USW Mobilizes Week of Events to Demand Fairness at U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal
Click here to download a PDF of this handbill to distribute at your facility
(August 14) As our contract negotiations in Pittsburgh continue to proceed slowly, Steelworkers at U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal are gearing up for a busy week of events.
Our sisters and brothers from ArcelorMittal will set the stage for action with their national day of action on Wednesday, August 19th. Then Steelworkers from U.S. Steel, ArcelorMittal and Cliffs Natural Resources will come together for a Solidarity on the Iron Range mobilization in Virginia, MN on Thursday, August 20. And U.S. Steel local unions will cap off the week with major actions on Friday, August 21st. The day will culminate with a mass “Solidarity on the Lakefront” march and rally in downtown Gary, IN on Friday afternoon.
Please plan ahead to participate in the event scheduled for your local next week and help us fight U.S. Steel management’s unfair and unnecessary demands. Click here to find an action in your area!
While management persists in its proposals to drive down our compensation and force USW members to pay significantly more for active and retired health benefits that are unlikely to provide the coverage of our current plans, it’s vitally important to show the company that we remain united.
Getting Ready to Do Whatever It Takes to Win a Fair Contract
Against the backdrop of today’s announcement that steelmaker Allegheny Technologies will lockout 2,200 Steelworkers at 12 sites around the country, Steelworkers at U.S. Steel are organizing strike and lockout preparation sessions at local unions across the country. Local union activists at each site are coming together to make plans to organizing picket lines, mobilize community support, and administer strike or lockout assistance in the event of a work stoppage.
Certainly nobody wants to go through the hardship of a strike or a lockout but, as the old saying goes, ‘the best way to prevent a strike is to actively prepare for one.’ At the table, we are absolutely committed to continue to struggle for the fairness and dignity we have earned through generations of hard work and sacrifice. Our committee continues to meet both internally and with management as the process continues.
But we also know that our true strength lies in the support and solidarity of our membership. And we know that the mobilization and action that we’re seeing at U.S. Steel locations around the country is sending a clear message that Steelworkers at U.S Steel are strong, we’re united, and we’re prepared to do whatever it takes to win a fair contract.
In Solidarity,
Your 2015 U.S. Steel Bargaining Committee