MICHAEL H. BOLTON, DIRECTOR

SEPTEMBER, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, PAGE 1

USW District 2USW District 2USW District 2 Council Steering CommitteeCouncil Steering CommitteeCouncil Steering Committee

The District 2 Council By-Laws established a District 2 Council Steering Committee comprised of a rank and file structure. It was set up to assist in the following:

Development of agenda for Council Conference.

● Planning of the District Council Conference Educational Conferences.

● District 2 strategic planning.

● Determining and assessing educational needs within the District.

Generating and leading activism and other purposes consistent with the mission and directives of District 2 and the USW.

The elected members of the Steering Committee are listed below by manufacturing sector. If you need to contact a Steering Committee Member, please do so by using the email provided below.

NameNameName LU#LU#LU# SectorSectorSector Email AddressEmail AddressEmail Address

Hawley Warren 1299 Steel and

Related hwarren1299@comcast.net

Dennis DeMeyer Jr. 2-15 Paper djdemeyer54501@gmail.com

Kevin Bishop 1533 Amalgamated kbishop2219@gmail.com

Jesse Edwards 2-232 Automotive

Related Jesse_edwards2010@yahoo.com

Kent Holsing 12075 Chemical &

Energy Related kentholsing@gmail.com

Mary Jane Holland 9184 Health Care mjhlocal9184@att.net

John Mendyk 12934 Public JohnpMendyk@chartermi.net

Dave Page 1327 At Large dpage004@yahoo.com

At Large

Jim Whitt 2-145 Allied Industrial whittjim@yahoo.com

DISTRICT 2 CONTACT IDISTRICT 2 CONTACT IDISTRICT 2 CONTACT INFORMATIONNFORMATIONNFORMATION

USW District 2 Office 1244A Midway Road Menasha, WI 54952 (920) 722-7630

Northern WI & MI Sub-District Office

1244A Midway Road Menasha, WI 54952 (920) 722-7630

Southern WI Sub-District Office 1126 South 70th Street Suite N509A West Allis, WI 53214 (414) 475-4560

Northern MI Sub-District Office

503 North Euclid Avenue Suite #10 - Euclid Plaza Bay City, MI 48706 (989) 667-0660

Southern MI Sub-District Office 20600 Eureka Road, Suite 300 Taylor, MI 48180 (734) 285-0367

— Continued on Page 2 —

For the next nearly two decades, Unions continued to grow, with membership reaching formidable levels. Unfortunately, that growth and the 10-hour work day movement were about to be put on hold by the 1861 start of the U.S. Civil War. Union members flocked to join the military. Entire Locals and some national Unions ceased to exist due to the number of members joining the Union Army. Union activists knew that if slavery wasn‟t stopped in the south, it wouldn‟t be long before the North was forced to adopt slavery in order to compete with the South.

The 1865 end of the Civil War led to a rise in Union activity across the country. However, the movement wasn‟t coordinated. Unions operated as individual entities and often ended up duplicating their efforts of competing against each other. For example: without coordination, Unions often ended up endorsing different candidates for the same political office. To address that, the Federation of Organized Trade and Labor Unions was formed in 1881. For the first time, the Federation, which would eventually become the American Federation of Labor (AFL), brought all of labor together into one organization to promote national labor solidarity and ensure that everyone was on the same page.

There was another movement that stalled during the Civil War. That movement called upon the government to establish a minimum age for children in the workplace. Some Unions felt that the age should be set at 15, while others said 14 years old should be the cut-off. The Labor Movement pushed the issue hard and began seeing success in the early 1880‟s. Finally, Unions celebrated the ultimate victory with the passage of the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, which took kids out of the factories and into classrooms where they belonged.

It should also be noted that labor leaders at the time recognized that children were being used to hold down wages by creating an “Employer‟s Job Market”, which

means that using child labor guaranteed there would always be more workers available than there were jobs. As a result, employers could name wages and benefits so getting children into classrooms meant more jobs for adults and better pay for those working them.

