Don't Confuse Social Programs with Socialism

SOAR Membership by-law update: Join Us!

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Eligibility for membership in SOAR shall be extended on the following bases:

1. Membership in SOAR shall be granted to any and all persons who retires from an

enterprise, public or private, or any other place within the jurisdiction of the Union including

service as an employee of the Union and at that time be a member in good standing of the United

Steelworkers. An individual who retires from a supervisory position with an employer

represented by the United Steelworkers may be a member if that individual had been a member

in good standing in the bargaining unit at any time prior to accepting a supervisory position.

2. The spouse or surviving spouse of said retiree shall be eligible for full membership in

SOAR with the same rights and privileges enjoyed by retirees as defined in Section 1 of this

Article.

3. Any person eligible for membership in the United Steelworkers within the terms of the

Constitution of the International Union.

4. Any like-minded person age 45 and over who agrees with and supports the guiding

principles and programs of our organization shall be eligible for full membership in SOAR with

the same rights and privileges enjoyed by retirees as defined in Section 1 of this Article.

5. SOAR Chapter membership may be maintained through local retirees' chapters

including through membership in an existing retirees' chapter affiliated with the United

Steelworkers provided said chapter's purposes and policies are consistent with those of SOAR.

6. A person shall maintain SOAR Chapter membership by satisfying the conditions for

membership established by the Executive Board of the International Union, including the

payment of dues as set by the Executive Board of SOAR with the approval of the Executive

Board of the United Steelworkers.

7. Any member who for any cause shall cease to be a SOAR Chapter member shall

forfeit all rights and interests in the SOAR Chapter.

8. The International SOAR office or a SOAR Chapter may issue to a member in good

standing a ''transfer certificate" transferring membership from one Chapter to another. All

transfer requests must be submitted in writing to the International SOAR office.

Conspiracy Trial of the Chicago 8

Hold on to Your Wallet

Grab Your Wallets and Pocketbooks and Hold Tight!  

Mitt Romney is aiming to get back on the national stage, and this time Little Lord Fauntleroy is threatening our Social Security and Medicare to accomplish his goal.

  

Earlier this month, the Republican Senator from Utah, convinced three other members of the Senate to join him as co-sponsors of his TRUST (Time to Rescue United States Trusts) Act. The bill is falsely aimed at reducing the federal deficit.  “Falsely” because even as the guru of trickle-down economics, Ronald Reagan once declared, “Social Security has nothing to do with the deficit.” The Gipper went on to say that the retirement savings trust is a pay-as-you-go program, which is supported by payroll contributions made by workers and their employers.  It has never added a penny to the national debt, but for some reason many right-wing politicians run with the false narrative that the answer to fixing the national debt is found in reducing Social Security.

But truth be damned, Romney charges on telling anyone who will listen to his baseless claim that, “If you ever want to see a balanced budget, if you ever want to get out of debt, you have to deal with these trust funds. The trusts that the Senator refers to are: Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance, S.S. Disability Insurance, Medicare Hospital Insurance, and the Highway Trust Fund.

Most Steelworkers are aware of the Social Security trusts.  However, some may be unfamiliar with the Highway Trust. The fund is a federal program that is funded by fuel and other related excise taxes. It is actually two accounts. One account provides dollars to support mass-transit expansion and development; while the other supports improvements of surface transportation and infrastructure repairs.  

So, how would the Romney TRUST Act work?  If the bill is passed, the U.S. Treasury Department would have 30 days to prepare and deliver a report to Congress on the status of the trusts. Congressional leaders would then form a “rescue” committee for each trust fund.  Those committees would be made up of at least two members of each political party. They would meet to develop legislation to repair the funds’ solvency and identify other improvements.

Finally, any qualified legislative proposals arising from the committee process will get expedited consideration before the House and Senate.  Critics are concerned that the expedited process is akin to “FAST TRACK!”  They fear that proposals would get hammered out in closed-door sessions. Once they were approved by the rescue committee, they would be sent for a floor vote of yes or no.  There would be no hearings, no debate, and no amendment. If that process sounds familiar, it’s the same process used to pass every failed trade agreement the country has ever entered into, and we have all seen how well that worked out!

