Thousands Rally in Week of Solidarity at US Steel

Thousands Rally in Week of Solidarity

Click here to download a PDF of this flyer to distribute at your facility.

(August 22) – Thousands of USW members and allies from community and labor groups rallied for fair contracts this week outside steel plant gates and at union halls across the country. The events, which included USW members from both U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal, generated massive media coverage on television and radio as well as from news outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, the Chicago Tribune, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and other publications.

Our largest solidarity event of the week took place in Gary, Ind., where more than 2,000 people from five USW locals marched through the streets chanting, holding “Fair Contract Now” signs and waving Steelworker flags.

A Huge Show of Strength

As our bargaining committee in Pittsburgh continued to make modest progress this week toward a fair settlement with U.S. Steel, this series of events in our communities and the support they generated were a sign to the companies that we have strong support not only from our brothers and sisters and their families, but also from members of the community who know how important steel jobs are to our economy as a whole.

“We recognize that this is a difficult time for the steel industry,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “But we also recognize that for generations, these have been good, middle-class jobs that have allowed workers to care for their families and support their communities. It is important that we make sure that remains true for our generation and for those who come after us.”

Sept. 1 Coming Soon

Our goal continues to be to reach a fair contract settlement in the next 10 days. However, in the event that we do not reach a settlement by Sept. 1, we are planning another series of solidarity events for that date at U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal headquarters, in Pittsburgh and Chicago, to show these companies that we will not allow them to force us into accepting unnecessary concessions. Click here for more details and information on bus sign-ups. 

Keep Up to Date

For the latest information on bargaining and solidarity events, talk to a CAT coordinator or visit usw.org/steel.

In Solidarity,

            Your 2015 U.S. Steel Bargaining Committee

Press Inquiries

Media Contacts

Communications Director:
Jess Kamm at 412-562-2446

USW@WORK (USW magazine)
Editor R.J. Hufnagel

For industry specific inquiries,
Call USW Communications at 412-562-2442

Mailing Address

United Steelworkers
Communications Department
60 Blvd. of the Allies
Pittsburgh, PA 15222