The lull in labor activities due to the War did kill the drive for a shorter workweek. Union activists continued the drive but made one major change in their demands, they were now insisting on an eight-hour day. The struggle was being waged at three levels: Workers were lobbying their representatives at the state and federal levels of government for eight-hour day laws. At the same time, Unions were negotiating eight-hour day language in labor agreements. It should be mentioned here that the Movement had not forgotten the push for a shorter

workweek. As was the case with child labor laws, victory

A Message from Michael Bolton

is published by the

United Steelworkers District 2 AFL-CIO·CLC

MICHAEL H. BOLTON, Director 1244A Midway Rd., Menasha, WI 54952

(920) 722-7630

Contributors to this issue include:

Lori Gutekunst; Jay McMurran; Tammy Duncan;

Julie Baird; Cindy Odem; Stacey Benson; Linda Lucas;

Tonya DeVore; Chris Haddock; USW Media Department;

Margaret Sullivan, Media Columnist, The History Channel

Articles and photos are welcome and should be sent to:

Art Kroll, Editor, District 2 News

20600 Eureka Road, Suite 300, Taylor, MI 48180

d2@usw.org • 734-285-0367

SEPTEMBER 30, 2016, is the deadline for submissions for the next issue.

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day! It‟s one of my favorite days of the year. It‟s also fun to take part in the holiday traditions established by Unionists who preceded us in different areas across the District. For example, Milwaukee has Labor Fest each year and

Detroit holds the largest Union parade in the nation.

One of the other things I like to do on Labor Day is to reflect on the past achievements of our Movement to consider our role in the future. I should say here that despite the attacks we have experienced over the past several years, I do believe Unions have a bright future ahead of them. More on that later.

When we look back at Unions, we should all be proud to be members. No other institution in the history of the United States has been responsible for bringing about more positive social changes than the Labor Movement. In fact, our contributions pre-date the founding of our country. While there are very few records available for that time, we do know that in 1677 a Union was prosecuted for holding a strike to raise wages. In 1786, a year before the Constitution was signed in a Philadelphia Union Hall, printers in that city held the first successful work stoppage to gain a pay increase.

For the most part, Unions in the early portion of U.S. history came and went. Workers would form a Union, go on strike for a raise, win the increase and then disband their Unions. Sometimes they got the raise without going on strike, but it was difficult because employers were not required to negotiate with workers. Also, strikes at the time were considered criminal conspiracies, which led to prosecution of Unions and individuals.

During the early days of the Unions, membership was basically limited to men. There weren‟t many women working in those days. However, the industrial revolution changed all that and in 1834 “Mill Girls” (women employed in the textile industry) joined together in Lowell, MA, to hold the first women‟s “Turnout” (a type of strike) to protest a proposed pay cut. The ladies were successful.

The following year, in 1835, Unionists in Philadelphia called a general strike in hopes of gaining a 10-hour work day. While that strike was unsuccessful, it started a movement. In 1843, the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association began a petition drive for the 10-hour day. As a result of those and other Labor activities, New Hampshire, in 1847, became the first state to pass the 10-hour day legislation. Soon after that, six other states followed with similar laws.

SEPTEMBER, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, PAGE 2

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www.facebook.com/USWDistrict2

United Steelworkers District 2

AFL-CIO·CLC MICHAEL H. BOLTON, Director, 1244A Midway Road, Menasha, WI 54952

(920) 722-7630

came in 1938 with the labor-inspired Fair Labor Standards Act.

Also following the Civil War, employers took a more aggressive position when it came to employee attempts to form Unions. The new approach saw bosses hiring security companies, which were employer-paid goons who instigated violence during strikes and organizing drives. The intent was to make Union Organizers look like thugs sent to intimidate workers into joining Unions. One of the most violent incidents of the time involved the USW‟s predecessor, the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers at Homestead Steel in Homestead, PA.

The Battle of Homestead, as it has come to be called, started well before its July 6, 1892, date that saw seven workers and three hired goons lose their lives. Prior to that, Union members watched as Carnegie Steel hired security company, the Pinkerton Co., erect fences and fortify entrances around the steelmaking facility. When that work was completed and management was assured no intruder could gain access to the mill, Carnegie insisted its workers

take a pay cut. Workers resisted Carnegie‟s demands and as a result were locked out by the company.

