Next Wednesday, February 23, Local 3657 will be sponsoring a caravan to USW Local 40, Special Metals in Huntington, WV. These sisters and brothers have been on an unfair labor practice strike for over 130 days, with no end in sight. They work for a very profitable company, owned by Warren Buffet, that is trying to strip them of healthcare benefits and other key workplace protections. LU 3657 is delivering a generous donation approved by our membership at our January monthly meeting to help them “last one day longer”.
This is the second trip LU 3657 has taken to support these workers. Beyond the financial support and the necessities we delivered, there was no question that seeing union staff from Pittsburgh was a big lift for morale. It’s also important that those of us whose paychecks are financed by these members understand the sacrifice that is being made to maintain this union and the quality of life it fights for every day.
The International Union has agreed to treat this as a paid in-service day, as long as you get your supervisors’ approval to take the trip.
We will leave from the HQ building at 6am next Wed. 2/23 and return around 7pm.
Please notify Ike Gittlen (igittlen@usw.org), if you would like to participate as soon as possible. Vans are available if you want a ride. If you want to drive your own vehicle, please also let us know and if you have extra seats for others. There is no cost to participate, and we hope that District Office staff can also join us.
If you’ve been to a strike line, you know how important this is. If you haven’t, be prepared to gain a much deeper understanding of our members struggles and the importance of the organization we all work for.
United Steelworkers Local 3657 