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JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 1 MICHAEL H. BOLTON, DIRECTOR DISTRICT 2 CONTACT IINFORMATION NFORMATION USW District 2 Office 1244A Midway Road Menasha, WI 54952 (920) 722-7630 Northern WI & MI Sub-District Office 1244A Midway Road Menasha, WI 54952 (920) 722-7630 Southern WI Sub-District Office 1126 South 70th Street Suite N509A West Allis, WI 53214 (414) 475-4560 Northern MI Sub-District Office 503 North Euclid Avenue Suite #10 - Euclid Plaza Bay City, MI 48706 (989) 667-0660 Southern MI Sub-District Office 20600 Eureka Road, Suite 300 Taylor, MI 48180 (734) 285-0367 USW District 2 Council Steering Committee The District 2 Council By-Laws established a District 2 Council Steering Committee comprised of a rank and file structure. It was set up to assist in the following: Development of agenda for Council Conference. ● Planning of the District Council Conference Educational Conferences. ● ● District 2 strategic planning. Determining and assessing educational needs within the District. Generating and leading activism and other purposes consistent with the mission and directives of District 2 and the USW. The elected members of the Steering Committee are listed below by manufacturing sector. If you need to contact a Steering Committee Member, please do so by using the email provided below. Name Name LU# LU# Sector Sector Email Email Address Address Hawley Warren 1299 Steel and Related hwarren1299@comcast.net djdemeyer54501@gmail.com Dennis DeMeyer Jr. 2-15 Paper Kevin Bishop 1533 Amalgamated kbishop2219@gmail.com Jesse Edwards 2-232 Automotive Related Jesse_edwards2010@yahoo.com Kent Holsing 12075 Chemical & Energy Related kentholsing@gmail.com Mary Jane Holland 9184 Health Care mjhlocal9184@att.net John Mendyk 12934 Public JohnpMendyk@chartermi.net Dave Page 1327 At Large dpage004@yahoo.com At Large Jim Whitt 2-145 Allied Industrial whittjim@yahoo.com is published by the United Steelworkers District 2 AFL-CIO·CLC MICHAEL H. BOLTON, Director 1244A Midway Rd., Menasha, WI 54952 (920) 722-7630 Contributors to this issue include: Lori Gutekunst, Jay McMurran, Tammy Duncan, Michael H. Bolton, Stacey Benson, Brandon Stromberg, James Morgan, Linda Lucas, Cindy Odden, Angela Colaizzi, WI Labor History Society, Union Review, Bloomberg Editorial Board Articles and photos are welcome and should be sent to: Art Kroll, Editor, District 2 News 20600 Eureka Road, Suite 300, Taylor, MI 48180 d2@usw.org • 734-285-0367 JULY 8, 2016, is the deadline for submissions for the next issue. “ A Message from Director Michael Bolton For some time now, I have been talking up the Steelworkers‘ success rate in trade cases brought before the International Trade Commission. The fact is no other Union in the world has been as active as ours when it comes to protecting its members‘ jobs in trade courts. Past USW victories in the paper and rubber sectors have literally saved those industries from collapse and preserved thousands of good paying Union jobs in them. The good news is that our Union continues to aggressively pursue unfair trade violations and continues to rack up big wins. Another one came just a few days ago. On June 21, the USW scored a very important victory for members employed in the basic steel industry. That was the date the International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a unanimous decision in favor of charges brought by our Union that illegally subsidized flat rolled steel from China and Japan had caused harm to the American steel industry. The case came about because of slowing economies in both Asian countries and a huge over capacity of steel production in China. To maintain production levels, the governments of both nations began making payments to steel producers. The logic behind the subsidies was to keep their workers on the job to prevent layoffs and a worsening of the economy. Government payments allowed steel companies to sell their products on foreign markets at prices well below production costs. As a result of the cheap prices, Japan and China cornered a large portion of the U.S. steel market. After a few months of unfair pricing, American producers began to feel the squeeze, which resulted in layoffs and eventfully put the industry on the brink of extinction. The Steelworkers, through the ITC and U.S. Commerce Department, filed a trade case charging the illegal trade practices had caused the U.S. industry serious harm. The ITC upheld the Union‘s charges; and, as a result, levied tariffs on the products, which will bring foreign steel prices in line with those produced in the U.S. domestic steel market. That‘s good news for our members in basic steel and its suppliers. There could be more good news coming in July, when the ITC issues its findings in cases filed by the Steelworkers against Russia, India, Brazil, Korea and the United Kingdom. The Steelworkers are likely to prevail in those cases, but nothing is guaranteed. Let‘s all hope for the best. As the November General Election gets into full swing, our trade cases are an important reminder to Union voters that it really does make a difference which political party is in the White House. By electing a President that understands our issues and is not afraid to stand up and fight for our values, we are helping ourselves, our Union and our families. Sure, there have been Democratic Presidents that supported free trade agreements. However, unlike their Republican counterparts, when other countries violated the rules, our guys stood up to the big corporations and sided with working families to end the cheating. The best example of that came in 1985 and involved ―The Gipper‖ himself. At that time, President Reagan had just signed free trade agreements with Israel and Canada. Unfortunately, at the same time, past U.S. free trade agreements were causing serious hardship for our domestic textile industry. Imported products from low-wage nations with very little worker safety, environmental or labor rights regulation, gave importers an unfair advantage over their American rivals. To help level the playing field and give the U.S. industry a fighting chance at survival, Congress passed the Textile and Trade Enforcement Act of 1985. The bill would have protected over 2 million apparel jobs and shoe jobs. Citing the bill as protectionist, Reagan vetoed the legislation. As a result, textile production in the U.S. has gone the way of the dinosaur. If there are American workers thinking that Republican Donald Trump is going to handle trade any differently than Reagan did, I hope — Continued on Page 2 — JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 2 Did you know? A Message from Director Bolton — continued they get a wake- up call before November. First of all, Trump is not like us. I am not trying to engage in class warfare here as the right likes to charge, I am simply citing a fact. Trump is a rich man and always has been rich. In a variation on the old saying, ―The Donald was born