As dawn broke on July 6th, a boatload of “Pinkerton Detectives” attempted to outsmart mill workers by landing at the company‟s dock in the rear of the plant. But strikers were prepared for action and gun shots were fired. The battle continued throughout the day. By day‟s end, the Pinkertons surrendered and went ashore where they were beaten and scorned. Responding to Carnegie‟s plea to secure the town, the Pennsylvania Governor sent 8,500 troops to deal with the 350 striking workers. While no further violence was reported, the company announced it would no longer recognize the Amalgamated Association. Remember, there were no laws requiring management to recognize or bargain with a Union. As a result, the Association at Carnegie Steel was dissolved.

The use of violence to break strikes and discourage organizing drives continued until the early 1940‟s. One of the more famous cases of violence against Union Organizers took place right here in District 2 on May 26, 1937. It happened at the Miller Road overpass at Ford Motor Company‟s sprawling Rouge Plant. UAW Organizers, Walter Reuther and Richard Frankensteen, were on the bridge to distribute Union leaflets to Ford workers as they entered and left the plant. As they posed for a picture for the Detroit News, the Organizers were attacked from behind by about 40 members of the Ford Service Department. The company goons beat the Unionists mercilessly. The assault was caught on film, by the News and led to weeks of bad publicity for the automaker. Three years later, Ford signed a Union contract with the UAW.

There were other cases of violence on the picket line and organizing sites. In some instances workers and Union activists made the ultimate sacrifice at the hands of company goons, overzealous cops, or improperly trained state militiamen. However, the 1935 passage of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which recognized a worker‟s right to organize free of company intimidation or reprisal, put an end to the bloodshed as employers resorted to psychological warfare to defeat Unionization drives.

With a new law defining the rights and responsibilities of Unions and management in the organizing and bargaining processes, Union membership exploded as workers returned home from World War II. Following the end of the Civil War, American Union membership stood at

2.5% of the private sector workforce. That figure grew to 12% in 1900 and peaked in 1957 at 34%.

Prior to the 1929 Stock Market Crash, which led to the Great Depression, Union membership in the United States climbed to nearly 20%. However, the financial collapse saw membership drop to 10% as one out of every four workers was out of work.

Because of the limited space available in the Newsletter, I am afraid I have to end our Labor History here this month. However, in part 2, which will be published in next month‟s D2 Newsletter, I‟ll pick up with the exciting organizing drives of the 1930‟s and take a look at some of our legislative victories along the way. Then, the November issue will wrap up our history and take a look at the future.

I hope that so far you are getting a picture of how brave and how dedicated our founders were to this movement. With no laws to define Union rights, nothing to protect activists from unjust firing and the very real fear of criminal prosecution for Union activities, Union members of the past put everything on the line in the struggle for dignity, decent pay, and a voice in

establishing working conditions.

Did you know?

The Union Plus Credit Card program.

With 3 card choices - designed to meet the needs of union members. All with competitive rates, U.S. based customer service and more. Plus, exclusive hardship grants for

eligible cardholders*.

The Union Plus Credit Card Program is designed to meet the needs of hard-working union members and their families.

To apply by phone, call: 1-800-522-4000.

For more on the history of the photograph above, go to page ___

A Message from Director Bolton — continued

While CEOs are doing fine in today’s

economy, most other U.S. wage earners

could badly use a raise - and not just

to make up ground lost in the Great

Recession. Essentially the bottom 70% of

American workers have seen flat or falling

real (i.e., inflation-adjusted) wages since

2002. The disproportionate income gains

going to capital owners rather than workers

have slowed the recovery, as a higher

share of capital income is saved when it

could instead be spent by workers and thus

create more demand for goods and

services.

2016 District 2 Calendar of Events2016 District 2 Calendar of Events2016 District 2 Calendar of Events JANUARY

15–18 Martin Luther King Jr. Civil & Human Rights Conference Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Avenue NW • Washington, D.C.

