Life on a Destroyer

Pasty Hits the Spot

About once a year, I get to hankering for some Pasty. My Grandmother used to make Pasty and serve it to a whole bunch of family members. Hers was the size of a big loaf of bread or a big meatloaf.

I can’t remember my Mother ever making Pasty but when vacationing up in Northern Michigan, Elaine and I stop now and then to sample the Pasty at various places.

With the wonderful Indiana garden crops this year we just haven’t been able to find the time necessary to travel to Northern Michigan so Elaine decided to make some for me. I always understood that Pasty originated in Cornwall England where the coal and lead miners would take them into the mines for lunch. The Pasty had thick crust on the edge so they the miners could just pitch the remains away so to keep their fingers away from their mouths.

Elaine just made some a couple days ago and here is a photo of just a few. The rest have found their way to the freezer. For me, they are best made with rutabaga rather than turnips. For those interested in trying some, well you’ll just have to search for your own recipe.

Steel Pride

Steel Communities Make a Comeback

America’s Steel Communities Make a Comeback

For the past 20 years, the American steel industry and its USW steel-sector members have suffered at the hands of surging imports of steel from China. Many American steel mills closed, tens of thousands of workers were laid off, and many communities were devastated by a lack of revenue.

But during the past year, there has been a resurgence in the steel industry with companies rehiring laid-off workers, bringing on new-hires and investing billions of dollars in their mills and factories.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing team recently traveled to four of America’s traditional steel producing areas – Northwest Indiana (Gary area); Fairfield, Alabama; Granite City, Illinois and Coatesville, Pennsylvania – to observe and discuss how conditions are today at these once renowned bastions of steelmaking.

The AAM team spoke with steelworkers, USW officials, company executives, members of the supply chains, community leaders and local business owners affected by the loss of business during the steel industry slowdowns.

It is a comprehensive look at the history and present-day conditions of how these workers and communities fought through the struggles of the 21^st Century.

We encourage you to visit our website and read the full details of the visits as well as listen to the podcasts held in each city. For the complete rundown, please visit AAM online at -

https://www.americanmanufacturing.org

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

Elections Have Consequences!

Yes, Elections Really Have Consequences!

Elections have consequences, and it’s so important that we all vote and encourage others to vote.

The actions of President Trump and some of his appointees couldn’t be clearer. The negative impact on unions and workers is clear. Based on appointees to the National Labor Relations Board, we are seeing very bad decisions for unions and workers. We are also seeing similar bad decisions being considered or coming out of the Department of Labor. His pick for the next labor secretary, Eugene Scalia, has represented Corporate America and has fought against the interest of workers.

It has also been reported that Mick Mulvaney, the president’s acting chief of staff, has encouraged various heads of government agencies to reduce or eliminate certain regulations.

Keep in mind that the Supreme Court and Lower Court Justices are also being appointed based on having conservative opinions regarding matters that could be very important to all of us. Many of these appointees will be with us for decades.

Bill Gibbons, SOAR Executive Board, PACE Representative

Pursuit of American Freedom

Lady Liberty and the Pursuit of American Freedom

I recently visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York and came away with some strong feelings on the present immigration issue. My grandfather came to the United States from Poland, alone when he was 17 without any other family members and no immediate family living in the U.S. We found the documents recording his arrival and saw some of the questions required to enter the country. He declared that he was not insane and was not a criminal. He also possessed no real skills. It was very emotional to see his name, where he ca I me from, the ship he was on and other information like his lack of knowledge of the English language in document form.

I felt something special when I was reminded of the rebuilding of Lady Liberty and the small role his descendants played in the rebuilding. His son and grandson worked at a mill that donated stainless steel rod towards the rebuilding of the Statue of Liberty to replace the old steel skeleton that had rusted.

I was less surprised to learn that two of the top three jobs held by Polish immigrants were working in mines and steel mills. My grandfather worked digging ditches and ultimately became a boss for a small gas company in Western New York. My grandfather’s legacy lives on through my grandchildren, who are the fourth generation of Americans born in this country. 

I wonder what would happen today if an unaccompanied 17-year-old boy who could not read, write or speak English, and had no identifiable skills, showed up at immigration and asked to enter our country to start a new life. 

Bill Pienta, SOAR President

The Power to Decide is Ours

Passing the Torch

We know that union pride is often passed down through the generations.  We feel it when a son or daughter gets a job in the same union shop their parent had retired from; when a union salary makes it possible to send a child to college as a first-generation college student; or when a dental procedure or pair of eyeglasses is affordable because the union negotiated for quality health care.  

Oddly enough, anti-union pride can also find its way down through the lineage.  

