This article originally appeared in Chemical Solutions, Issue 12.
It is with a broken heart that I write this. Mike was truly one of the good guys, not just among Steelworkers but within all his circles of co-workers, family and friends.
In the fall of 2015, Mike reached out to me about forming a “3M Council.” He saw how local unions banded together to exchange information at similar chemical companies, and he observed how that led to positive results for each local, on the shop floor and at the bargaining table. He thought it could work at 3M, too, so he stepped up to kick-start the council.
District 11 Staff Representative Travis J. Lohmann (left) and Mike Schanks (right).
Beyond being the architect of the 3M Council, Mike became the driving force behind every meeting. He kept in touch with the eight other sites, and was always aware of the issues affecting each 3M local. His advice proved invaluable to me and the USW staff with whom he worked closely. I know all the other local leaders held him in high esteem, too.
Even workers who didn’t have a union seemed to recognize Mike’s willingness to help. How many times did he tell you about a trip to Illinois, Minnesota or Kentucky to help others get better protections on the job through a union? Mike was devoted.
One of Mike’s last acts was to check on a fellow union brother who was going through hard times—he just seemed to put others’ needs above his own.
Mike’s smile was evident in the group pictures taken. He had a lot to be proud of—by my count 1,500 workers saw improvements in their work conditions through his vision of forming the 3M Council just a few years ago.
We will dearly miss Mike, but his spirit of activism will live on.
USW International Vice President Carol Landry