with a silver foot in his mouth,‖ he didn‘t hang around guys who punched a time card every day. His friends were the folks at the country club who are moving our jobs overseas. They had his ear then and they have it now. Also, Trump has no legislative experience and if he hopes to accomplish any kind of agenda, he is going to have to lean on the House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (both unapologetic free traders). If they pass TPP or TTIP, the European version of that agreement, Trump will sign it. Which brings us to another point, what does Donald Trump really stand for? Do any of us know the issue that he is most passionate about? Or, the policy he would fight until the death to stop? Let‘s look at some of the issues that ―The Donald‖ has taken time to talk about. For more on Philip Murray go to page 8 When it comes to organized labor, Trump‘s record is even foggier. It seems like his attitude toward Unions is changing to adapt to that of his Republican colleagues. Prior to weighing a Presidential run in 2012, Trump, the businessman, had a relationship with Unions who represented his workers that he used to brag about. In fact, when questioned about using Union labor to build his casinos and hotels, the Donald explained, ―The Trump name has come to represent the finest qualities in service and accommodations. And that‘s what Union construction trades stand for.‖ However, since that time, Trump‘s Union sympathies have been evolving too. In December, 2015, workers at his Las Vegas casino and resort voted to become members of the Culinary Workers, Bartenders and UNITE/HERE (hotel workers) Unions. Trump immediately filed NLRB charges against the Unions, using a common practice by anti-Union employers to delay negotiations for the sake of wearing workers into submission. After a successful representation election, the Union has one year to gain a ratified contract. If an agreement cannot be reached in that timeframe, the employer, using anti-Union workers, can call for another election. Feeling powerless and intimidated by management, workers often vote no Union to end the abuse. The Union Plus Credit Card program. With 3 card choices - designed to meet the needs of union members. All with competitive rates, U.S. based customer service and more. Plus, exclusive hardship grants for eligible cardholders*. The Union Plus Credit Card Program is designed to meet the needs of hard-working union members and their families. To apply by phone, call: 1-800-522-4000. United Steelworkers District 2 AFL-CIO·CLC MICHAEL H. BOLTON, Director, 1244A Midway Road, Menasha, WI 54952 (920) 722-7630 HAVE YOU BEEN TO DISTRICT 2’S PAGE ON FACEBOOK? www.facebook.com/USWDistrict2 So far, workers are holding up to the pressure and standing by their decision to Unionize. But Trump knows that time is on his side. He‘ll continue to file frivolous charges against the Union and his workers, while telling the American people he is a champion of the working class. And as the Champion of the ―Working Class‖, who can forget his November 15, 2015, Republican Debate response to the question, ―As President, would you support an increase in the U.S. minimum wage?― It didn‘t take too long for his true colors to shine through. He stated, ―Taxes are too high. Our wages are too high. We are not going to be able to compete against the world. I hate to say it, but we are going to have to leave it this People have to go out, they have to work really hard and they have to get into the upper stratum. But we cannot do this if we are going to compete with the rest of the world. We just can‘t do it.‖ — Continued on Page 3 — JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 3 A Message from Director Bolton — continued That is a direct quote. But that isn‘t the only Trump position that should cause working class families to pause. Remember Trump, the anti-outsourcing candidate, who swore off Oreos when the company announced it was relocating production to Mexico? And, what about his promises to coax Apple to produce it‘s gadgets in the U.S.A.? Is he going to lobby himself and daughter, Ivanka, to bring their brands back to America? According to Harvard Trade and Investment Professor, Robert Lawrence, Donald Trump, ―Does not practice what he preaches‖. Dr. Lawrence did a review of Trump brands and found the vast majority were labeled ―Made in China‖ or simply tagged as ―Imported‖. Trump and Ivanka offer a complete line of fashions that includes suits, shirts, and neckties for men, as well as clothing accessories for women. So, what did this review find and how bad is it? Of the 838 Ivanka products advertised on a Trump website, none were made in the U.S. However, 534 products were tagged ―Made in China‖, with the remaining merchandise pegged ―Imported‖. Look for Trump to move production home to America the day after Americans begin working for one cent per hour cheaper than the Chinese competition. What other surprise positions does The Donald hold that we are unaware of because he hasn‘t blurted them out yet? Before Americans cast a vote that will end up being against their own interests, they should do everything they can to find out what Trump really stands for and who he really is. Was that the real Trump shooting from the hip to tell Americans he was going to stop bad trade agreements, build a wall to keep illegals out and stop Muslims from immigrating into the United States? Or, is the real Donald the guy that is reading a prepared speech from a teleprompter and saying the things the Republican leadership wants him to say? You owe it to yourself and your family to find out! USW Local 2-21 of Escanaba, MI, Conducted Our 3rd Annual Strike for Hunger USW Local 2-21 of Escanaba, Michigan, conducted their 3rd annual ―Strike for Hunger‖ June 3-5. Local Union members stood outside two local grocery stores for 48 straight hours collecting canned goods, personal hygiene products, paper products, and monetary donations. The response from the community was incredible! The Local was able to raise 1.6 tons of food and $5,130.75 for three local food pantries. These three food pantries help almost 500 families per month! JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 4 JANUARY 2016 District 2 Calendar of Events 15–18 Martin Luther King Jr. Civil & Human Rights Conference Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Avenue NW • Washington, D.C. 22 WOS Quarterly Meeting Milwaukee Area Labor Council Building, 633 S. Hawley Road • Milwaukee, WI 26 WOS Quarterly Meeting Ronn Hall (USW Local 4950 Hall), 1206 Baldwin Avenue • Negaunee, MI 29 WOS Quarterly Meeting Kronenwetter Village Hall, 1582 Kronenwetter Drive • Kronenwetter, WI FEBRUARY 3 WOS Quarterly Meeting USW Local 2-148 Hall, 1201 Gillingham Road • Neenah, WI 8 LM Review Session USW Local 2-21 Hall, 1201 Sheridan Road • Escanaba, MI 9 LM Review Session 7–8 9–10 14–15 16–17 17 20–24 24 30 10 LM Review Session 11 LM Review Session Milwaukee Labor Council Building, 633 S. Hawley Road • Milwaukee, WI