In mid-July, the untimely resignation of Alexander Acosta (a story itself too lengthy to get into here) prompted President Trump to nominate Eugene Scalia, son of the late Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia, to be the next Secretary of Labor.  

Following in the footsteps of his father (Antonin), who died in 2016 before he could cast the deciding vote in the anti-union Supreme Court case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, Eugene Scalia has long-represented the likes of Walmart and other companies who strongly oppose workers’ rights.  

The most glaring example of Eugene’s favoritism toward employers is his opposition to a regulation intended to protect workers from repetitive stress injuries.  In 2001, the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate blocked his nomination to the Labor Department on the grounds he had dismissed the regulation because he believed it was based on “unreliable science.”

Eugene Scalia also prevailed in a 2006 case where he served as legal counsel to Walmart, helping them defeat a Maryland law that would have required employers of 10,000 or more to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on employee health care costs.

Come 2020, please remember the power to decide who is the next Secretary of Labor rests in the hands of the United States Congress and President who WE elect.  

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/18/us/politics/eugene-scalia-labor-secretary.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/02/scalia-friedrichs/462936/

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/mar/29/supreme-court-scalia-public-sector-unions 

Julie Stein, SOAR Director

Cadillac Tax Repeal

Repeal of Cadillac Tax Protects Affordable Health Care for Millions - Especially Retirees

by Robert Roach, Jr.

The House recently passed H.R. 748, the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act. It repeals the 40 percent tax on employer-provided health care plans scheduled to take effect in 2022. 

The excise tax, commonly referred to as the “Cadillac Tax,” H.R. 748 passed by a wide margin with Republican and Democratic members voting for it. Now we need the Senate to pass it and send it to the president for signature. 

This excise tax is part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and it was initially conceived as a way to tax wealthy Americans’ high-premium plans to help provide coverage for uninsured individuals and families. In reality, the tax would disproportionately affect middle-class workers and families, and the labor movement has been working hard to repeal it for years.

If it goes into effect, the tax would affect private health care plans, which cost at least $11,200 annually for individual coverage and $30,100 for family coverage. 181 million Americans’ employer-provided health plans would be taxed. 

Experts say that employers will increase premiums and deductibles and even reduce health coverage to avoid paying it. 

Retiree health insurance plans would be especially hard hit. If the tax is implemented, employers could cut benefits for retirees younger than 65 and stop supplemental Medicare coverage for retirees 65 and over. 

Passage of this bill is long overdue and a rare bipartisan moment for the House. We must press the Senate to take action and kill this unfair tax immediately. 

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.

Butch Lewis Act to Save Troubled Pension Plans

Hoosier Tenderloin---The Best

What Can Labor Unions do for Veterans

USW Locals Resolve to Pay First-Year Membership Into SOAR

I Hope Some Local Unions Reconsider Their Policy

It’s a shame that we no longer have bulletin boards to post meeting dates and such to communicate with our chapter members. However, we do have the internet and a Facebook page for those who use a computer. Our SOAR in Action magazine also help to get information to our members by letting them know about serious legislation affecting workers and retirees. We also have this newsletter which gets posted to the Steelworker website for easy access.

That’s why it’s so hard for me to understand why many local unions don’t go by the intent of their resolve to provide the whopping first-year membership dues of twelve dollars for a retiree to be a member of a chapter; but, instead make the retiree go through hoops to get this meager retirement gift.

I’ve run across local union presidents that say such things as:

• “Oh yeah, we’ll provide the first-year membership dues by reimbursing the retiree when he joins the chapter.”
• “We’ll provide the first-year membership dues if the retiree attends the chapter meetings.”
• “We’ll provide the first-year membership dues if the retiree comes in to our office and asks us.”
• “We’ll provide the first-year membership dues if the retiree signs for his dues check off with the company.”

What they don’t seem to understand is that retirees get older each year. They become less mobile, they can’t always walk distances required for marches, and may not be able to stand for long lengths of time.  Gosh, many are in nursing homes or being cared for by a loved one or others. But, by golly, sometimes they are still able to write a letter, make a phone call, sign a postcard and vote in elections.

I’m so grateful that the two local unions sponsoring my own chapter (USW Locals 12775 and 13796) provide the first-year membership dues for their retirees and have done so for the past twenty years without any “ifs, ands, butts, or catches.” There is no need to join the chapter and then get reimbursed; no requirement to attend the chapter meeting (heck, we have members residing in twenty different states); no need to go to the local union office and ask them to provide the first-year membership; no need to sign a dues check off card. 

These retirees devoted their working lives to our union by paying dues for each hour they worked and faithfully supported their local union. I trust they will continue to help the union in any way possible. This is simply a reminder to local unions who read this that a retirement party is nice, a wrist watch is thoughtful, but a membership in a SOAR chapter is truly the gift that will keep on giving back to the union. SOAR is not only how retirees stay connected, but how they continue the fight for retired and working families, by helping to defend vital programs like Social Security and Medicare. 

