Resolution No. 29: A 21st Century Manufacturing Economy

WHEREAS, the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW) is the largest manufacturing union in North America; and

WHEREAS, our union is an organization of makers and creators in every workplace, whether it is a foundry, a mill, an office, a classroom, or a hospital, our union builds stronger communities through collective power; and

WHEREAS, through our collective bargaining we influence industries in the United States and Canada which combined are global powerhouses in manufacturing. Our two countries’ manufacturing prowess generates $2.3 trillion and $174 billion of the gross domestic product (GDP) respectively; and

WHEREAS, the union’s collective strength in multiple sectors of the economy allows it to influence policy in Washington, D.C. and Ottawa, holding politicians and corporate executives accountable for the decisions that impact our members, our workplaces, our communities and our families; and

WHEREAS, our collectively bargained contracts generate security not just in paychecks but also retirement accounts, pensions and health care benefits as well as providing a firm tax base for our communities that benefit workers and their families inside our union and beyond; and

WHEREAS, besides facilities that create goods and products, our union also represents workers at universities in Canada and the U.S. who help advance cutting-edge innovations – from medicines to other technological advancements – that will propel our two countries forward; and

WHEREAS, in the U.S. and Canada our governments have historically had a substantial impact in developing, supporting, and nurturing the next generation of industrial technology, including the internet, telecommunications, aerospace innovations, semiconductors, computers, pharmaceuticals, and nuclear power among others, many of which would not have come to fruition without public support; and

WHEREAS, the interconnectivity of USW members’ industries highlights our collective power, as thousands of steelworkers supply the steel plate, coatings, fiber optic cables and other components for more than 10,000 USW members who build nuclear aircraft carriers and submarines which in turn are powered by USW members in the nuclear sector; and

WHEREAS, millions of packages shipped in the U.S. are done so in boxes made by USW paperworkers and delivered in vehicles powered by USW refinery workers; and

WHEREAS, many of our children get to school in USW-made buses on roads maintained by USW public sector workers, and future generations are brought into this world and safely cared for by USW health care members; and

WHEREAS, rubberworkers build the tires that help move the products USW members make to countless destinations; and

WHEREAS, USW members safely extract resources and critical minerals to build and power our countries and support the next generation of manufacturing; and

WHEREAS, the capabilities of U.S. and Canadian manufacturing have been hindered by a lack of investment, bad trade laws and a lack of commitment by some in elected leadership and industry; and

WHEREAS, in key sectors vital to critical industries and our countries’ defense, trade cheaters across the globe have created massive levels of excess capacity and market concentration; and

WHEREAS, the People’s Republic of China now produces more than half the world’s steel, more than 60 percent of the world’s aluminum, nearly 80 percent of the world’s graphite, two-thirds of the world’s lithium and a host of other goods, as well as dominating the commercial shipbuilding industry all through anti-competitive practices; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. and Canada have long-established integrated manufacturing and energy capabilities and the longest contiguous border in the world, which provides for unique opportunities to uplift our collective voices.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that:

1. Our union will continue to organize the unorganized in every industry, including manufacturing, in the tradition of great Congress of Industrial Organizations leaders like John L. Lewis, Walter Reuther, and Phillip Murray.
2. We will advocate for strong industrial policies that lay the groundwork for success across our key sectors, including shipbuilding, semi-conductors, refining, steel, aluminum, non-ferrous metals, rubber, paper and all other allied industries. This includes worker-centered trade, robust investments in our public infrastructure, strong domestic procurement standards and labor laws that boost workers’ access to unions and promote collective bargaining.
3. Our union will demand that federal dollars that go to companies through tax preferences or direct aid are conditioned with the right for workers to form a union free from employer interference.
4. The USW will advance trade policies that not only level the playing field for U.S. and Canadian workers, but also prevent multi-national companies and state-owned enterprises from abusing workers globally and the environment in which they live.
5. We will call on elected leaders in the U.S. and Canada to prioritize manufacturing and manufacturing investments that expand capacity in our respective countries and defend against illegal trade practices.