MARCH 12–13 22 6 7–10 USW International Women’s Conference Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh, 600 Commonwealth Place • Pittsburgh, PA (900 – noon) Ronn Hall (USW Local 4950 Hall), 1206 Baldwin Avenue • Negaunee, MI Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon) Fraternal Order of Eagles, 1104 S. Oak Avenue • Marshfield, WI Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon) Lucky Dog’z Labor Temple, 157 S. Green Bay Road • Neenah, WI Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon) Milwaukee Area Labor Council, 633 S. Hawley Road • Milwaukee, WI 21 Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting 22 23 24 7 8 12–16 20 APRIL 1 WOS Quarterly Meeting 21 USW Dist. 2 Southern MI Office, 20600 Eureka Rd., Suite 300 • Taylor, MI 4–7 USW Paper Sector Bargaining Conference Westin Convention Center and Hotel, 1000 Penn Avenue • Pittsburgh, PA 22 6 WOS Quarterly Meeting Kent Ionia Labor Hall, 918 Benjamin Ave NE • Grand Rapids, MI 8 WOS Quarterly Meeting 23 USW Local 12075 Hall, 3510 James Savage Road • Midland, MI 8 WOS Lock-In USW Local 12075 Hall, 3510 James Savage Road • Midland, MI (9:00 – noon) Teamsters Local 7 Hall, 3330 Miller Road • Kalamazoo, MI Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon) USW Local 12075 Hall, 3510 James Savage Road • Midland, MI 11 Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting 12 12 WOS Quarterly Meeting 13 Central Community Center (old elementary school), 413 Maple St. • Munising, MI Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon) USW Local 1299 Hall,11424 W. Jefferson Avenue • River Rouge, MI 25–27 USW Rapid Response & Legislative Conference Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street • Washington DC 25–30 27 USW District 2 Council Conference Hyatt Regency, 333 West Kilbourn Avenue • Milwaukee, WI Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (SWI) Olympia Resort & Conf. Center, 1350 Royal Mile Rd. • Oconomowoc, WI WOS Quarterly Meeting USW Dist. 2 Southern MI Office, 20600 Eureka Rd., Suite 300 • Taylor, MI USPA – 50 Years of Telling the USW Story Wyndham • Pittsburgh, PA WOS Quarterly Meeting Dog Scouts of America - MI Camp, 5040 E. Nestel Road • St. Helen, MI WOS Quarterly Meeting JULY 2016 National Oil Bargaining Conference Sheraton Station Square - Pittsburgh, PA WOS Quarterly Meeting Milwaukee Area Labor Council Bldg, 633 S. Hawley Rd • Milwaukee, WI Kronenwetter Village Hall, 1582 Kronenwetter Drive • Kronenwetter, WI Mosquito Hill Nature Center, N3880 Rogers Road • New London, WI SEPTEMBER Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon) Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Location to be determined - Midland, MI Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon) Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Location to be determined - River Rouge, MI Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon) Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Location to be determined - Kalamazoo, MI USW Health, Safety and Environment Conference Westin Convention Center - Pittsburgh, PA Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon) Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Location to be determined - Negaunee, MI Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon) Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Location to be determined - Marshfield, WI Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon) Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Location to be determined - Neenah, WI Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon) Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Location to be determined - Milwaukee, WI WOS Leadership Development Course - Levels 1 & 2 The Waters of Minocqua, 8116 Hwy 51 South • Minocqua, WI WOS Quarterly Meeting Holiday Inn Express, 1110 Century Way • Houghton, MI OCTOBER 31–Nov 4 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (WI) Dates and Locations to be determined (Neenah & Oconomowoc, WI) NOVEMBER 28–Dec 2 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (MI) Dates and Locations to be determined (Midland & Chelsea, MI) MAY 4–8 Riverwalk Hotel, 123 E. Wisconsin Avenue • Neenah, WI AUGUST WOS Quarterly Meeting - 2nd Annual Princess Mud Run Teamsters Local 7 Hall, 3330 Miller Road • Kalamazoo, MI USW Dist. 2 Southern MI, 20600 Eureka Road, Suite 300 • Taylor, MI Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (NWI) 22 3 LM Review Session 4 LM Review Session Village Conference Center, 1645 Commerce Park Drive • Chelsea, MI WOS Quarterly Meeting USW Local 12075 Hall, 3510 James Savage Road • Midland, MI American Legion Hall, 10 Mason Street • Manistee, MI Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (SMI) 29 1 LM Review Session 2 LM Review Session Great Hall Banquet & Convention Center, 5121 Bay City Rd • Bay City, MI Kent Ionia Labor Hall, 918 Benjamin Ave NE • Grand Rapids, MI Kronenwetter Village Hall, 1582 Kronenwetter Drive • Kronenwetter, WI Lucky Dog’z Labor Temple, 157 S. Green Bay Road • Neenah, WI JUNE Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (NMI) DECEMBER 5–9 USW Civil Rights Conference Sheraton Birmingham Hotel - Birmingham, AL This schedule is designed to assist in planning this year’s events. However, there is a possibility dates and/or locations c ould ould change due to unforeseen circumstances. Please watch your mail and email for notices as each event draws near. An upup-toto-date calendar can be found on our website and will be published monthly in our electronic newsletter. 0. JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 5 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, June 8, 2016 CONTACT: Tim Waters (412) 999-3587, twaters@usw.org USW Endorses Hillary Clinton Utility Workers, GMP Join Steelworkers in Pledging Full Support (PITTSBURGH) – The United Steelworkers (USW), in conjunction with the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) and the Glass Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union (GMP), issued the following statement today endorsing Hillary Clinton for President of the United States: ―Given her vast experience both with foreign and domestic policy, Hillary Clinton is a supremely qualified candidate, one of t he most qualified candidates ever to seek the presidency,‖ said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. ―These unique qualifications give her the visio n and commitment necessary to continue to lead this country forward. ―The USW has watched intently as both parties have conducted their primaries. We‘ve known for some time that either of the De mocratic candidates would be far superior to any Republican on the vast majority of issues important to workers and their families. ―Now that it has become clear who the two major nominees will be in November, we are excited to put our full support behind e lecting Secretary Clinton the next president of the United States.