22 WOS Quarterly Meeting Milwaukee Area Labor Council Building, 633 S. Hawley Road • Milwaukee, WI

26 WOS Quarterly Meeting Ronn Hall (USW Local 4950 Hall), 1206 Baldwin Avenue • Negaunee, MI 29 WOS Quarterly Meeting Kronenwetter Village Hall, 1582 Kronenwetter Drive • Kronenwetter, WI

FEBRUARY

3 WOS Quarterly Meeting USW Local 2-148 Hall, 1201 Gillingham Road • Neenah, WI

8 LM Review Session USW Local 2-21 Hall, 1201 Sheridan Road • Escanaba, MI

9 LM Review Session Kronenwetter Village Hall, 1582 Kronenwetter Drive • Kronenwetter, WI

10 LM Review Session Lucky Dog’z Labor Temple, 157 S. Green Bay Road • Neenah, WI

11 LM Review Session Milwaukee Labor Council Building, 633 S. Hawley Road • Milwaukee, WI

MARCH

1 LM Review Session USW Local 12075 Hall, 3510 James Savage Road • Midland, MI

2 LM Review Session American Legion Hall, 10 Mason Street • Manistee, MI

3 LM Review Session Teamsters Local 7 Hall, 3330 Miller Road • Kalamazoo, MI

4 LM Review Session USW Dist. 2 Southern MI, 20600 Eureka Road, Suite 300 • Taylor, MI

7–10 USW International Women’s Conference Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh, 600 Commonwealth Place • Pittsburgh, PA 21 Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (900 – noon)

Ronn Hall (USW Local 4950 Hall), 1206 Baldwin Avenue • Negaunee, MI

22 Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon)

Fraternal Order of Eagles, 1104 S. Oak Avenue • Marshfield, WI

23 Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon)

Lucky Dog’z Labor Temple, 157 S. Green Bay Road • Neenah, WI

24 Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon)

Milwaukee Area Labor Council, 633 S. Hawley Road • Milwaukee, WI

APRIL

1 WOS Quarterly Meeting USW Dist. 2 Southern MI Office, 20600 Eureka Rd., Suite 300 • Taylor, MI

4–7 USW Paper Sector Bargaining Conference Westin Convention Center and Hotel, 1000 Penn Avenue • Pittsburgh, PA

6 WOS Quarterly Meeting Kent Ionia Labor Hall, 918 Benjamin Ave NE • Grand Rapids, MI 8 WOS Quarterly Meeting USW Local 12075 Hall, 3510 James Savage Road • Midland, MI 8 WOS Lock-In USW Local 12075 Hall, 3510 James Savage Road • Midland, MI

11 Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon)

Teamsters Local 7 Hall, 3330 Miller Road • Kalamazoo, MI

12 Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon)

USW Local 12075 Hall, 3510 James Savage Road • Midland, MI

12 WOS Quarterly Meeting Central Community Center (old elementary school), 413 Maple St. • Munising, MI

13 Presidents Meeting/Next Generation Meeting (9:00 – noon)

USW Local 1299 Hall,11424 W. Jefferson Avenue • River Rouge, MI 25–27 USW Rapid Response & Legislative Conference Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street • Washington DC

MAY

4–8 USW District 2 Council Conference Hyatt Regency, 333 West Kilbourn Avenue • Milwaukee, WI

JUNE

7–8 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (NMI) Great Hall Banquet & Convention Center, 5121 Bay City Rd • Bay City, MI

SEPTEMBER, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, PAGE 3

JUNE

9–10 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (SMI) Village Conference Center, 1645 Commerce Park Drive • Chelsea, MI

14–15 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (NWI) Riverwalk Hotel, 123 E. Wisconsin Avenue • Neenah, WI

16–17 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (SWI) Olympia Resort & Conf. Center, 1350 Royal Mile Rd. • Oconomowoc, WI

