As the civil rights committee for a union local that represents a significant portion of the staff of the United Steelworkers (USW), we believe that part of our charge is to periodically assess the USW’s performance when it comes to developing and maintaining a diverse workforce.  In addition, as Steelworkers, we believe having a staff and leadership representative of the diversity of our membership and the communities in which we work is consistent with the core values of our International Union.

This report is partly based on numbers reported directly to the Civil Rights Committee of USW Local 3657 (CRC) by the USW regarding the basic demographics of the U.S.-based membership of the Union in 2012.[1]  The remaining data come from the USW’s 2013 EEO-1 report to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and from available U.S. Census reports.  This year’s report is the first of its kind for our committee, and perhaps, the first of its kind in the forty plus years of our local or the seventy-two year history of our great international union.  None of us are demographers or statisticians, so we hope that our report is both accurate and useful as a means of measuring the USW’s performance in the area of staff diversity.  We welcome comments, questions, and certainly criticism of the constructive variety, all of which may be sent to either of the two co-chairs of this committee:  Guillermo Perez (gperez@usw.org) or Doug Ward (dward@usw.org).

In solidarity forever,

USW Local 3657 Civil Rights Committee: Guillermo Perez, Co-chair; Doug Ward, Co-chair; Sherry Boler; Shirley Bellamy; Jamaal Craig; Janet Hill; Audrey Minor

Click Here to Read the Full Report

By Elizabeth Laux

My heartfelt thanks to my Local 3657 Sisters and Brothers for the opportunity to attend the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) National Executive Board Meeting, 40^th Anniversary Awards Celebration and Women’s Leadership Skills Conference as a member of the National Executive Board (NEB) and Co-chair of the Legislative/Political Committee. It was five days of learning and inspiration, and I came away with a wealth of knowledge I hope to pay forward.

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Join USW International Vice President Fred Redmond and District 10 Director Bobby McAuliffe in supporting the UPMC Workers Fast for the Future
 
Wednesday, April 16th at 11:30am
UPMC Headquarters (600 Grant Street)
Meet in the lobby at 11:15am to walk over

About the UPMC Workers Fast for Our Future
UPMC workers have built an incredible movement to transform our city by transforming UPMC, our largest employer, healthcare provider, landowner and charity.
 
Our movement has won thousands and thousands of supporters – faith leaders, elected officials, community activists and our coworkers – to the simple idea that everyone who works should do so with respect and dignity, and that everyone who needs care should receive it.
 
Every day workers and the people of Pittsburgh challenge UPMC to live up to its charitable mission.  Our fast is also a challenge. It is an act of hope and anticipation, and also a show of strength and determination.  Because UPMC puts profits over people, we have become accustomed to hunger and hardship. When hunger and hardship is experienced in isolation, and outside of a movement for justice, they are just hunger and hardship. Our fast transforms hunger and hardship into a call for justice.  We are putting fasting for ourselves, to test and develop our commitment. We are fasting to call on UPMC to put aside business as usual and work with us to build a better future. 

To:                              USW International

From:                         USW local 3657, Health and Safety Committee

Date of incident:       March 10, 2014

Time of incident:       approximately 10:30 AM

John Lepley, technician in the Education and Membership Development Department, was smacked hard in the head by the handle of the “Challenge” paper cutting machine located in the 9th floor mailroom on Monday, March 10, 2014 at approximately 10:30 AM. Since he got a big bump on his head and his pupils were slightly dilated, he left work to see a doctor before going home for the day. The examining doctor ruled out a concussion since there was no swelling at the injury site and he didn’t lose consciousness.  He has a follow-up check-up Monday, March 17. He returned to work on March 11, 2014 with no restrictions.    

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Brown Bag Lunch with UPMC Workers
Tuesday, February 25th
12 noon
Lobby Conference Room

Over the past several months hundreds of workers at UPMC have been fighting to win decent pay, fairness at work, and a union contract. They have faced one of the most aggressive anti-union campaigns we’ve seen in this region in years. Workers have been threatened, intimidate, fired, and even had the police called on them for talking about the union in their lunchroom.

But still they’re standing up to form a union and Make it Our UPMC.

If workers at UPMC are going to win a union and respect at work, they’re going to need to win a fair process to organize to form a union—one that doesn’t allow their employer to threaten workers and fire them for showing their support for the organizing drive.

On March 3rd UPMC workers and union activists from around Pittsburgh are going to be taking action UPMC’s headquarters.

But before we head out into the streets, we want to hear more about the UPMC workers’ struggle to form a union and win fairness and respect at work. On February 25th at 12 noon some UPMC workers will be joining us in the Lobby Conference Room to tell us why they’re fighting for a union, the resistance they’re facing at work, and what they’re doing to win a fair process for joining the union.

Please join us on February 25th at 12 noon in the lobby conference room to hear from these brave hospital workers who are fighting for a decent standard of living for working people in Pittsburgh.

I was honored to be chosen to attend the 17^th Biennial CLUW Convention in Reno, Nevada as both a delegate and a member of the CLUW Resolutions Committee. I flew to Reno on Monday, November 11.

Tuesday, November 12, at 9 a.m., the Resolutions Committee met to take a final look at the Resolutions chosen for Convention approval and whether or not the Resolution Committee supported the Resolution. We also discussed what order the Resolutions would be presented to the CLUW delegates during the conference. We worked straight through successfully completing support of all the Resolutions with the exception of Resolution 1, the Four Year Plan, which we decided would be best tabled for the delegates to decide.

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USW Local 3657 member Donna Shaver from District 9 was featured on the Union Sportsman Alliance website as this week’s ‘Shot of the Week’ for harvesting a 10 point buck with her muzzleloader.  Congratulations Donna–we’re expecting you to send up some venison chili for this year’s chili cook off!

From http://www.UnionSportsmen.org

Join the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) for food, music and other fun activities

This Saturday: Join your Local 3657 brothers and sisters this Saturday, October 12, as the Pittsburgh labor movement celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month.

This weekend’s event, which will include tables for our local union and other local labor groups, will raise funds for the Latino Family Center. The event will run from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the USW headquarters and will include great Dominican, Mexican, and Peruvian food, salsa music from La Guaracha Latin Dance Band, and other activities for the whole family.

For more information please contact Guillermo Perez at 518-253-9120 or gperez@usw.org.