USW AT 70: A union in transition
	In its 70 years of existence, the United Steelworkers union has battled through economic collapses, social struggles and internal political bickering

But for labor movement supporters, the key to the union's longevity has been the evolution of its strategy in organizing and activism as the world has changed. Sticking around another seven decades will depend on the United Steelworkers' ability to connect with a working population less frequently represented by unions.

The United Steelworkers union turns 70 on Tuesday and many of its 1.2 million active and retired members will celebrate the milestone with large events planned in Cleveland. Despite the plans, the milestone comes at a time when workers are still feeling the effects of the recession and creature comforts such as defined benefit pensions are in jeopardy.

"There's a long history of constantly adapting and learning new ways to engage in the struggles we were involved in," said USW District 7 Director Jim Robinson.

'A fighting union'

Robinson said struggles and successes define organizing in the steel industry since the Steelworkers Organizing Committee, a forerunner to the current USW, was formed in 1936.

The union fought for an eight-hour work day and seniority rights in the late 1930s in bargaining a contract with U.S. Steel.

At the triennial USW Constitutional Convention held in August, President Leo Gerard said the today's fight involves the right to organize and to help restore American manufacturing, make investments in infrastructure and oppose Wall Street greed. The recession and other developments in the country, he said, forced the union to rely on one of its basic values: "Our undying spirit as a fighting union," Gerard said. "The harder we got hit, the harder we fought back – on every front."

NWI's role in union development

Northwest Indiana and the Chicago area has been important in the union's evolution after it was formed, especially as the ranks of racial and ethnic and minorities and women increasingly joined in the steel industry's workforce, said local labor historian Ruth Needleman.

Needleman said the District 31 Women's Caucus and the Ad Hoc Committee of Black Steelworkers were important coalitions with influential members who were able to organize large groups of people.

Robinson, of the USW, said local politics were important in the union's early years, although there was a larger premium placed on solidarity. However, the union went through a transformation in the late 1970s and early 1980s to operate and make decisions in a more democratic manner.

During this period, the industry went through critical restructuring and Needleman said workers had a significant amount of frustration in that time because workers made concessions and worked with companies, but thousands still lost their jobs.

Needleman said leaders such as Lynn Williams, who was elected in 1983, helped reinvigorate the union and guide it in a time that required a strong response to the headwinds facing organized labor.

Changing gears

Needleman said it's important for the union to look to the past as a guide for the future, but not to stay mired in how things used to be. This reinvention is both positive and exciting in her opinion.

At least 18,000 people are active members of the United Steelworkers in Northwest Indiana, working for companies including BP, the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. and ArcelorMittal, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. By comparison, steel industry employment peaked in the 1970s when the steel industry alone employed about 100,000 workers in the area, according to Times archives.

"They are attempting to find a path that will bring them into alliance or coalition with unions in other parts of the world so they can be in a position to deal with these transnational corporations,” said Needleman, who leads the labor and community studies program at Calumet College of St. Joseph and is a professor emeritus of labor studies at Indiana University Northwest.

While the union has typically been supportive of Democratic political candidates for public office, Needleman said there could be a shift away from backing a particular party. Instead, candidates who have agendas that support workers, regardless of affiliation, could receive support.

The United Steelworkers launched a program in summer 2011 called Next Generation to educate, organize and get younger members active with the union. The program is the union's spin on an effort started at its parent affiliate, the AFL-CIO, a few years ago.

Al Smallwood, recording secretary for United Steelworkers Local 6787 in Portage, said with the average age of a mill employee in the mid-50s, it is important to bring new, young people into the fold before the experienced people retire en masse and the institutional knowledge is lost.

Smallwood, a third generation steelworker, said his father brought him as an adolescent to malls to pass out literature during a picket of Bridgestone and Firestone in the mid-1990s. That is in stark contrast to the low percentage households introduced to union representation in the country and a lack of instruction about labor history.

Smallwood said younger union workers are enthusiastic about getting involved and understand the importance of having a domestic manufacturing base.

"People our age really don't know about the struggle it took us to get to this point ... and there's this sense of entitlement, like this is the way it will stay," said Smallwood, 29. "We're at the point right now where people of our generation are having to fight to keep or regain what the generations before us had.

