Hundreds of members from around District 11 -- Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming -- gathered for the district conference for days of education and reflection.
Delegates heard from speakers including Director Emil Ramirez, International Secretary-Treasurer Stan Johnson and various staff who discussed ways to build the union. Classes focused on giving members skills to help better organize and serve fellow members and fight growing corporate and political attacks.
USW retirees and some active members of Local 164L, who held the line during a hard-fought strike against Titan Tire, were honored along with members and retirees of Local 310L who had a tought fight with Firestone. Local 310L strike started in July 1994 until they returned to work in May 1995, without a contract. Local 164L endured a strike that started on May 1, 1998, and lasted until September 27, 2001.
Ramirez and Johnson reminded delegates, which included several young Next Generation members, that these brothers and sisters paved the way for members of today and showcased courage as they stood up for all workers.
View photos from the conference on our Flickr page or in the slide show below. (Photos courtesy of Erica Dietz of UnionPix.)
