campaign. however, he fell short of the number ofimages.usw.org/d2/2016august.pdf · career, trump...

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; Carol Landry, USW Int’l Vice President; Hillary Clinton;

Cindy Czappa; USW Media Department; Mike Browne, History Channel; One Wisconsin Institute; New York Times

William J. Broad, David E. Sangeraug,

Articles and photos are welcome and should be sent to:

Art Kroll, Editor, District 2 News 20600 Eureka Road, Suite 300, Taylor, MI 48180

[email protected] • 734-285-0367

SEPTEMBER 2, 2016, is the deadline for submissions for the next issue.

MICHAEL H. BOLTON, DIRECTOR

AUGUST, 2016 • VOLUME 6, ISSUE 8, PAGE 1

USW District 2 USW District 2 USW 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 [email protected]

Dennis DeMeyer Jr. 2-15 Paper [email protected]

Kevin Bishop 1533 Amalgamated [email protected]

Jesse Edwards 2-232 Automotive

Related [email protected]

Kent Holsing 12075 Chemical &

Energy Related [email protected]

Mary Jane Holland 9184 Health Care [email protected]

John Mendyk 12934 Public [email protected]

Dave 327 At Large [email protected]

At Large

Jim Whitt 2-145 Allied Industrial [email protected]

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 —

Independent added, ―There are times when I

disagree with Hillary Clinton (Clinton was a U.S. Senator from New York). But, let me tell you,

whatever our disagreements may be, I have come here to tell you, we must put them aside for the

good of our country.‖

Bloomberg continued his speech advising the

audience that, ―As an Independent, an entrepreneur, and a former mayor, I believe we

need a president who is a problem solver, not a

bomb thrower. We need someone who can bring members of Congress together to get things done.

And I know Hillary Clinton can do that because I saw it firsthand.‖

The former Mayor wrapped up his remarks by saying that Hillary Clinton is the responsible choice

for President and encouraged all Americans to visit their city or county clerk’s office to register to vote

and then be sure to vote on November 8.

During the Convention a lot of Steelworkers got

their first chance to meet the candidate Clinton selected to serve as Vice President, U.S. Senator

Tim Kaine. The 58 year old native of St. Paul, MN, is the oldest of three sons born to Mary and Albert

Kaine, Jr. He comes from a working class

household where mom worked as a home economics teacher while dad owned and ran a

successful Union welding shop.

The Kaines moved to Kansas City where Tim

completed his primary education. After serving a stint as a lay Jesuit Missionary in Honduras, Kaine

returned home and met his future wife, Anne Holton. The pair moved to her hometown of

Richmond, VA, where they received law degrees

from Harvard. Spurred on by his father-in-law, Linwood Holton, a former Republican Governor of

Virginia, Tim ran for Richmond City Council and won. He later went on to win elections as mayor,

Virginia Governor and as a U.S. Senator from the

same state. The Senator is one of only 30 individuals in U.S. history to serve terms as a

Mayor, Governor and U.S. Senator. As mayor and governor, he racked an impressive record of

accomplishments.

During his acceptance speech at the Convention,

Kaine stated, ―If you want to know the character of somebody in public office, look to see if they have a

The 2016 Democratic

Convention got off to a rocky start last month following

the release of thousands of emails stolen from

the Democratic National

Committee’s computers by Russian hackers. The emails

were embarrassing, but also

indicated that some higher ups in the party were

actively involved in an effort to discredit the presidential campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders.

Because the committee is supposed to remain neutral, Sanders’ supporters were understandably

upset by the information divulged by the emails.

However, as the Convention moved forward, delegates appeared to be putting the debacle

behind them and coming together in their resolve to keep a Democrat in the White House.