‖ ―On virtually every issue, Secretary Clinton stands with working Americans and their families,‖ said UWUA President Mike Lang ford. ―Specifically, she has a plan to harness public and private capital to upgrade and repair our nation‘s roads, bridges, energy and water infrastructu re, expand public transportation, and bring our schools and our communications networks fully into the 21st century. These critical investments will grow our economy by creating and maintaining good jobs, raising wages and rebuilding struggling communities.‖ ―Secretary Clinton has promised to fight for fair, not just free trade, and has vowed to oppose the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP),‖ said Gerard. ―She will fight for collective bargaining rights and labor protections, as well as high standards for domestic sourcing and ‗ Buy American‘ laws. ―Secretary Clinton believes in raising the minimum wage, which will not only improve the lives of millions of low -wage workers, but in fact lift the standard for all working Americans. She supports tax relief to help struggling families. She is committed to closing tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy to make sure every American pays their fair share. ―A Clinton administration will ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work—something Donald Trump opposes—and make sure parents have access to paid family leave and sick time, as well as quality, affordable child care.‖ ―Secretary Clinton believes that all Americans have the right to retire with dignity,‖ said Bruce Smith, GMP President. ―She will work hard to strengthen and expand Social Security and Medicare. She will fight to expand access to care and protect the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from t hose who seek to return to a time when tens of millions of Americans had no access to medical care outside of the emergency room.‖ ―Like Secretary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has also been a lifelong supporter of working Americans, and he has run a strong, principled campaign that has raised awareness of critical issues and energized millions of Americans,‖ said Gerard. ―He clearly sees how corporate-fed Republican economics fatten the coffers of Wall Street, while denying young people and families the opportunities they deserve. ―The USW salutes Sen. Sanders‘ lifelong commitment to social and economic justice. He and his supporters must play a vital ro le in pushing the issues he raised and that his supporters are so passionately fighting for. They must continue to be front and center in this campaign, and we need them to continue to push Sanders‘ agenda and have their voices heard on Election Day and beyond. We must work together to defeat Trump. ―By contrast, Secretary Clinton‘s Republican opponent has seemingly worked at every turn to divide Americans along lines of r ace, ethnicity and gender with his racist, sexist and xenophobic statements. ―Besides just his dangerous and un-American rhetoric, Trump has consistently proven to be on the side of the wealthy and powerful, rather than on the side of working people. Trump believes workers‘ wages are too high and supports union-busting legislation. His tax plan would benefit millionaires and billionaires at the expense of the middle class. He supports efforts to repeal the ACA but has no concrete plan to replace it . ―Nothing better exemplifies Trump‘s say-one-thing-do-another approach to the plight of workers than his treatment of the 500 hotel workers at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas who voted last December to join the Culinary Workers Union. Trump refuses to bargain with th em, even after more than a dozen objections filed with the NLRB were either withdrawn or dismissed, and the union was certified as a bargaining agent. ―On the one issue on which workers might agree with Trump, trade, he has proven himself a hypocrite. He criticizes companies for moving production overseas while his own signature line of clothing is produced in low-wage countries like China, Mexico, Honduras and Bangladesh. He just can‘t be trusted. ―Simply put, Hillary Clinton is the best chance for working Americans to build on the progress we have made over the past eig ht years. She has the experience and the ideas to lead our country to a brighter future, and we enthusiastically support her candidacy for the pres idency.‖ The USW, UWUA and the GMP represent more than 1.3 million active and retired workers in North America. ### JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 6 USW has Endorsed the Campaign of Hillary Clinton for President —by Michael Bolton, USW District 2 Director The USW has endorsed the campaign of Hillary Clinton for President. This decision received close review and came after much d iscussion. It came at a time when it became apparent there was not a clear path forward for the Sanders campaign to win, and making HRC the choi ce we have to defeat Donald Trump in November. It came only after the primary voting last night in several states including the major electoral state of California. My decision to vote for endorsement came at a time when we need to move this forward and bring together a movement to win t he White House and take back Congress. A lot has been said about taking the party nomination to the convention in late July, just short of two months away. The d iscussion has been about changing the minds of the super delegates before the voting at the convention. All likelihood of that happening is next to i mpossible, and I do not believe this would happen. This will then leave us with only a few months to build momentum to win in November. Now what needs to happen is for us to put as much pressure as we can on the party to make sure that much of the Bernie Sander s campaign issues become a part of that platform. I am sure many of you will be faced with some hostile members that feel their union has let them down or members who are actually supporting Trump. We must be honest with them: Hillary? or an anti-union candidate? We must be honest with them: Hillary? or someone that talks about jobs and then uses his own businesses to exploit workers a round the world? In starting our momentum to win the White House and take back Congress, I have included the following talking points regardin g Trump: ● Working people have a straightforward standard for the 2016 presidential race: Any candidate who wants to appeal to workers m ust put forth a bold and comprehensive Raising Wages agenda. Republican front runner Donald Trump simply doesn't stack up. Trump has tapped i nto the very real and understandable anger of working people, but his agenda is more bigoted than bold, more condescending than comprehens ive. His candidacy reveals the need for a truth-telling moment in America. And the truth is this – Trump is dangerous and must be stopped. ● Donald Trump is one of the most anti-union candidates in American history. He doesn't just support right to work, he loves it. He has been an ATM and head cheerleader for politicians like Scott Walker. And he has routinely attacked