17 WOS Quarterly Meeting USW Dist. 2 Southern MI Office, 20600 Eureka Rd., Suite 300 • Taylor, MI

20–24 USPA – 50 Years of Telling the USW Story Wyndham • Pittsburgh, PA

24 WOS Quarterly Meeting Dog Scouts of America - MI Camp, 5040 E. Nestel Road • St. Helen, MI

30 WOS Quarterly Meeting Kent Ionia Labor Hall, 918 Benjamin Ave NE • Grand Rapids, MI

JULY

12–13 2016 National Oil Bargaining Conference Sheraton Station Square - Pittsburgh, PA

22 WOS Quarterly Meeting Milwaukee Area Labor Council Bldg, 633 S. Hawley Rd • Milwaukee, WI

29 WOS Quarterly Meeting Kronenwetter Village Hall, 1582 Kronenwetter Drive • Kronenwetter, WI

AUGUST

22 WOS Quarterly Meeting - 2nd Annual Princess Mud Run Mosquito Hill Nature Center, N3880 Rogers Road • New London, WI

SEPTEMBER

6 Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon)

Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) USW Local 12075 Hall, 3510 James Savage Road - Midland, MI

7 Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon)

Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) USW Local 1299 Hall, 11424 W. Jefferson Ave. - River Rouge, MI

8 Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon)

Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) USW Local 2-1010 Hall, 718 Shoppers Lane - Kalamazoo, MI

12–16 USW Health, Safety and Environment Conference Westin Convention Center - Pittsburgh, PA

22 Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon)

Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Lucky Dogz Labor Temple, 157 S. Green Bay Road - Neenah, WI

23 Presidents Meeting (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon)

Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Milwaukee Area Labor Council, 633 S. Hawley Road - Milwaukee, WI

25–30 WOS Leadership Development Course - Levels 1 & 2 The Waters of Minocqua, 8116 Hwy 51 South • Minocqua, WI

27 WOS Quarterly Meeting Holiday Inn Express, 1110 Century Way • Houghton, MI

OCTOBER

7 WOS Quarterly Meeting Dog Scouts of America - MI Camp, 5040 E. Nestel Road • St. Helen, MI

19 WOS Quarterly Meeting USW Local 2-148 Hall, 1201 Gillingham Road • Neenah, WI

21 WOS Quarterly Meeting Kent Ionia Labor Hall, 918 Benjamin Ave NE • Grand Rapids, MI

NOVEMBER

1–2 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (NWI) Riverwalk Hotel, 123 E. Wisconsin Avenue • Neenah, WI

3–4 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (SWI) Olympia Resort & Conf. Center, 1350 Royal Mile Rd. • Oconomowoc, WI

29–30 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (NMI) Great Hall Banquet & Convention Center, 5121 Bay City Rd • Bay City, MI

DECEMBER

1–2 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (SMI) Village Conference Center, 1645 Commerce Park Drive • Chelsea, MI

5–9 USW Civil Rights Conference Sheraton Birmingham Hotel - Birmingham, AL

9 WOS Quarterly Meeting USW Dist. 2 Southern MI Office, 20600 Eureka Rd., Suite 300 • Taylor, MI

This schedule is designed to assist in planning this year’s events. However, there is a possibility dates and/or locations cThis schedule is designed to assist in planning this year’s events. However, there is a possibility dates and/or locations c oulould change due to unforeseen circumstances. Please watch your mail and email for notices as each event draws near. An upd change due to unforeseen circumstances. Please watch your mail and email for notices as each event draws near. An up--toto--date date calendar can be found on our calendar can be found on our websitewebsite and will be published monthly in our electronic newsletter.and will be published monthly in our electronic newsletter.

SEPTEMBER, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, PAGE 4

WOMEN OF STEEL — 2nd Annual Mud Run Fundraiser

On August 20th

, the United Steelworkers Women of Steel participated in their second Warrior Princess Mud Run. Between the two teams, there were 30 registered team members, who raised over $3,000 for Harbor House Domestic Violence Center. Harbor House provided safe haven for 550 family members, for a total of 1,700 nights, last year. The Women of Steel’s goals for the race were:

Raise money for a worthy cause

No injuries (there were a few last year)

No sisters left behind

Who knew getting muddy for a mission could be so much fun? Great job sisters! See you next year!!

