Lynn Williams Street

Lynn Williams Street

Lynn Williams Street is named after one of Canada’s pre-eminent labour leaders. The street is located near the site of the former John Inglis plant, one of the major manufacturing facilities that laid the foundation for industrial Ontario.

Lynn Williams joined the United Steelworkers at Inglis in 1947 and in 1984 became the first Canadian elected international president of the union United Steelworkers of America.

Lynn Williams has always been a passionate advocate for industrial democracy and for the right of working people to have an effective voice in their place of work.
Presented May 7, 2007

Al Franken gets USW Support

District 11 Announces Candidate for the Minnesota 2008 U.S. Senate Race

For Immediate Release May 17, 2007

On May 16, 2007 in Minneapolis, the United Steelworkers District 11 screened the Democratic announced candidates for the Minnesota 2008 U.S. Senate race.

“We chose to endorse Mr. Franken for several important reasons.” said Bob Bratulich, Director of USW District 11. Among these were the following:
Al Franken is the only candidate running an aggressive, statewide grassroots’ campaign that has the capability of mobilizing working families in November, 2008.
Al Franken supports and when elected will co-sponsor the Employees’ Free Choice Act.
Al Franken supports “Fair Trade” that gives American workers a level playing field and enforces environmental and labor standards.
Al Franken understands the needs of working families including universal health care, early childhood education and retirement security.
In the last year or so Mr. Franken has traveled Minnesota widely. His closeness to working families and our issues is the reason why Al received the near-unanimous support of the USW District 11.

“We proudly, give our endorsement to Al Franken for U.S. Senate we know that he will stand up for working families and the things Steelworkers have fought for.” said Bratulich.

Contact: Bob Bratulich (612) 623-8045
Stan Daniels (612) 623-8045

Memorial Day Massacre Celebration

On May 30, 1937, striking Republic Steel workers and sympathizers attempted to establish a picket line at the front of the mill on Chicago's South side. The protesting marchers, including families from the surrounding area were halted when met by a line of Chicago police officers in a field north of the mill gate. Following a short standoff, violence erupted; 10 protesters died and approximately 90 were injured while retreating from police clubs, tear gas, and bullets. The episode stands as one of the most violent in the history of U.S. labor organization.

The ReUNION Project Invites YOU

To A Celebration You’ll Remember

To: All ReUNION Activists in the Chicago Area
RE: Special Memorial Day Massacre 70th Anniversary Celebration

Dear ReUNION Activist,

The ReUNION Project is coordinating with the United Steelworkers Union and various Community Groups to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Memorial Day Massacre. There is no cost to this event.

Date: Sunday; May 27, 2007
Time: 2pm
Place: Memorial Hall, 11731 Avenue “O”, Chicago, IL

Special Speaker: Leo W. Gerard
International President, United Steelworkers Union

Come – Enjoy – Bring Family and Friends – Learn – Participate

Make a Difference

A Project of The United Steelworkers and Participating American Steel Companies ReUNION is Non-Partisan and open to anyone interested in improving Trade policy, Retirement Income Security and Health Care.

INFOALERT from Rapid Response

May 21, 2007
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON, DC ON TRADE

Recently, the House Ways and Means Committee announced that it had reached agreement with the Bush Administration on additional provisions to be added to free trade agreements the Bush Administration has negotiated with Peru and Panama. The description of the additional provisions appears to be a significant improvement since it calls for assurances of labor rights and environmental safeguards in the agreements. But the devil is in the details. No language has been released and enforcement is still in the hands of the Administration. Stay tuned.

However, regardless of how good the language might or might not be in those two agreements, nothing would change our opposition to the Columbia and Korea trade agreements. Columbia has been a killing ground for trade unionists, and it is hardly sufficient for the Columbian government to say, “Ratify the trade agreement, and we’ll try harder.” The Korean trade agreement, by the reports we’ve heard, basically sells out our U.S. manufacturing workers to gain some advantage for our agricultural industry.