the rights of workers at his own c ompany. In fact, Trump said plainly he would do without unions altogether. ● American workers haven't gotten a real raise in 40 years, yet Donald Trump says "wages are too high‖. At a time when working people are struggling to make ends meet and income inequality is through the roof, Trump has the audacity to claim our pay should be cut . It is one thing for profit-hungry employers to try to hold our wages down. It is entirely another for a presidential candidate to do the same . Trump's woefully out of touch views on the value of workers is by itself disqualifying. ● Donald Trump says he's with the American working class, but when you look close, it's just hot air. Trump has gone out of hi s way to acknowledge the frustrations of working families. When he lashes out or says we're losing, he finds a sympathetic audience d esperate for more politicians to validate their daily anxiety. But underneath Trump's bluster is a set of ideas – like keeping the minimum wage low and opposing equal pay for women – that would make life harder for those who count on paycheck. ● In every way imaginable, Trump would be a disaster for working people. He says he would make America great again, but his po licies would double down on four decades of broken economic rules. He says outsourcing "creates jobs in the long run‖. He thinks corpora te raider Carl Ichan, who made his fortune destroying pensions and union contracts, would make a good Treasury Secretary. Trump's economic p latform is focused exclusively on benefitting the superrich at our expense. ● Donald Trump's real disdain for working people is the untold story of his campaign. Trump is undoubtedly a bigot. The racist, sexist and xenophobic statements he's made and positions he's taken are bad enough. And make no mistake, it is Congressional Republican s who have broken Washington, divided our country and made his hateful candidacy possible. But it's the very real threat he poses to wo rking people that is not getting enough attention. From his horrible treatment of workers as a businessman to his catastrophic ideas as a candida te, we will be shining a light on the real Trump record from now until November. These facts should be enough to have prospective voters questioning Trump‘s ability to protect our wages and benefits. On th e other hand, Hillary has committed to strengthening America‘s workers and keeping jobs in America, as you can see from her statement below once she received endorsement from the United Steelworkers: ―I am honored to have earned the endorsement of the United Steelworkers. The USW helped build America —and along the way, they have helped build the mighty American middle class. Steel is crucial to our economy, our manufacturing base, and our national secu rity. As President, I will stand with the USW in the fight to protect workers' fundamental rights to organize, to bargain collectively, to stay safe on the job and retire with dignity. As a Senator from New York, I stood with steelworkers against efforts to undermine the competitiveness of American s teel. And as President, I will throw the book at China and stop their illegal efforts to dump cheap steel in U.S. markets. And together, we will fight to make the kinds of investments that make America's economy grow for workers everywhere. We'll m ake the biggest investment in infrastructure since Dwight Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System, and make sure that we're buying Ame rican materials to build America's infrastructure. We'll invest in manufacturing, because we can and we will make things in America. Above all, I will always have workers' backs. Unions like USW will always have a seat at the table and a champion in the White House. Because when workers are strong, families are strong—and when families are strong, America is strong." We cannot allow Trump to win this election – we must start working on this today and we cannot stop until we win this election in November! JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 7 USW Local 5965 Fundraiser Called ―The Hungry Games‖ - by Stacey Benson, USW Local 5965 When I had first heard about the Hastings Area Schools Backpack Lunch Program, it was when our USW Local 5965 donated money to sponsor a bowling lane for a fundraiser called ―The Hungry Games‖. A month later I came across a posting about this program telling how people can help out. That is when we decided to begin the fundraiser and give back to the community and make a difference in these children‘s lives. The Backpack Lunch Program provides 550 after school meals per week to children in elementary and the Middle School. There are 4 elementary schools as well as the Middle School that receive these meals. This program is privately funded and runs on donations. The program caters to children who may not have food or a meal to look forward to after school. These children look forward to these meals and come into the school offices asking if they have food to take home for the night. Without donations and volunteers this program would not be able to continue. There are times when donations are low and all that these children get are a sandwich, a cheese stick, and milk. Our Local pulled together and we were able to collect juice boxes, chips, granola bars, fruit snacks, and many other items that could be put into these lunches. We also did a 50/50 raffle for two weeks to raise money for this program. We were able to raise $422.50 and donated it to the school for the Backpack Lunch Program. The school district was very grateful and has invited us to help hand out these lunches and see just what a difference it makes in these children‘s lives. We have received a lot of great feedback from the community as well. It has opened a lot of people‘s eyes to the fact that there are hungry children in our community. Wisconsin WOS Volunteered for Lupus Awareness Women of Steel (WOS) v o l u n t eer ed i n W a u w a t o sa , Wisconsin, on Sunday, June 12, 2016, for Lupus Awareness and helped raise funds for the fight against Lupus disease. This is the Wisconsin Chapter‘s 2016 flagship event which goes a long way in enabling them to continue their vision as they strive to advance the science and medicine of Lupus. Their ultimate goal is to find a cure and improve the quality of life for all people affected by this disease. JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 8 USW Cares: Tractor Dick, District 2’s Jefferson Award Winner for Outstanding Community Service Known by most in his community as ―Tractor Dick,‖ Richard Ziolecki, is District 2‘s Jefferson Award winner. A union member at Harley Davidson for 14 years and a Rainbow Gardens community member for all of them, Tractor Dick plays the role of a true Good Samaritan by utilizing his tractor to give people a tractor-ride home from the bar and avoid drunk -driving. Tractor Dick also organizes regular hay rides for the neighborhood and huge hay-ride themed food drives to support local food pantries. In love with all things Old Americana, Richard bought a tractor 20 years ago, and after stumbling upon a hay wagon frame, an idea suddenly clicked. He built a wagon to attach to his tractor and began riding up and down the streets of his neighborhood in West Allis, where he‘s lived his entire life, and it was an instant hit. Families now wait outside their houses for Richard and his tractor to come by to give them fun rides around town, rides that provide opportunities for neighbors, who didn‘t even know each other existed, to connect. ―People actually talk and have fun, and that‘s the best part about it,‖ Richard said. ―It‘s something I enjoy doing, and I‘ve been able to turn my hobby into something that‘s really great for others.