SEPTEMBER, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, PAGE 5

Members of District 2 United Steelworkers Women of Steel

spent their day off marching in the Labor Day Parade in Milwaukee, with grandkids and children following behind handing

out Union made candy to the crowd. The parade began at Zeidler Square Park and ended at the Summer Fest grounds, where Labor

Fest took place. Waiting for the line up at Zeidler Park, Russ

Feingold remembered the Women of Steel from Lobby Day in Wisconsin (November 12, 2015) and a picture was taken with

them.

Labor Day is an important day for Labor. Labor Day shows

unity, pride, solidarity and honors the middle class. It is a day to celebrate everything Labor has done for working people. We

stand up for everything we have fought for, what we bargained

for. We set the bar for all working people. Celebrating the work we all do and what we have accomplished when Labor comes

together, organizes, and uses the remarkable power of collective bargaining to build communities. Labor Day is a reminder of those

that built America! Labor Day shows that we are stronger

together!

At Labor Fest we had speeches from U.S. Sen.

Tammy Baldwin (D-WIS), U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WIS) and U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez. United States Department

of Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Senator Tammy Baldwin and Congresswoman Gwen Moore are the kind of public

servants that help working men and women all over our country.

All three speakers did a great job on praising the workers for all the accomplishment made by Labor, and gave rousing speeches

inspiring everyone to VOTE on November 8, 2016, for both Hillary Clinton for President and Russ Feingold. They discussed Hillary‟s

plans to build the economy that works for everyone, not just

those at the top among other issues that are important to Labor.

2016 Milwaukee, WI, Labor Day Parade — By Cindy Odden

2016 Appleton, WI, Labor Day Parade

SEPTEMBER, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, PAGE 6

Detroit Area Women Of Steel Walk for Lupus Awareness - By Linda Lucas

USW Local 5965 Volunteers for their Community - By Stacey Benson

Sisters of the Detroit area Women of Steel Council from USW Locals

690L, 1299 and 13702 participated in Lupus Detroit's fourth Annual Walk

for Warriors on Saturday, September 3, 2016, benefiting lupus Detroit.

Lupus Detroit is a 501(c)3 charity that is a community based, voluntary

health organization dedicated to eliminating lupus as a major health

problem through education, advocacy and service.

Bright yellow tee-shirts were worn displaying "Women Of Steel" with a big orange ribbon which represents Lupus. The shirts brought attention to

the fact that WOS had joined in the fight against lupus. One goal of Women of Steel is to show the community, we as union members, do care

and we are part of building up our communities.

Unfortunately several WOS Council sisters have daughters that are living with this dreaded disease. WOS showed their support for them and

others with fundraising and walking the streets of Detroit with the Lupus

Detroit Warriors.

USW Local 5965 sponsored a community “Spirit Bus”. This

bus provides a pre-game tailgate celebration for the community before every home high school varsity football

game.

The Spirit Bus serves free grilled hot dogs, chips, and a drink to both the Hastings, MI, football fans, as well as the opposing

team's fans who attend the game. Local 5965 volunteers served over 600 hot dogs to a very grateful community.

In the side photo, from left to right: Kent King, Kim

McDonald, Stacey Benson, Peg Newton, and Ashley King.

Missing from the photo are Brenda and Brad Sanders, Craig Keeler, Kevin Potter, Laura White, and USW D2 Staff

Representative Terry Newton.

Way to go team! We scored a big touchdown for our

Local and Community!

SEPTEMBER, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, PAGE 7

Director Michael Bolton has encouraged the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (S.O.A.R.) to participate in the

District 2 Newsletter and we appreciate the opportunity.

We would initially emphasize the importance of having Steelworker retirees joining SOAR to ensure not only having a voice championing retiree causes, but also supporting the concerns and issues of our active brothers and sisters.

The first message of SOAR in District 2 is to relate to every retiree and potential retiree that Director Bolton and our International Union have not forgotten us and will be there when we need them; and that, in itself, tells us what our Union is all

about.

SOAR is part of our International Constitution and every SOAR Chapter has its own elected officers who determine the

meeting dates and agendas.

