Members of USW Local 3657 today adopted the following resolution:

Resolution on the January 6 Insurrection

WHEREAS, United Steelworkers Local 3657, as a democratic institution, is wholly dedicated to the preservation and defense of democratic institutions in the United States, and,

WHEREAS, USW Local 3657 denounces and stands fully and resolutely against any and all white supremacists, fascist militias, neo-Nazis and all other avowed racists and far-right extremists and,

WHEREAS, the former President of the United States, Donald Trump, members of his family, his advisers, many of his supporters in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, and countless other politicians, members of the media and citizens across the country repeatedly lied about and refused to accept the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election, and,

WHEREAS, these repeated lies were used to deliberately incite violent behavior among white supremacists, fascist militias, neo-Nazis and other supporters of the former president, culminating with the violent Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, which threatened the lives of hundreds of elected officials and workers, and,

WHEREAS, this violent insurrection was an attempted coup that resulted in the deaths of five Americans and serious injuries to numerous others and threatened the very foundations of our democracy and,

WHEREAS, the former president and his supporters have repeatedly failed to denounce the words and actions of white supremacists and others involved in this attempt to overthrow American democracy, who have since threatened further violence against American citizens and elected officials, so,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that USW Local 3657 calls on law enforcement to prosecute to the fullest extent possible all of the violent insurrectionists who were involved in planning, inciting and carrying out the attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that USW Local 3657 calls on members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to expel any lawmakers found to have been involved in inciting or aiding the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and,

FINALLY,  NOW, BE IT RESOLVED that USW Local 3657 calls on all members of the U.S. Senate to vote to convict former President Trump on the charge of “incitement of insurrection.”

ADOPTED, THURSDAY, JAN. 28, 2021

The Local 3657 membership voted today to adopt the following resolution:

A Resolution on the Defense of Our Democracy

WHEREAS, United Steelworkers Local 3657 is committed to the defense of democratic rights and the institutions of democracy regardless of party affiliations in our nation;

WHEREAS, the current President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and Vice President Mike Pence, have consistently refused to state publicly that he will respect the outcomes of the election and, in the case of his loss, concede the office of President;

WHEREAS, numerous public officials, including the President, have begun a concerted campaign of dismantling of key infrastructure, such as the U.S. Postal Service, engaged in clear acts of voter suppression and misinformation designed to sow mistrust in the integrity of our national elections;

WHEREAS, U.S. law requires voting results and Electoral College tallies to be completed and submitted to Congress by the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, and the new 2021 Congress to validate the results, we demand the Constitution be followed, requiring voters and not the courts, to determine election results.

WHEREAS, the President has failed, on multiple occasions, to denounce the activities of white supremacist and fascist militias and organizations that have stated desires to overthrow American democracy;

WHEREAS, a climate of political polarization has weakened the framework of democratic institutions in our nation, resulting in a diminished system of checks and balances to stand against the potential rise of a tyrant dictator;

WHEREAS, the Labor Movement and trade unions have played a proud and vital role in protecting democracy and opposing authoritarianism in many nations throughout the world;

WHEREAS, the extreme risk currently posed to the historic institutions of democracy in our nation may require more widespread and vigorous resistance than at any time in recent history;

WHEREAS, the most powerful tool of the Labor Movement in our history has been the power of the General Strike;

WHEREAS, united working people refusing to work across the nation have a greater power than any political machinations of aspiring despots;

THEREFORE, NOW BE IT RESOLVED that United Steelworkers Local 3657 stands firmly in opposition to any effort to subvert, distort, misrepresent or disregard the final outcome of the 2020 Presidential elections;

THEREFORE, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that United Steelworkers Local 3657 calls on the Allegheny County Labor Council, National AFL-CIO, all of its affiliate unions, and all other labor organizations in the United States of America to prepare for and enact a general strike of all working people, if necessary, to ensure a Constitutionally mandated peaceful transition of power as a result of the 2020 Presidential Elections.

UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020.