‖ Serving others comes naturally to Richard, due in some part to his own past experience. In the 1980‘s, with many industries and the job market failing, he found himself going to the local pantry for his food needs. Once his hayrides became popular, he realized he could put them to work for a good cause and give back. Richard now organizes regular hayrides for many different organizations, from the local church and food pantry to the adult daycare center. He‘s also worked with MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) and has even been funded by the city to build two wagons for its use. One of the funders, a former employee of the local police department, died of cancer before the wagons could be completed. In honor of her, it exists as her namesake as the ―Patty Wagon.‖ Even after all of the recognition, including being named Volunteer of the Year by his town in 2015, Richard remains down to earth and focused on others. The people and the organizations he helps through his hayrides are his number one priority, and he has no plans of slowing down. ―I don‘t know where this thing is taking me, but I‘m going to hang on for the ride.‖ Richard said. ―I think it‘s going to be a good one.‖ Philip Murray (1886-1952) Philip Murray was president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) during its most tumultuous decade and helped transform the volatile movement of industrial unions begun by John L. Lewis into a stable and powerful organization. Vice president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 until 1942, Murray also served as the first president of the United Steel Workers of America (USWA) from 1942 until his death in 1952. As president of the CIO, Murray cemented the alliance between the industrial unions and the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. He also created a more amicable relationship with the larger and older American Federation of Labor (AFL), laying the foundation for the merger of the CIO and the AFL in 1955. Murray was born in Blantyre, Scotland, on May 25, 1886, of Irish Catholic parents. His father, William Murray, was a coal miner and local union official. His mother, Rose Layden, was a weaver in a local cotton mill who died when her son was only two years old. Murray's father remarried and had eight more children. Philip, the oldest boy, entered the mines at 10 to help support the family. At 16, he and his father traveled to southwestern Pennsylvania, where they both found jobs as miners. Within a year, they had saved enough money to bring the entire family to America. Philip Murray In 1904, the young Murray assaulted a company weigh boss he thought was cheating him and was fired. When his fellow workers struck in support of his reinstatement, his father, stepmother and seven of his siblings were thrown from their home into the street. The experience made an indelible impression on Murray. Concluding that unions were the best defense workers had against unfair treatment, he devoted himself to the cause. In 1905, Murray was elected president of the UMW local in Horning, Pa. Murray completed an 18 -month correspondence course in math and science in six months. He also met and courted his wife, Elizabeth Lavery, the daughter of a miner killed in a pit accident. They married in 1910 and eventually adopted a son. Murray soon came to the attention of UMW leaders at the state and national level. Murray favored industrial cooperation and gradual improvements over industrial warfare and revolutionary upheaval. In 1912, John White, UMW president, appointed Murray to the UMW's national Executive Board; three years later, White backed his election as president of UMW District 5 in western Pennsylvania. In 1917, Murray mobilized support on the Executive Board to confirm another rising star in the organization, John L. Lewis, as vice president of the UMW. Then, when Lewis was — Continued on Page 9 — JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 9 Philip Murray (1886-1952) - Continued elevated to the presidency of the miners' union, he supported promoting the 33 year -old Murray (1886-1952) to the vice presidency. For the next 20 years, Murray was Lewis's right -hand man. Lewis handled relations with management, financiers, politicians and the press, while Murray handled relationships with the members. The two men worked closely together for many years, but Murray was cap able of acting not only independently of Lewis but also in complete opposition to him. p Murray (1886-1952) John L. Lewis and Philip Murray In 1936, following the formation of the original Committee for Industrial Organization within the AFL, Lewis put Murray in charge of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC). Murray's organizers cultivated leaders of the industry's many company unions, while his staff filed unfair labor practice charges against the companies with the new National Labor Relations Board and fed congressional investigators information about the steel industry's use of anti-union spies and hired thugs. In March 1937, one week after the Flint sit -down strikers forced General Motors to recognize the United Auto Workers, U.S. Steel, the nation's largest steel producer signed an agreement with the SWOC. Other steel producers soon followed. Although the so -called "Little Steel" companies would thwart unionization until 1941, by the end of 1937 SWOC had chartered more than 1,000 local unions and was administering hundreds of collective bargaining agreements. When the CIO held its first official convention in 1938, Murray was elected its second vice president. Two years later, Murray assumed the CIO presidency when John L. Lewis resigned in protest over President Franklin D. Roosevelt's re-election and his interventionist foreign policy. Murray, in contrast, supported the president's effort to aid the Allies in their war against Nazi Germany. And he agreed to serve, as did his CIO colleague, Sidney Hillman, in the agencies established by the Roosevelt administration to coordinate war -related production and to expedite the settlement of labor disputes in war-related industries. Shoring up support for the nation's war effort and securing gains for union workers despite a no-strike pledge absorbed much of Murray's energies in his first