If you're a USW member in good standing interested in applying to be an organizer, please fill out the application here.
International President Tom Conway has sent a letter to local union leaders explaining our efforts to focus on growing the union through organizing. Lookout for the letter to arrive soon. It reads in part, "I’m writing to ask if you have any members who want to help people change their lives. Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve seen how little employers care for their workers—and we’ve also seen how workers are sick of it and ready for change. It’s time to show those workers that they can make improvements at work, in their lives, and for their families by becoming USW members and getting union contracts. To do that, we need to organize, and to organize, we need trusted messengers." Click here to download a printable version of the full letter, or review the text below:
February 23, 2022
Dear Local Union Leader,
I’m writing to ask if you have any members who want to help people change their lives.
Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve seen how little employers care for their workers—and we’ve also seen how workers are sick of it and ready for change. It’s time to show those workers that they can make improvements at work, in their lives, and for their families by becoming USW members and getting union contracts.
To do that, we need to organize, and to organize, we need trusted messengers. That’s where our members come in. Our folks can relate to other workers, explain how being a USW member has changed their lives, and inspire others to withstand the anti-union tactics some employers will deploy when their work force tries to organize.
We have great union activists who already participate in our programs, including Women of Steel, Next Gen, Civil and Human Rights, Leadership/Scholarship, Health and Safety, and many others. We will be reaching out to many of them through the union’s Directors and staff. However, you are also a crucial part of reaching the skilled activists within your local, and we want you to give some thought about candidates who you think are suitable for this kind of work.
I want to be clear about something: this isn’t going to be easy. Organizing is perhaps the most challenging work the union does. Employers will fight like crazy to keep unions out and often break every law in the books to avoid having their workforce organize. But it’s also the most rewarding thing our union does, because it helps people empower themselves and access the benefits that we sometimes take for granted.
We’re looking for members from all demographics who are passionate about their union. Members with good communication and listening skills would be particularly well-suited to this opportunity, especially members who speak more than one language. Organizers are on the job when workers are not at work, so members should be prepared to work long and irregular hours. And, of course, they have to be able to get out of their shop on union leave—preferably for longer periods of time. The International will cover lost wages, mileage, and any travel costs. Interested members can apply here at: usw.org/apply.
This initiative isn’t going to happen overnight, but it will steadily grow as organizing opportunities expand and we bring candidates up to speed.
Thanks for taking the time and attention to help make this a success. I think it’s important that as a local union leader you understand the attention the USW is devoting to this effort, the reasons why we are doing it and the chance we have to help build and mold the future.
Thanks,
Tom Conway International President