Convention is Over, the Election Season is Almost Over…Now the International needs to respond to our concerns.

The issues that we have been waiting on the International to respond to have been piling up dramatically over the past several months. We’re waiting on responses on grievances, information requests, issues brought up during our human relations committee meetings, scheduling of anti-harassment training, expanding our anti-discrimination language, printing our contracts and dozens of other issues. Over the summer we were told that things would need to wait until after Convention. After convention we were told that things would need to wait until after the Elections. Now with the election season almost over there are no more excuses. We need answers and we need to move some of this important work forward.

Local 3657 is compiling a list of items we are waiting on responses to and starting right after the election we are going to publish it on our website and e-mail it out to our membership and to the International Union each month until all open items are resolved. We will also likely be organizing activities to put some additional pressure on the International Union to encourage them to respect our Local Union and respond to our concerns in an timely and appropriate manner.

If any committees have concerns that have been raised with the International but have not yet been addressed, please get them to Patrick Young or Dianne Babin as quickly as possible.

Building Deeper Relationships in the Field

Over the next two months we plan on taking some steps to help deepen our relationships with our sisters in the field. Districts 1 and 9 are planning their fellowship events in November and December and we are going to make sure that we have a representative from the executive board travel out to those events to meet with those members, hear their concerns and begin to identify some additional activists who would be interested in stepping up to be more involved in our local union.

Taking Action Around Pittsburgh

Over the past month, Local 3657 activists have been very active around Pittsburgh and around the country. On October 6^th, Fight Back Pittsburgh hosted youth activists from around the city for a Next Gen night at its monthly membership meeting. On October 11, Local 3657 activists traveled to Metropolis, Illinois to take to the streets with Local 7-669 who has been locked out at that site for almost three months. Then the team of 3657 and Fight Back Pittsburgh road warriors traveled on to Ferguson, Missouri to participate in the “Ferguson October” protests demanding justice for Michael Brown and an end to police violence. On October 22, Local 3657 activists participated in the National Day of Action against Police Brutality. Guillermo Perez spoke at that protest representing our local and LCLAA. Later that night, about a dozen members of Local 3657 attended the annual Just Harvest dinner to support an important local charity.

First ‘Solidarity Happy Hour’

This Thursday, October 30^th, Local 3657 is hosting our first ‘Solidarity Happy Hour’ at Genoa’s Pizzeria at 111 Market St. We’ve invited activists from Fight Back Pittsburgh and local union leaders from USW oil sector locals around the country to join us. This is the first of a series of ‘Solidarity Happy Hours’ and we are hoping that these events will allow us to build deeper and stronger relationships with each other as well as our key allies in the community and around our union. If you’re available please join us on Thursday, October 30^th at 5pm at Genoa’s on Market Street.