years as head of the CIO. In 1942, Lewis, who opposed the no-strike policy, disaffiliated the UMW from the organization he had founded. He also supported Murray's expulsion from the miners' union. While the break caused Murray great sorrow, he never wavered from the course he had chosen. He continued as CIO president, and he agreed to assume the presidency of the newly formed United Steel Workers of America. By the war's end, Murray could point to real achievements. The war had been won, union membership had continued to grow and wage gaps between the highest- and lowest-paid workers had narrowed. After the Republicans won control of Congress in 1942, Murray established a permanent Political Action Committee within the CIO and called for a guaranteed annual wage, union pensions, joint labor-management industry councils and government policies to ensure full employment. A long -time member of the executive committee of the NAACP, in 1943 Murray sought to make the Fair Employment Practice Commission (established by executive order two years earlier) a permanent legislated agency to protect the employment rights of minorities. Under his leadership, the CIO condemned racial discrimination and established a Committee to Abolish Racial Discrimination inside the CIO. After the war, Murray opposed the Taft -Hartley Act (1947) and successfully challenged an interpretation of the act that would have forbidden a labor publication from endorsing a political candidate. He also refused on principle to sign the anti -Communist affidavit that Taft-Hartley required of all union officers because he considered it demeaning and discriminatory. In keeping with this opposition, Murray refused to sanction raids by CIO affiliates on unions whose leaders refused to sign the affidavit. However, when several left-leaning unions disregarded the official CIO endorsement of Harry Truman in 1948 and instead supported the third -party candidacy of Henry Wallace, Murray acted decisively to expel the dissidents, convinced they put the interests of the Communist Party before those of the union and its members. In the 1950s, Murray continued to press for the political, social and economic advance of working people, leading his last major strike against the steel industry in 1952. Shortly thereafter, he died of a heart attack in San Francisco, honored by millions as a truly humane and visionary leader of the labor movement. JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 10 Martin Schwanebeck is Wisconsin Labor History Society High School Third Place Essay Contest Winner THIRD PLACE On The Necessity Of Labor Unions - My family has always been union members: with my mom working in the mills, and my dad serving families Martin Schwanebeck of his county as a government employee. They have both been able to proudly count themselves among the brothers and sisters of the working 11th Grade class aiming to secure their rights into the future. There is no doubt these are troubling times. Our elected officials, both here in Wisconsin and Pittsville High School abroad, are fighting tooth and fist against the unions in favor of the bosses. Mother - United With our fellow workers being forced to buy water at outrageous prices in Steelworkers Member Flint, and with the call for a return to the horrors of the Laissez Faire system now louder than ever before, we must convince political officials and nonunion members exactly how important these unions are to everyone. Even today, we see poor immigrants making less than minimum wage, even here in America. Something most people thought had been done away with when our ancestors fought for a shorter work week and living wage, all those years ago. These workers have no way of knowing that unions can be beneficial to them. Even among those not in unions — those here legally — they are paid fearfully small wages. My parents, as I mentioned, are both proud union members. They instilled a certain reverence to labor unions in me. I, at the age of 17, have been working in manual labor positions for three years. When I was 14, I found a job in the beds of a cranberry bog. There I meet people too afraid to unionize: uneducated workers, fearful their bosses would find a way around labor laws and fire them. The first year I worked there, trying to save money for college, I met several Hmong refugees, many who spoke no English. The fact that these old women and men were subcontracted and paid little more than a 14 year-old was heartbreaking. Later I met grown men, from my own community, grown men who had worked at the marsh since the ‗80s, who were paid less than $12 an hour. These people had no idea that unions were, r ealistically, their only hope for a living wage. When I found a job with a plumbing contractor this past year, (a business still un-unionized, with higher skilled employees), I earned a wage of $10. I, occasionally, was asked to work for a roofing company owned by the plumbing company, a company that paid only minimum wage to everyone, even the long time workers. The bosses were rude, the breaks were short, the weather was hot, the hours were long, and the use of underage workers stapling shingles to a roof was overlooked and ‗accepted as business as usual.‘ The company was able to get away with it as their employees were almost all high school dropouts. All seemed to carry the fear of the ―Red Scare‖ thinking unions were a tool of the Communists. They were uneducated about the value of unions as a way to improve their working conditions and wages. My deepest regret was not teaching them that they could fight back, that their labor and skills were not a commodity that was abundant in the surrounding area. These people have missed the opportunities that would have helped them in the long run. They don‘t know places like the paper mill where my mother works still exist. Where workers have rights and a say in their workplace. They know nothing of the union‘s fight for worker‘s rights these roofers are being denied. My parents have been able to comfortably raise three kids (and run a farm that takes most of their money), on union wages. They were — and are — both proud of the history of their unions. They marched in Madison standing with the public employee unions in 2011. These people, these laborers who march in the streets, even those who merely vote again and again in their workplaces to continue their unions, these are our modern heroes. They are the modern Joe Hills and Frank Littles. They are Pete Seeger. They are Billy Bragg. What have unions done for me? Unions have kept my parents employed. Kept them in good paying jobs. Unions have put me through school, put bread on my table, and put roses in my vases. Unions, in these troubling times, are the only friend of the working class. These unions are the future, the past, and all times between. The day the unions disband is the day when the working class in America has lost. Michigan WOS Holds Meeting at Campground For a change of venue, the Michigan Central Area