Charlie

"Out of the Navy - Into the Mines"

“Out of the Navy - Into the Mines”

After graduating from high school in 1961, I joined the Navy and became a “Seabee” (Construction Battalion). I was sent to Alaska and later to Okinawa with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 9 (MCB-9) and was there when President Kennedy was assassinated; discharged in 1966.

In 1967, I hired in at Butler Taconite as a truck driver, where I worked for 36 years. Retiring in 2003 from Keewatin Taconite, I find that I am an active and proud USW retiree.  For nearly a year now I have been the President of the West Range SOAR Retirees Chapter 33-5, having chapter meetings in Marble, Minnesota.

SOAR has made a positive difference in my life; allowing me to keep in touch with some of my Brothers and Sisters from the mines and to help our retirees and our union whenever and however I can.

We try to have interesting, informative speakers at our chapter meetings and we stand ready to help our union, when needed, on the picket line. However, we all agreed that picketing, when it is 65 degrees below zero, is where we draw the line!

Like any group of retirees, the number of members attending the monthly meetings has decreased. Many have passed away, dwindling our meeting participation from about twenty to eight members. I have set as one of my goals to increase meeting attendance and will be looking for ways to do just that.

Roger Holmstrom, President SOAR Chapter 33-5, Grand Rapids, Minnesota

Make That Phone Call

Make That Phone Call!

By Jeff Bonior

Just when we thought an agreement between Congress and the White House to finally address America’s neglected infrastructure was about to happen, President Trump once again quashed the first steps of a deal.

On April 30, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer met with the President and had a productive conversation about a $2 trillion bipartisan plan. The sticking point, as usual, was how to fund such an ambitious project.

They agreed to meet three weeks later, on May 22, to discuss ways to fund the repair and rebuild of America’s crumbling infrastructure.

That meeting lasted less than four minutes as the President walked into the room and berated the Democratic leaders saying he would not negotiate with them until all the investigations into his personal dealings ended.

He is clearly playing politics, hitting back at Democrats for their ongoing investigations of him and his administration. 

Repairing and rebuilding our infrastructure is the one issue that an overwhelming majority of Americans agree upon. If our leaders cannot agree on this bipartisan issue, it is likely a divided Congress will not agree on passing any other meaningful, major legislation.

Meanwhile, Americans will continue to endure the burdens of inadequate roads, bridges, water systems, transportation systems, the electric grid and many more conveniences they rely upon daily.

An aggressive agreement on infrastructure would be a boon to the steel industry and create many thousands of well-paying jobs. A larger and stronger USW membership would be welcomed by SOAR members to help preserve pensions and healthcare.

It is now doubtful that a sincere infrastructure plan will materialize before the 2020 presidential election although the President promised to tackle this problem during his first year in office.

This is an issue that isn’t going away. Our failing infrastructure is making America less competitive and it is also becoming a public safety risk.

We urge you to reach out to your members of Congress and the White House to demand that plans for our infrastructure resume immediately. You can contact your members of Congress at their district offices or by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 where you will be connected to their Washington, D.C. office. To reach the White House and leave your comments call (202) 456-1111.

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

House Legislation on the Right Track

House Legislation Would Help Lower Prescription Drug Prices, Protect the Affordable Care Act

by Robert Roach, Jr.

House Democrats recently passed legislation to lower prescription drug costs and reverse the Administration’s attempts to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA). H.R. 987, the “Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act,” passed 234-183.

The prescription drug provisions have significant bipartisan support, reflecting the fact that Americans pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. Yet only four GOP House members voted for it.

The bill would make it easier for generic drugs to enter the market. Currently, some pharmaceutical corporations purposely delay the introduction of affordable generic alternatives. For example, they make brand-name samples of their drug unavailable to generic manufacturers for testing. By removing these and other barriers, H.R. 987 can reduce drug costs for millions of Americans.

The bill also blocks some of the most harmful elements of the Administration’s ACA sabotage by making it more difficult to sell inadequate short-term insurance plans that destabilize health care exchanges. 

The legislation improves outreach to help more Americans obtain health insurance, provides funds to create more state health exchanges and reduces health care costs for people with pre-existing conditions. Twenty-five million Americans aged 50 to 64 years old have one or more pre-existing conditions.

The House leadership passed this important legislation despite resistance from powerful drug corporations. Now we must dig in and urge Senators to follow suit. We have our work cut out for us.

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.

Just do the Right Thing, already!!!

Just do the Right Thing, Already!!!