Probably the most disappointed people in Philadelphia were Senator Bernie Sanders’

supporters. The Vermont Senator ran an excellent campaign. However, he fell short of the number of

delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination for President. But Bernie wasn’t wasting time

feeling sorry for himself, and he told his supporters

they shouldn’t be doing that either. He urged delegates, ―If you don’t think this election is

important, if you think that you can sit this one out, take a moment to think about the Supreme Court

Justices Donald Trump will nominate and what that

would mean to civil liberties, equal rights and the future of our country.‖

But Sanders wasn’t the only one warning of the

risks of a Trump presidency. Former New York City

Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, a registered Independent, cautioned listeners, ―Through his

career, Trump has left behind a well documented record of bankruptcies, thousands of lawsuits, angry

shareholders, contractors who feel cheated and customers who feel ripped off. Now Trump says he

wants to run the nation like he’s running his

business. God help us.‖

He went on to say that as a big city mayor he

has had disagreements with both political parties, which probably accounts for his status as a former

Democrat and Republican. The now registered

A Message from Michael Bolton

mailto:[email protected]


HHHAVEAVEAVE YOUYOUYOU BEENBEENBEEN TOTOTO DDDISTRICTISTRICTISTRICT 2’2’2’SSS

FFFACEBOOKACEBOOKACEBOOK PAGEPAGEPAGE? ? ?

www.facebook.com/USWDistrict2

United Steelworkers District 2

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

(920) 722-7630


passion that began long before they were in office and that they have consistently

held it throughout their careers.‖ He went on to say, ―Folks, Hillary Clinton has a passion for kids and families. She has battled to put kids and family first since she

was a teenager.‖ He added that the former First Lady continued that fight as a lawyer for the Children’s Defense Fund and in the White House where she led the successful

effort to provide health insurance coverage for over 8 million low income children. He

closed his remarks by saying that Hillary still has that passion today and, if elected President will put it to work for you and your family.

Confirming that Clinton-Kaine would be kids and families first was a program Vice

President Joe Biden talked about during his address to the convention. Joe, a close

friend of the United Steelworkers Union, briefly discussed the ―New College Compact‖, which was developed jointly by Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. If passed, it would

save parents and students thousands of dollars. The program would make community college free to all students and allow students to attend a four year public college debt

free. That would include a tax credit of up to $2,500 per student and would be paid for by closing certain tax loopholes available to the wealthy.

Joe Biden is probably one of the most effective public speakers in Washington, DC. I know I would not want to speak after him. But the next speaker gave the Vice

President a run for his money. That speaker was, of course, President Barack Obama. The President, who despite being her political opponent just eight years earlier, left

little doubt who he was supporting this November. The President said, ―You know

there is nothing that truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval office. Until you’ve sat at that desk, you don’t know what it’s like to manage a global crisis, or

send young people to war. But Hillary has been in the room; she’s been part of those decisions. She knows what’s at stake in the decisions our government makes for

working families, senior citizens, small business owners, soldiers and the veterans.

Even in the middle of a crisis, she listens to people, keeps her cool and treats everyone with respect. And no matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much

people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits.‖

Obama went on to say, ―That’s the Hillary I know. That is the Hillary I have come

to admire. And that’s why I can say with confidence there has never been a man or woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as President of the United States of

America.‖

I have to say that I share the President’s confidence in Secretary Clinton. She gets

bad wrap, which I don’t think she deserves. But that is what happens when you are in the public eye and make decisions that affect others. You make a call, people

disagree with you and they get mad at you. And in this day of the 24 hour news cycle and people having the ability to communicate with thousands of people at one time, if

someone is mad at you -- a lot of people are likely to hear about it.

I just hope that our members will look beyond the reputation her right wing

opponents have created and see the experience that she brings to the table. As a member of the President’s Cabinet, Hillary knows how to make critical decisions and

how to defend those decisions under fire. Then as U.S. Senator, she came to

understand how the legislative process works and learned to build bipartisan support for important legislation. And as a First Lady, she witnessed first-hand the inter

working of international relations and learned the importance of protocol and traditions when dealing with foreign dignitaries. In short, if elected, she can hit the

ground running - helping us stop TPP and get the working class growing again.