Romney’s TRUST Act is a ploy being perpetrated in the name of bi-partisanship. Its real goal is to cut benefits, raise the retirement age, and ultimately privatize the trusts working-class families have come to rely on.  These trusts have been disguised as fiscal responsibility. Don’t be fooled by gimmicky marketing, now is the time to expand Social Security and Medicare -- not to cut them!

Jay McMurran, District 2 SOAR Board Member

Protect Our Pensions

Alliance for Retired Americans Hosts 2019 Pension Seminar 

by Robert Roach, Jr.

More than two dozen speakers from unions and government agencies, as well as bankruptcy attorneys, young workers and others, shared strategies recently to address the growing pension crisis and the effects of corporate bankruptcy on millions of Americans. During the two-day event, attendees also discussed other pillars of retirement security, including Social Security and Medicare.

Multiemployer pension plans, which are collectively bargained pension plans maintained by a labor union and more than one employer, were a focus of the event. More than one million Americans who depend on multiemployer pension plans for their retirement income are at risk of losing their pension due to corporate bankruptcies that have threatened the solvency of these plans. Without Congressional action, more than 100 multiemployer pension plans in critical and declining status are likely to fail within the next 20 years, jeopardizing the retirement income of the workers and retirees. 

Highlights of the seminar included: Rep. John Larson of Connecticut spoke about steps that should be taken to protect the retirement benefits that workers have earned after a lifetime of hard work, including his legislation to expand Social Security benefits.

Also, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka spoke about the need to protect pension benefits when companies declare bankruptcy, stressing that bankruptcy laws are not designed to protect retirees who worked hard their entire lives - instead, they protect the millionaires and CEOs.

Elizabeth Shuler, Executive Vice President of the Alliance and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, called for passage of two pieces of legislation pending in Congress to provide immediate relief to millions of workers at risk of losing their earned pension and health benefits: the American Miners Act of 2019 and the Butch Lewis Act. We are grateful to all who participated.

Robert Roach, Jr. is president of the Alliance for Retired Americans.  He was previously General Secretary‐Treasurer of the IAMAW.  For more information, visit www.retiredamericans.org.

Have You Heard? The Robots are Coming!

Season's Greetings

Season’s Greetings from the SOAR Office 

During this holiday season, our thoughts turn gratefully to those that help us build SOAR. Simply and truly we thank you.

On behalf of the entire SOAR organization, we wish you a joyous holiday season, to be followed by a safe, happy and healthy New Year.  May it also bring plenty of opportunities to stay active and involved with SOAR.

In solidarity; and in the spirit of the season,

Julie Stein and Alysse Rico

Sailors Render Honors on December 7

SOAR is Active and Involved

SOAR Active and Involved

Recently, SOAR has been involved in two USW sponsored conferences: During the third week of November, SOAR participated in a workshop and had an information booth at the first-ever Next Gen Conference, in Pittsburgh. During the last week of October, SOAR participated at the Rapid Response Conference, in Washington, D.C.  

At the RR Conference, 46 SOAR activists were involved in a rally and participated in lobbying our elected representatives on issues of importance to active and retired workers, as well as attending District meetings and general sessions of all those in attendance. 

Many seasoned SOAR members were teamed with first-time attendees and helped them navigate through the process of lobbying. Many of the SOAR attendees were there because of the generosity of their District Directors. Without their help and support, our numbers would have been greatly reduced. All of the SOAR members who attended the RR conference should make a point of thanking their local union or district director for providing the support to allow their participation. 

Participation by SOAR at the Next Gen Conference proved to be both energizing and educational. I believe SOAR and Next Gen have much to offer each other and can learn from each other if we choose to talk to instead of talking at each other. Many of our issues are different; but, we have common ground on many, and we should work hard to find the issues on which we can agree and work together on those issues. 

