reputation as an ardent advocate for USW members and tough negotiator ensures steady and pragmatic leadership.

McCall works collaboratively with willing employers to save jobs and protect benefits whenever possible, while tirelessly fighting those who dare to exploit workers. His steady, innovative leadership preserved thousands of jobs during the steel import crisis, and he continues to fight for the fair-trade policies, infrastructure upgrades and capital investments in facilities needed to ensure American workers compete on a level playing field.