Local Union officers and/or retirees can contact the District Office, Sub-Offices or the International SOAR Office in Pittsburgh

for starter kits that explain what is necessary to form or join an existing chapter.

We look forward to updating our active and retired Steelworkers with much more detailed articles in the future.

“Once a Steelworker, always a Steelworker”

USW District 2 Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (S.O.A.R.) Report - by Mimi Rinna, SOAR Coordinator

This year, USW District 2 teamed up with the

United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County to help fulfill its goal of stuffing 1,000

backpacks for kids in need within the Milwaukee Public Schools. We specifically targeted incoming

freshmen at Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and

Trade School, and were able to assist in getting them the tools they need to be successful in the

classroom.

With the donations we received, we were able to

provide supplies for over 100 students, as well as donate additional money and supplies to assist other

schools in the surrounding area. We were also presented with the opportunity to volunteer our time

stuffing backpacks so that the students of the Milwaukee Public Schools would be properly

prepared for their first day of school.

Thank you again to those locals, members, and

associate members who participated; we could not have done it without you!

USW District 2, United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County Help Students with School Supplies

p Murray (1886-195

SEPTEMBER, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, PAGE 8

USW Locals 4950 and 4974 Next Generation Committees Host Picnic for Members and Retirees

The Next Generation Committees from USW

Locals 4950 and 4974 headed by Mike Grondz hosted

a picnic for all members and retirees of Locals 4950 and 4974 in Ishpeming, MI. Director Michael Bolton

gave a quick speech and asked those in attendance to speak with and encourage local elected officials

that attended the picnic to stand with us.

Both Next Generation committees of these two Northern Michigan locals are very active throughout

the year with various charitable fundraisers as well as being involved with PAC.

Funny Political Cartoons

SEPTEMBER, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, PAGE 9

This Month in History

The History of Labor Day: It’s Not Just Another Day Off

Labor Day, an annual celebration of workers and their achievements, originated during one of American labor history‟s most dismal chapters. In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts‟ wages. People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities and breaks.

As manufacturing increasingly supplanted agriculture as the wellspring of American employment, labor unions, which had first appeared in the late 18th century, grew more prominent and vocal. They began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay. Many of these events turned violent during this period, including the infamous Haymarket Riot of 1886, in which several Chicago policemen and workers were killed. Others gave rise to longstanding traditions: On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history.

The idea of a “workingmen‟s holiday,” celebrated on the first Monday in September, caught on in other industrial centers across the country, and many states passed legislation recognizing it. Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later, when a watershed moment in American labor history brought workers‟ rights squarely into the public‟s view. On May 11, 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives.

On June 26, the American Railroad Union, led by Eugene V. Debs, called for a boycott of all Pullman railway cars, crippling railroad traffic nationwide. To break the strike, the federal government dispatched troops to Chicago, unleashing a wave of riots that resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen workers. In the wake of this massive unrest and in an attempt to repair ties with American workers, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. More than a century later, the true founder of Labor Day has yet to be identified.

Many credit Peter J. McGuire, cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, while others have suggested that Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union, first proposed the holiday. Labor Day is still celebrated in cities and towns across the United States with parades, picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays and other public gatherings. For many Americans, particularly children and young adults, it represents the end of the summer and the start of the back-to-school season.

This month in 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a poem which is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America‟s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The poem, originally titled “The Defense of Fort McHenry,” was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded by the British during the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the “Star-Spangled Banner”: “And the rocket‟s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”

Francis Scott Key was born on August 1, 1779, at Terra Rubra, his family‟s estate in Frederick County (now Carroll County), Maryland. He became a successful lawyer in Maryland and Washington, D.C., and was later appointed U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.

On June 18, 1812, America declared war on Great Britain after a series of trade disagreements. In August 1814, British troops invaded Washington, D.C., and burned the White House, Capitol Buildin and Library of Congress. Their next target was Baltimore.