Four years ago, no one was speaking about SOAR and Next Gen and Rapid Response working together to address issues; and now today, we cannot think about conducting activities without the input and involvement of these resources. 

I think that is what I like most about this Union. The policy of the USW of inclusion and working together to help others is something we can and should all be proud of.

Bill Pienta, SOAR President

It's a Wonderful Day

Oh Yes, We're Watching

Active and Retired Workers are Watching

Tuesday, November 5 marked another momentous election for union-endorsed candidates, with the two most notable demonstrations of the labor movement resurgence coming from Kentucky and Virginia.                                                                                            In Virginia, the labor movement and our union, specifically, will remember this election as a significant victory in our work to reverse the many ways Virginians have been hurt by the state’s so-called “Right to Work” law and the persistence of an anti-worker majority in the State House (1997-2019) and State Senate (2015-2019).   

Our union committed significant resources in this campaign with a core group of activists who knocked doors in addition to a targeted “Get-Out-The-Vote” mailing that hit mailboxes just before Election Day.  USW activists accounted for more walk shifts than any other affiliate that participated in the AFL-CIO program, which helped lift six union-backed candidates to victory in legislative districts previously held by anti-labor lawmakers (two in the State Senate and four in the House).   

This new pro-worker majority in the state legislature will be a welcome addition to the labor-friendly Governor, Ralph Northam, who we helped elect in 2017.  

In Kentucky, USW activists led the way in a labor-led victory for Andy Beshear, defeating incumbent Governor Matt Bevin who earned the ire of teachers and first-responders when he supported legislation that would force them to work longer before even being eligible for retirement, and enforce deep cuts in benefits for future retirees.  Additionally, Bevin reversed the state’s tradition of respecting union rights when he signed the so-called “Right to Work” law in 2017.  

On the promise to fight on behalf of retirees and workers in Kentucky, Andy Beshear pledged to work with labor to protect pensions, strengthen public education, and expand access to good jobs and health care.  

With 2020 on everyone’s mind, we should understand one thing very clear:  Active and retired workers are watching.  

Julie Stein, SOAR Director
Source: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article208518614.html

We Thank You Congressman Visclosky

Rep. Visclosky to Enjoy Well-Deserved Retirement 

The American steel industry is losing one of its staunchest allies in Congress at the conclusion of the current session. 

U.S. Representative Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) announced in early November that he will not seek re-election in 2020 after serving 35 years in Congress representing the popular steel mill district of Northwest Indiana just south of Chicago. 

Visclosky was born in Gary, Indiana and has been in office since 1986, making him the longest-serving member of Indiana’s Congressional delegation. He has fought tirelessly for the betterment of the American steel industry and USW members. 

Visclosky represents Indiana’s Congressional District 1, which is the largest steel-producing district in the country. U.S. Steel’s Gary Works and ArcelorMittal’s plate mill in Burns Harbor are in Visclosky’s district and the congressman has always stood front and center during the trying times in America’s steel industry. 

Over his long Congressional career, Visclosky has represented thousands of USW members and could always be counted on to voice the concerns of our union brothers and sisters. 

Visclosky was a leader of the Congressional Steel Caucus for many years and he fought for tougher trade enforcement rules. He has been a crucial voice in combating China’s “dumping” of cheap, state- subsidized steel into the U.S. He realized that steel production was the foundation of Northwest Indiana and the foundation of our national defense and national security. 

And he fought to provide and keep the well-paying, benefit-friendly steel mill jobs in the part of Indiana known as The Region. America’s steelworkers will be hard-pressed to find another ally in Congress as effective as Visclosky. 

The Alliance for American Manufacturing wants to thank Rep. Visclosky for his stellar career in support of steelworkers and manufacturing. We hate to see you go Pete; but, enjoy your well-deserved retirement. 

Jeff Bonior is a staff writer at the Alliance for American Manufacturing