 |
Holly R. Hart is first woman to head Washington, DC office
Leo W. Gerard, President of the United Steelworkers (USW) today announced appointment of Holly R. Hart as legislative director effective Dec. 1, making her the first woman as the USW’s chief lobbyist.
Hart will direct the USW legislative staff with responsibility for representing the union’s membership on Capitol Hill and among the federal agencies that serve working families.
“We need a practiced hand who is respected as the best on the issues of workers’ organizing rights, fair trade, health care, retirement security and legislative policies that put working families first,” Gerard said. “Holly is our most experienced legislative leader and will be an effective advocate for our members.”
Hart has served in the USW Washington office since 1991, becoming a legislative representative in 2000 and assistant director in March of this year, stepping into the top job shortly after the retirement of William Klinefelter, who held the position for ten years. Hart helped develop the USW’s legislative intern program that has trained nearly 200 workers represented by the union in an 11-week program to strengthen legislative field capacity.
Hart’s legislative priorities have been to stop bi-lateral U.S. free trade agreements that lack enforceable labor and environmental standards. In 2002, she helped win the Section 201 steel tariff that was implemented by the U.S. President. She began her USW career in 1973 as an administrative assistant in Reading, Pa., later moving to Harrisburg to work for the USW Pennsylvania legislative committee representing nearly 100,000 workers statewide.
|
|
NEWS ARTICLES