In this Connection newsletter, I wanted to share my thoughts about the Alliance for Retired Americans’ (ARA) annual congressional voting record that was released in May, which is recognized as Older Americans Month.  

The ARA has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the labor movement to assure all Americans the right to a secure and dignified retirement.   

Their report assesses votes taken between January 2018 and December 2018 that could impact the well-being of current and future retirees. (Any actions that have been taken by the newly-elected Congress in November 2018 will appear on the report that will be released by the ARA next year.)   

The ARA report shows what many Americans knew already:  that a vast majority of Congress was not looking out for the best interests of retirees. This explains why Americans voted to oust the largest number of incumbents since the Watergate scandal in 1974.  In fact:  

• Only 42% of Senators voted right on 100% of ARA-scored bills, compared to just 28% of U.S. House members; and, 
• Only 49% of Senators and 41% of U.S. House members voted right on 2/3 of the ARA-scored bills in 2018. 

All 41 of the U.S. House seats that flipped from Republican to Democratic control in the 2017 election were represented by a legislator who voted wrong on at least 50% of the bills scored by the ARA.  In fact, 12 of the 17 members who voted wrong 100% of the time were either defeated or retired in 2018.  Meanwhile, 99% of the members who voted right on all of the ARA-scored bills won reelection.      

So, if there are any members of Congress reading this who are concerned about reelection in 2020, I have one bit of advice that could go a long way...Doing right by retirees will help your chances more than you can imagine!

To see the full report, click here

Or, go to: https://retiredamericans.org/voting-record/

Julie Stein, SOAR Director

Harry Hynd, SOAR Vice President Emeritus

Harry Hynd, SOAR Vice President Emeritus

During WWII, Harry Hynd was among other British children preparing to emigrate to Australia, but their plans soon changed when one of the ships going to Canada was torpedoed by a German U-Boat. 

In 1951, Harry began his union career in Scotland, where he worked as an Engineer in a coal mine and became a steward in the National Union of Mineworkers. The extreme danger and dust was too much for his liking, so in 1957, Harry emigrated to Canada and went to work for STELCO in Hamilton, Ontario. He joined USWA Local 1005 and soon became a Union Steward. In 1971, he joined the Steelworkers Staff.

Harry served as the Assistant to the District 6 Director, Leo Gerard, and became the District 6 Director in 1991, when Leo became Canadian National Director. Harry held that position until he retired in 2002.

Harry has been a Vice President of the Ontario Federation of Labour, a member of the Federation’s Education Committee, and Chair of its Safety and Health Committee.

In 2005, USW International President Leo W. Gerard appointed him SOAR Vice President, to fill the vacancy created when Ken O’Neal stepped down due to health concerns. Harry was then elected SOAR Vice President at the following International SOAR Conference.

Harry and his wife, Margaret, are both active in the New Democratic Party. They have two children (both girls) and three grandchildren (all girls). 

Harry likes hard work and he loves to fix things. A real do-it-yourselfer. Margaret claims that “driving her crazy” is another of Harry’s hobbies. They both have many friends in Cuba and frequently vacation there as well as in Scotland, where they visit about every other year.

In April, 2019, Int’l President Leo W. Gerard honoured SOAR Vice President Harry Hynd for his considerable contribution to the growth of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees, and to the many years of service to our union, by appointing him to the position of Vice President, Emeritus.

From Our SOAR President

SOARing Reports

This year, during the Rapid Response Conference, SOAR will hold their annual Executive Board meeting. This meeting will extend over 2 to 2-1/2 days, covering many topics of interest. At this meeting, we will plan our activities for the upcoming year and give reports on the activities and involvement of SOAR Chapters in each District. While we continue to talk about the “good-ole-days,” SOAR has long since transformed into an organization tackling many crucial issues concerning the need to maintain a well-earned, comfortable standard of living in retirement today and into the future.

SOAR Chapters also work hand-in-hand with their district or local offices, to aide in the fights that many of our locals face with greedy employers and branches of government that try to weaken Unions and/or suppress workers’ rights and benefits.  In our Districts, SOAR is working with other organizations that share our concerns and values, which makes SOAR an even more dynamic and respected organization within our community.

At the upcoming SOAR Executive Board meeting, when it is time for reports, what will your Executive Board member have to report regarding your SOAR Chapter? If your SOAR Chapter has not been as active as you would like, please raise the issue at your next meeting, in an attempt to stimulate discussion of ideas about how your Chapter can become more involved.

Please provide pictures and a short write-up of any activities that your group participated in to assist your EBoard member in their report.

On Memorial Day, please take the time to remember those that have made great sacrifices so we can continue to be who we are and do what we do.

Bill Pienta, SOAR President

Steel From Start To Finish

Stevie Wonder-Yesterme, Yersteryou, Yesterday