USW@Work: Volume 17, Issue 1
FEATURES:
Page 4: Building The Future; Infrastructure Law Will Benefit USW Members IN Countless Ways
When President Joe Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law on Nov. 15, it marked the biggest single U.S. investment in physical infrastructure since the creation of the interstate highway system in 1956.
The new law also opened the door to new opportunities for thousands of USW members to contribute to rebuilding the country.
Page 10: Workers Strike Back
When the 450 members of USW Local 40 walked off the job at West Virginia’s Special Metals on Oct. 1, they were fighting back against their employer’s unfair labor practices and unnecessary demands for deep concessions.
They also, without knowing it at the time, were at the forefront of a wave of fed-up workers taking bold action across the United States – a movement since dubbed “Striketober” – that has grown even stronger in the months since.
Page 18: Pipeline Push Continues
USW members got an assist from a jolly old elf last December as they delivered a holiday-themed message to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
The group, led by members of Local 912 who work at Toledo Refining Co., held a demonstration outside Whitmer’s Lansing office, where they also delivered, with Santa’s help, more than 1,000 giftwrapped pages of petition signatures calling for the continued operation of the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline.
The members at the Toledo refinery have led the USW’s effort over the past two years to preserve the pipeline while a new tunnel is built. The 350 union members, along with dozens more salaried employees at the facility, depend on the pipeline to do their jobs and support their families and communities.