After one of Key‟s friends, Dr. William Beanes, was taken prisoner by the British, Key went to Baltimore, located the ship where Beanes was being held and negotiated his release. However, Key and Beanes weren‟t allowed to leave until after the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. Key watched the bombing campaign unfold from aboard a ship located about eight miles away. After a day, the British were unable to destroy the fort and gave up. Key was relieved to see the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry and quickly penned a few lines in tribute to what he had witnessed.

The poem was printed in newspapers and eventually set to the music of a popular English drinking tune called “To Anacreon in Heaven” by composer John Stafford Smith. People began referring to the song as “The Star-Spangled Banner” and in 1916 President Woodrow Wilson announced that it should be played at all official events. It was adopted as the National Anthem on March 3, 1931.

Francis Scott Key died of pleurisy on January 11, 1843. Today, the flag that flew over Fort McHenry in 1914 is housed at the Smithsonian Institution‟s Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Francis Scott Key

USW Local

SEPTEMBER, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, PAGE 10

It’s Time for TV News to Stop Playing the Stooge for Donald Trump - By Margaret Sullivan

Donald Trump said “Jump,” and TV news said “How high?”

It happened again Friday morning when the Republican presidential candidate held the media hostage for nearly an hour

after promising a major news announcement.

“Breaking News: Trump To Make „Big Announcement‟ on Birther Issue,” said the banner on MSNBC.

“Soon: Trump To Address Birther Issue,” said CNN‟s banner. Fox

News was, of course, along for the ride.

While they waited, and waited, Trump provided what amounted to a campaign infomercial and shamelessly promoted his new

Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington.

When it was over, and he had said the absurdly obvious — that he now accepts that President Obama was born in the United States — there was, at least, some long overdue indignation.

“We got played again,” CNN‟s John King said on the air. And that was as obvious as the announcement itself.

Trump as recently as Thursday night had declined to put to rest his long history of promoting the false idea that the country‟s

first African American president was not born here. Based on implausible conspiracy theories, that idea was never more than a thinly veiled appeal to racism, intended to delegitimize Obama‟s right to hold the highest office. And yet, reporters turned out in

droves, live cameras at the ready.

Dan Gillmor, a media scholar at Arizona State University, on Twitter called this episode “universal sewer dwelling” for cab le news. By phone afterward, he said that “no journalist with a shred of integrity would have covered it.”

Saying the press got played, he said, is an understatement.

“This is a campaign and a candidate that completely understands how the press works — or doesn‟t work — and exploits the

blatant weaknesses of political journalism.”

Print journalists were in attendance, too, but it was live TV that played into Trump‟s hands.

“CNN and others were pulled into the whole three-ring circus — I‟ve never seen anything as crass and disingenuous,” said Frank Sesno, a former CNN Washington bureau chief who is now the director of the George Washington University School of

Media and Public Affairs.

Sesno called it “breathtaking” — and that was no compliment. Even after acknowledging that, as he put it, “President Obama was born in the United States. Period,” Trump got in his shots at his rival, falsely alleging that Hillary Clinton had started the

birther controversy. Fact checkers, including The Washington Post‟s, have repeatedly disproved this claim.

Sesno told me that he sees a possible bright spot within the mess: Not only King, but CNN‟s Jake Tapper and Gloria Borger denounced the way Trump had played the media. And they flatly denounced Trump‟s notion that Clinton started the birther

rumors.

“I‟d like to think this could be a turning point,” Sesno said. “Of course, we‟ve been here before, and that hasn‟t happened.”

Meanwhile, as if to illustrate in caricature the differences in the candidates‟ styles — and relative success with the media — the Democratic nominee was doing something unexciting, substantial and workmanlike: addressing the Black Women‟s Agenda

Symposium, talking about the economic challenges faced by women of color.

It got, of course, only a fraction of the media‟s attention.

With public trust in the media at an abysmal low, it‟s time — long past time — for TV news outlets to stop playing the stooge for Trump. The paradox, of course, is that Trump expresses nothing but contempt for the very people in the media who have

made his candidacy viable.

Even if the turning point comes far too late, when billions of dollars of free media have promoted a candidacy like never

before, it must come now.

Indignation in the immediate moment should turn to soul-searching in the boardroom and the newsroom.

This can‟t happen again.