When Daniel Pierce appeared in front of the International Trade Commission (ITC) on April 12 to testify against Chinese overcapacity and steel dumping in the United States, he was speaking out not only for himself, but for all workers affected by unfair trade.
Since his facility at U.S. Steel’s Keewatin Taconite operation was idled in May 2015, Pierce and his fellow union brothers and sisters have been hard at work trying to stay afloat amidst the current steel crisis.
“The shutdown has been a very big adjustment,” Pierce, vice president of Local 2660, told the ITC panel. “Not being able to work for the last 11 months has put stress on me, my family, my friends, as we wrestle with the uncertainty of if, or when, we will be able to return to work.”
Pierce knows firsthand the bad trade and dumping have on local communities. It doesn’t just affect the workers; it has a rippling effect across the entire region as everyone out of work cuts back on expenses such as groceries, home repairs, and entertainment.
“When you multiple this by the 350 other workers from Keetac laid off, and folks throughout the Iron Range who are being laid off or seeing their hours reduced, local businesses feel the pain, too.”
Actions like Pierce’s testimony in Washington, D.C., plus members’ involvement in the Rapid Response program, are core to our union’s fight against unfair trade, including deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Members are lobbying their representatives to vote on behalf of workers’ rights, taking part in leadership trainings to rally the troops to keep the program growing and so much more.
In times like these, with countries like China attempting to cheat their way to becoming manufacturing monsters, Pierce is more than aware of how vital the Rapid Response program is to all of our members and how we have to stay motivated this year to move forward.
When it comes to current issues, Pierce notes, “We must make sure we keep track of the decisions lawmakers and candidates make prior to and shortly after the election. We have to keep their feet to the fire, no matter who is in office or where they are in office.”
Life on the Iron Range in Minnesota, where Pierce calls home, as well as everywhere else in America, is tough when plants like his are shut down due to overcapacity. When the nation is given the chance to compete, it wins.
And it’s up to organizations like the United Steelworkers, with members as strong as steel, to unite and bring America back to living up to its full potential.
“Something has broken, and it needs to be fixed,” Pierce said. “We need to get back to making things in this country.”