Faced with challenges in her favorability polling numbers, Senator Clinton was

looking to hit a home run during her Convention speech. I believe she accomplished her goal. In contrast to the dark picture Donald Trump painted of the country,

the former Secretary acknowledged, ―Yes. We have issues. But America doesn’t need

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

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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 10 &11

A Message from Director Bolton — continued

http://www.facebook.com/USWDistrict2

https://www.unionplus.org/life-planning-services-legal/member-assistance-programs/union-safe-grants-money-hardship-program


one person to be made great again. We already are!‖

The theme that I took away from Hillary’s speech was that America is at its greatness when we pull together for the common

good. Regarding the threat of domestic terror attacks, Clinton told convention goers, ―We are clear eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have.‖

To reassure those at the convention center and watching on television that America still has a bright future, Senator Clinton said, ―I want to tell you tonight we are going to empower all Americans to live better lives. My primary mission as president will be

to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States. From my first day in office to my last. Especially in places that for too long have been left out and left behind. From our inner cities to our small towns, Indian

Country to Coal Country. From the industrial Midwest to the Mississippi Delta to the Rio Grande Valley.‖

While Republican nominee has been using rhetoric to divide Americans, Clinton sought to pull the country together saying,

―Every generation of Americans has come together to make our country freer, fairer and stronger.‖

For months Trump has been telling voters that America has problems that only he has the ability to resolve. Like earlier this

year when he said he was the only person who knew how to find the money to sustain our current Social Security system. And last week he stated America is a divided crime scene that only he can fix. To remind us that no one human being has all the answers,

Hillary concluded her remarks by saying, ―Not of us can do it alone. And that is why we are stronger together.‖

All in all, I would say the Democrats, despite facing two huge hurdles (the DNC email leak and disappointed Sanders

supporters), put together a winning program and displayed incredible unity heading into the fall elections.

In closing, I would like to ask each of you to join with me in supporting Hillary Clinton for President. Our country is faced with

many serious issues. Those issues include: terrorism, jobs, stagnant wages, establishing new trade policies, making Social Security and Medicare solvent again, education and Union rights. All of them are important and we cannot take the chance of

leaving such a risky person as Donald Trump to address them. Hillary Clinton has the experience, the ability and the passion to work with us to keep America moving forward.

A Message from Director Bolton — continued

Local 59 Helps Support a Local Neighborhood Table

On March 17th and July 19, 2016, USW Local

59 helped their community by funding a meal for the needy. The meal is served at a local church

in Wisconsin Rapids for people who are less fortunate in the community although everyone is

welcome.

Help also came from the Neighborhood Table Coordinator, who plans the meal to be served.

The local then gets volunteers from their

membership and family members to help in performing the duties needed for this day. Some

of the tasks are: preparing the meal; setting tables; serving beverages and desserts; greeting guests and serving guests at the tables; cleaning up and clearing tables and of course dish washing duties.

This is just one of the ways Local 59 tries to give back to the community.

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


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


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


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


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


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

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


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


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


Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Ronn Hall—Local Union 4950, 1206 Baldwin Ave. - Negaunee, MI


Next Generation Meeting (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) Fraternal Order of Eagles, 1104 S. Oak Ave. - Marshfield, WI


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


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

31–Nov 4 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (WI) Dates and Locations to be determined (Neenah & Oconomowoc, WI)

NOVEMBER

28–Dec 2 Sub-District Local Union Leadership Training (MI) Dates and Locations to be determined (Midland & Chelsea, MI)

DECEMBER

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

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.

USW Local


GMP Approves Merger with USW (Pittsburgh) -- The Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union (GMPIU) overwhelmingly approved a

merger with the United Steelworkers (USW) at its 75th quadrennial convention, both unions announced today. The merger unites two historic international unions with complimentary memberships in the United States and Canada.

―The GMP is itself the product of many mergers, and each one made the GMP stronger and better,‖ said GMPIU International

President Bruce R. Smith. ―We expect history to repeat itself with the USW merger.‖

The GMP, headquartered in Media, Pa., represents some 25,000 craft and industrial workers primarily in glass, foundries,

molding, plastics and pottery as well as ceramics, china, fiberglass and insulation, and other industries.

―The merger will undoubtedly strengthen and benefit our members in the glass industry and beyond,‖ said USW International

President Leo W. Gerard. ―The GMP shares our goals and will be a vital part of the USW.‖

The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply

and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.

―We are all committed to building a better, stronger union,‖ said USW International Secretary-Treasurer Stan Johnson. ―We want our members to enjoy the best possible wages, benefits, workplace safety protections and retirement in their industries and

workplaces.‖

# # #

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 11, 2016

CONTACT: Wayne Ranick (412) 562-2444, [email protected]

USW Local 59 Women of Steel Committee held a

pet drive for the South Wood County Humane Society. They placed collection boxes at entrances to the

Domtar Mill in Nekoosa, WI. In those boxes, fellow union members and salaried employees brought in

donations like pet food, bedding, cleaning supplies,

treats, toys and paper.

