USW Local 5 Bringing Labor and Community Together

Park

USW Local 5 at the Tesoro, Shell, Chevron and other oil refineries in Martinez, Calif. has done remarkable work – not only for their community – but to honor workers who lost their lives on the job as well.  In 1994, the local purchased a piece of property that included a Victorian home it hoped to use as their union hall.  Unfortunately, the local had to tear the house down. By renting the property to tenants, however, they raised enough money to build a new meeting hall and training center dedicated and named for Jeffrey Dodge.  Brother Dodge was a long time service representative at the local from 1980 to 2007, when he passed away. Bust

The state-of-the-art Jeffrey R. Dodge Labor Center houses several different labor organizations, such as ATU, AFSCME and local labor councils. Through generation of funds for upkeep of the property, they have been able to make improvements such as making the building and the parking lot ADA compliant. To the benefit of their tenants and membership, they now have a place for breaking bread and creating solidarity between the community and labor.  This past year, Local 5 dedicated 5,000 square feet on the corner of the property to building a park and a memorial to workers.  Adding picnic tables and beautiful landscaping, the local has created a family-friendly place for both the local and the community.

This park opened on Workers Memorial Day, dedicating it Oil Worker Memorial Park. A stainless steel bust of an oil worker commissioned by Phil Hauser stands in the center of the park. The unique quality of this bust is that the onlooker’s reflection appears as the face of the bust. The purpose of this came from wanting to share an experience with the membership to help them personalize the potential for loss of life in this dangerous industry and the need to keep safety in mind at all times. When they step up to the bust, they are able to see the reflection of themselves and are reminded of how quickly life can change.

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