Get to Know AFL-CIO’s Affiliates: United Steelworkers
This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates. The series will run weekly until we’ve covered all 65 of our affiliates. Next up is the United Steelworkers (USW).
Name of Union: United Steelworkers
Mission: Helping all workers achieve better wages, greater job security, more reasonable hours and safer working conditions.
Current Leadership of Union: Roxanne Brown serves as international president. Myles Sullivan serves as international secretary-treasurer. Emil Ramirez serves as international vice president (administration). Kevin Mapp serves as international vice president (human affairs). Marty Warren serves as the Canadian national director. Amber Miller serves as international vice president at large. Luis Mendoza serves as international vice president.
Current Number of Active and Retired Members: 850,000
Members Work as: Atomic energy workers; chemical workers; creative, service and technical workers; educators; energy and utilities workers; glassworkers; health care workers; manufacturing workers; metalworkers; mine workers; oil workers; paper and forestry workers; public sector workers; rubber and tire workers; transportation workers and more.
Industries Represented: Nearly every industry
History: The USW’s foundation dates back generations, born of a shared commitment to fighting for better conditions for workers everywhere. In times of war and peace and through economic recession and boom times, USW has remained driven by its core guiding principles: helping all workers achieve better wages, greater job security, more reasonable hours and safer working conditions. USW activism helped end child labor, institute workplace safety laws, champion civil and human rights, and so much more.
In 1936, workers formed the Steel Workers Organizing Committee, the precursor to the United Steelworkers union. In 1937, workers launched the “Little Steel” strike to organize workers at Bethlehem, Jones & Laughlin, National and other companies. The strike resulted in police riots, attacks and other hardships for workers, yet led to the successful organization of those companies. Delegates met in Cleveland in 1942 and created the United Steel Workers of America (USWA), electing Philip Murray as their first president.
Over the past eight decades, the USW has grown through both organizing and mergers, including the 2005 merger between the USWA and the Paper, Allied Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers (PACE). The union has established international alliances and other strategic partnerships, and founded the BlueGreen Alliance alongside the Sierra Club in 2006. The union has long been the leading voice calling for fair trade and manufacturing growth, including infrastructure investments. It has a growing contingent of members who work in nonprofit, technical and higher education fields.
Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: The USW maintains a number of alliances and strategic partnerships, including the BlueGreen Alliance and the Alliance for American Manufacturing.
The union publishes Roxanne Brown’s Stronger Together blog, a quarterly magazine called USW@Work and the monthly Solidarity Works podcast.
The USW maintains a growing number of activist opportunities for members to make a difference in their locals, workplaces and communities, including its Civil and Human Rights Department; Emergency Response Team; Rapid Response network; and Veterans of Steel, Next Generation, Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) and Women of Steel programs.
The union also has ongoing efforts in organizing and union voter outreach, as well as education and membership development, and health, safety and environmental resources.
The USW maintains a directory of products by members.
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