Women of Steel (WOS) Council held their meeting at a campground in St. Helen, Michigan. Those who didn't arrive by RV stayed in the lodge or one of the cabins. Everyone enjoyed campfires every night, home cooked meals, walking trails and a large pond. Oh, and an uninvited leach which some salt quickly took care of. Andrea Hamm from the law firm Miller Cohen and Alberta Jordan-Rigsby from FMCS were the guest speakers who stayed the entire weekend. There was lots of bonding, in depth discussions and information to take back to their locals. JUNE, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6, PAGE 11 An Open Letter to My Fellow Millennial Steelworkers – by James Morgan, USW Local 2659 This presidential election year has been crazy. And we all know that‘s putting it lightly. We‘ve had candidates on the righ t pushing policy agendas that would abolish the IRS, build a wall and make Mexico pay for it (LOL), ban Muslims from entering the U.S., defund Medicare and social security, push through horrendous trade deals, deny a woman‘s right to choose, make it harder for people to vote, bust unions and their bargaining power, and not to mention even more tax breaks for the wealthy, while the middle class is gasping for air. On the left, we‘ve had candidates with policies to expand social security and Medicare, protect a woman‘s right to choose, ma ke it easier to vote, make the wealthiest pay their fair share of taxes, protect the bargaining power of unions, make college more affordable , create jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, free and fair elections, and oppose bad trade deals like the TPP. It‘s easy to see the differences between the two parties. On the right, they are completely detached from what really matter s to everyday people. Obviously this makes sense. The rich right wingers and their corporate friends live in a different reality than us and have no idea what life is like for the average person anymore. Donald Trump doesn‘t know what it‘s like to struggle. He was given a MILLION dollar loan from his father to get his business started. He doesn‘t know what it‘s like to miss a meal, or work multiple jobs in college and graduate thousands of dollars in debt. He d oesn‘t know what it‘s like to lose your house amid the housing crisis in 2008. He doesn‘t know what it‘s like to work 40 hours a week and still li ve in poverty because the minimum wage hasn‘t risen in decades. In fact, he thinks wages are too high. He doesn‘t know what it‘s like to spend hal f or more of your paycheck on daycare. I could go on and on. Although there are fundamental differences between democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, their messages a re similar in nature. Take care of the weak and rebuild the middle class. I‘ve heard a lot of my fellow millennials say, ―If Bernie isn‘t the nominee, I‘m not gonna vote.‖ NO! This is not the attit ude to have right now! This is not the time to be stubborn! The future of this great nation is in our hands! Literally! Our generation is out-populating the others by a huge margin. It‘s not even close. If we can rally together and get out there and vote, we can keep this country headed in the right direction and provide a promising future for us and our children. To conclude, my message to my fellow Millennial Steelworkers is this: No matter whom the Democratic nominee is, whether Hill ary or Bernie, we have to support the Democratic Party. Establishment or not, this is the party that is fighting for us. Fighting for the issues that affect us every single day. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE DONALD TRUMP IS NOT THE NEXT PRESIDENT! That blustering, babbling, billionaire bigot is not the answer. He cannot be the leader of the free world. We must stop him. This could be a defining moment for our generation. Let‘s be the difference! Let this November 8, 2016, be the day Millenni als are heard loud and clear. GO VOTE AND BE HEARD! Republicans' Health-Care Plan: Not Much Care, Not Much Plan—by Bloomberg Editorial Board Republicans‘ long-promised health-care plan has arrived -- though it‘s light on the health care and offers too little detail to tell whether it‘s a realistic plan. Many aspects of House Speaker Paul Ryan‘s proposal are clear: It would permit health insurers to cover far f ewer services than they have to cover under Obamacare, and it would reduce federal subsidies for buying insurance, pare protections for people w ith pre-existing conditions, roll back funding for Medicaid, and convert Medicare to a voucher-type program. Ryan hasn‘t said what this would cost, or how many people would end up with insurance -- perhaps because that number would be far smaller than it is under Obamacare. The question is: What problem is the plan meant to solve? Before Obamacare took effect six years ago, Republicans questione d whether it would meaningfully expand insurance coverage and warned of soaring health-care costs. Employers might stop providing insurance to their workers, they said, the labor participation rate might plummet, and the federal deficit might soar. No one knew how many peop le would buy insurance on the new state exchanges, or how they would like their coverage. But these problems never materialized. The share of Americans without insurance has dropped to 9 percent, from 15 percent i n 2011. Health-care spending from 2015 to 2019 now looks to be $2.6 trillion lower than projected when the Affordable Care Act was signe d. The share of working-age adults in the workforce has risen. The federal deficit has shrunk. The number of people with employer-based coverage remains stable. More than 12 million people have enrolled in Obamacare plans, and two-thirds of them say they‘re happy with the coverage. One Republican worry has come to pass: Obamacare has increased federal spending, and has paid for it in part by hiking taxe s on higher earners. Reversing those hikes is a legitimate, if narrow, policy preference. But if lower taxes and spending are what drive the Republicans to want to replace Obamacare, they should say so. Otherwise, their proposals seem designed to make adequate care harder to obtai n. The U.S. health-care system continues to face two big challenges: to insure still more people, and to more quickly bring co sts under control. Meeting the first of these will require innovations that may not be popular, such as automatically enrolling every eligible A merican into an Obamacare plan, or giving undocumented immigrants the option to buy unsubsidized exchange coverage. Taming price growth is harder still. Critics of Obamacare are right that deductibles and premiums are rising fast. But the way to fix that is to lower the underlying cost of care, not to let insurers arbitrarily cut benefits. America needs innovative ways to pay doctors and hospitals that don't incentivize overtreatment, as well as mechanisms for pricing drugs and procedures according to how well they work. On all these counts, Republican ideas would be most welcome.