Also, instead of reauthorizing Fast Track authority, which has allowed the Bush Administration to negotiate disastrous trade deals and ram them through Congress, it is time to fix the trade imbalance problem.

We should be concentrating on:

• Creating a climate to revitalize manufacturing in this country.

• Strengthening our trade laws so we can counter currency manipulation and foreign government subsidies which have been robbing American jobs.

• Improving the wholly inadequate trade Adjustment Assistance Act which has been a broken promise for displaced workers.

• Dealing with our health care system that is putting us at a competitive disadvantage in the global economy.

We need to solve the trade problem – not make it bigger!
Rapid Response will keep you updated. Be ready!

USW Rapid Response (412) 562-2291 http://www.uswrr.org

The First Union, a poem

By Charlie Averill

So often now we hear alot about the Middle East.
We wonder why they fight so much, and why it hasn't ceased.
Many books and writings, will help us with the quest,
but of them all I think I've stumbled on the very best.

Like many other questions, the answers we are liable
to find within the holy book, the one we call The Bible.
Even our Unions history, goes way far back you see,
to when the trodden Israelites were seeking to be free.

Ole Pharaoh thought he'd show em all by pulling dirty tricks,
and making them without no straw, just keep producing bricks.
But those folks said, "enoughs enough, our straw Pharaoh did rob",
and Moses told em, everyone, to sit down on the job.

So when the question comes "who was the first labor leader"?
You can feel mighty proud and sure to tell the reader;
Moses led the first sit down strike, and that ain't no jive,
and if you don't believe me look it up in Exodus five.
© Charlie Averill 1993

Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan

Anthem/Wellpoint CEO Larry Glasscock had a tough year, his salary fell 19% to only $12.8 million in 2006…

Meanwhile, 46 million Americans are uninsured….
Indiana leads the nation in medical bankruptcies…
and our health care costs are increasing at twice the national average

Had enough of the health insurance industry’s excessive profits and overpaid executives?

Think it’s time for universal insurance and people over profits? If so, join us in protest when the WORLD’S LARGEST health insurance company holds its annual shareholders’ meeting.

WHAT: Rally to call for universal health care and Congressional support for H.R. 676, legislation to extend Medicare to all Americans.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 16, 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: Anthem/Wellpoint headquarters, 120 Monument Circle, downtown Indianapolis

Sponsored by Hoosiers for a Common Sense Health Plan
For more information: Julia Vaughn, 317-432-3264
jvaughngyure07@yahoo.com or www.hchp.info

Who is the real enemy?

Can you believe these people?
Ten billion dollars a month we spend in this stinking Iraq quagmire, ($424 billion so far).
Three thousand three hundred eighty one (3,381) servicemen and women dead so far.
The Iraqi government wants to take a two month vacation.
Republicans continue to support a sociopathic president bent on doing exactly what the enemy wants us to do, stay and bleed in Iraq.

Tell your Congressman to stop this insanity before we become a third world nation.
Charlie Averill

Global Union Solidarity

USW Signs Historic Global Union Solidarity Agreement

On April 18, the USW and Amicus-T&G of the United Kingdom signed an agreement that will prepare the ground for the creation of a global union. The Ottawa Accord, signed by myself, Amicus General Secretary Derek Simpson and Canadian National Director Ken Neumann (T&G General Secretary Tony Woodley will sign the agreement in June) during a ceremony at the Canadian National Policy Congress, sets up a merger exploratory committee to lay a foundation for a legal merger within one year. Our new union would represent more than 3.4 million members in North America, the UK and Ireland, and will set the stage for an even larger union representing additional millions of workers throughout the world.
Source: USW website

Joe Donnelly, Champion for Working Families and Retirees

The second congressional district in Indiana now has a true champion in Congressman, Joe Donnelly. Joe is keeping his promises to working families and retirees.