	USW Statement on President Obama's Appointment To Lead New Interagency Trade Enforcement Center
	trade enforcement is a priority

To: LABOR AND NATIONAL EDITORS

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard issued the following statement today on President Obama's appointment of Bradford Ward to head the new U.S. Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC):

"Today President Obama sent another powerful message that trade enforcement is a priority by appointing Brad Ward to head the new Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC). Brad has three decades as a trade practitioner at the U.S. Department of Commerce before joining the USTR in 2009 with the skills, experience and creativity to turn ITEC into a force for workers, farmers and businesses producing here in the United States.

"We are also pleased to learn the appointment of the ITEC Deputy Director as Constance Handley from the U.S. Commerce Department, where she has 15 years of trade enforcement experience.

"In the President's 2012 State of the Union address, he highlighted the success of his administration's efforts to enforce America's trade laws and announced the creation of the new agency to coordinate trade enforcement among the myriad of responsible agencies. His actions were followed by an Executive Order to create the necessary infrastructure. With today's appointments, the new trade enforcement agency is ready to act.

"There are no shortages of unfair trade practices and barriers challenging our country's ability to compete on a level playing field. Success won't happen overnight. There are far too many obstacles hindering our exports and harming our interests that must be confronted.

"Trade enforcement is a vital component of a pro-growth, pro-jobs economic plan. The Trade Enforcement Center and its new director can help reverse course on the previous Republican administration's neglect of this critical issue."

The USW represents about 850,000 working men and women in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean in a wide variety of industries, ranging from energy, glassmaking to mining, paper, steel, tire and rubber and other manufacturing environments to the public sector, service and health care industries. For more, go to www.usw.org

CONTACT:

 Gary Hubbard (202) 778-4384, cell: (202) 256-8125; ghubbard@usw.org

Wayne Ranick (412) 562-2444; wranick@usw.org

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

	White House should add upcoming GHG, Tier III, and PM NAAQS regulations to list of unnecessary, costly regulations
	welcomed White House plans to eliminate unnecessary regulations that are costing American jobs and harming our economy

API welcomed White House plans to eliminate unnecessary regulations that are costing American jobs and harming our economy, including the elimination of unnecessary vapor recovery systems at gasoline pumps, but urged the administration to eliminate upcoming greenhouse gas, tier III and PM NAAQS regulations that would be even more burdensome.

“The administration is taking steps in the right direction by eliminating regulations that needlessly harm the economy and jobs,” said Howard Feldman, API director of regulatory and scientific affairs. “However, there are even bigger threats to the economy such as EPA’s imposition of greenhouse gas emissions standards for refineries, further reduction in gasoline sulfur levels, and tightening of the already protective fine particle air quality standards. We urge the White House to eliminate them. Air quality continues to improve dramatically.”

Click here for the full list of suggestions API submitted to EPA and here for suggestions to DOI.

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President’s delay tactics on Keystone XL hurt U.S. energy and job security

The American Petroleum Institute challenged President Obama to immediately boost our nation’s economic and energy security by lending his support to the entire Keystone XL pipeline. There is no reason for additional delays now that TransCanada has resubmitted a presidential permit application and Nebraska is evaluating the newly proposed route alternatives that completely avoid the Sand Hills area.

“The earth hasn’t moved, the geology hasn’t changed, the information remains the same, so there should be no reason for a re-review of KXL,” said API Executive Vice President Marty Durbin. “The pipeline will be state of the art and has already been thoroughly examined for more than three years, including three environmental assessments.”

The Keystone XL pipeline route remains the same with the exception of Nebraska. Nebraska is working to move forward on a new route that will avoid the Sand Hills. In addition to bringing 830,000 additional barrels of Canadian oil to the market every day, the pipeline would provide a critical outlet for domestic Bakken crude to reach markets, resulting in even more benefit to consumers.

“The president should take this opportunity to approve the entire pipeline to demonstrate he is serious about an ‘all the above’ energy strategy,” said Durbin. “There is no legitimate reason for delaying this project any further. Keystone XL is a job creator and will bring more reliable Canadian oil to the market, which could help bring downward pressure on prices at the pump. KXL continues to garner more bipartisan support on the Hill and polls continue to show growing public support, so we urge President Obama to support this project that will make us more energy secure.”