Of the three Rapid Response and Legislative conferences Jonas Dauber has attended, this year’s was his favorite. Learning more about the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) and getting the opportunity to lobby on Capitol Hill were just two of the accomplishments the conference helped him achieve.
For Dauber, who is the president of Local 10-234 in Trainer, Pennsylvania, the annual event, as well as the entire Rapid Response program, helps members like himself become more informed about issues vital to workers.
“Before I got involved in my local union, I was not very political, but after being educated about current issues and how many legislators are out to take away workers’ rights, I wish I had paid more attention in the past,” Dauber said. “Being involved in Rapid Response is absolutely critical to the future of unions and to the middle class in America.”
Like most in the labor movement, Dauber is more than frustrated over the disastrous TPP, a “free” trade deal that is currently awaiting a vote in Congress. The Rapid Response conference focused largely on the catastrophic effects the legislation would have on America’s economy and workers, and if history tells us anything, it’s that these deals do not benefit anyone except corporations and their allies in Congress.
“After what happened with NAFTA and CAFTA, how could our elected officials even entertain such a horrible piece of legislation? It should be considered treason,” Dauber said.
Although there is a lot stacked against the working class, Dauber knows that the union is made up of strong, driven leaders and members who will do everything in their power to make things right. The Rapid Response event in Washington, D.C., reminded him of that reality, and he is more than proud to be a Steelworker because of it.
“It's just great to know that there are so many people out there on my side who are willing to fight to protect the rights of workers,” Dauber said. “I think it’s a great thing to have such a politically active union.”