The committee then delivered it the humane society. It was a great success. It's just a small way

to this group project helped in the community. The

South Wood County Humane Society shelter houses dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, a rabbit and a guinea pig.

All the mentioned animals received a donation from this collection event, even the guinea pig!

USW Local 59 Women of Steel Committee Helps the Wood County Humane Society



About 80 times since January, our ERT folks did something I lived in dread of having to do every minute that

I was the president of my local union - answered a call telling them a worker had been seriously injured or killed on the job.

I want to share a story with you.

Shortly before the holiday season in 1998, I was asked to go to our local at the Polaris Mine on Little Cornwallis Island in the Northwest Territories. If you look on a map, you will find it just 100 km northwest of

Resolute – pretty much in the middle of nowhere – heck, it is in the middle of nowhere. Land of eternal winter,

polar bears and beautiful northern lights. I went there to provide some Steelworker training to our local union activists who worked at the zinc mine there. Working at Polaris meant you lived at the mine for 8 weeks then

went home for 4 weeks. Living at Polaris meant everyone lived in one large complex, built on stilts to avoid the huge snow drifts and hungry polar bears who liked to bury themselves in the snow drifts close to the buildings in

the hopes of getting some scraps from the garbage – or the leg of a human, whichever presented itself first.

While there, I spent a lot of time chatting with the local union president, Eric. Two fairly new local union presidents, both working for Cominco and coming from the mining industry, we had lots to talk about. We finally

got around to talking about what we found most stressful in our jobs as presidents – and we both came up with the same fear in the roles we might have to play in our position: getting that call from the mine site that one of our members had been killed on the job. How would

we deal with it? The thought of having to go to the site to view the accident; and worst of all – having to go to the member’s family to give them the news.

A few short weeks after I left Polaris, my phone rang one morning at the office and when I picked up, the caller said, ―Hel lo Carol. This

is Eric. I got the call.‖

And for a moment I had no idea what he was talking about – then I remembered our conversation about our greatest fear.

And Eric proceeded to tell me the story of the brother who had lost his life during the night at the mine.

I have another memory of my visit to Polaris. The morning I was leaving, I had to get up early to catch the plane back to Resolute. As I was sitting in the lobby of the complex, one of the workers came along and we started to chat.

I found out he was from Nova Scotia, which gave us lots to talk about, me coming from Newfoundland. You Canadians will understand

that.

I asked him if he was on shift that day and he said no. I asked him why he was up so early and he said he couldn’t sleep. He was too

excited. I asked him why. We were getting close to Christmas and this year he was going home for the holidays. You see if you worked in

Polaris, you didn’t get to go home every Christmas. The shift rotation got you home for Christmas every 4 years and this was his year. He and his wife hadn’t told the kids he would be home for Christmas. He would fly in late on Christmas Eve, go home after the k ids were in

bed and surprise them in the morning under their family tree. Yes, he was so excited about it, he couldn’t sleep.

When I asked Eric the name of the brother who had been killed that night, and when he told me, I knew Wayne was going home for Christmas but he would not be surprising his kids

under the Christmas tree.

The picture of Wayne, standing in that foyer, grinning from ear to ear as he told me his plans for

Christmas, is a picture that has never left my mind. And every time I hear of one of our members being

killed on the job, I think of him. And I think what it would be like if I had been the one who had to take

that message to his wife and girls just days before Christmas.

And our ERT people, many of you included, had

to deliver that message some 80 times last year. Nothing I did over the past 12 months can even be compared to the strength and courage you have

shown, as you visited worksites where members were injured or killed; the times you had to visit a

family and help them find the strength and courage to make it through their greatest loss.

USW International Union Vice President At Large Carol Landry’s Remarks at the ERT Training at Linden Hall, Dawson, PA, on August 3, 2016

CAROL LANDRY USW International Vice President

At Large



I wanted to share that story with you today for a couple of reasons: first of all, so you would know how much your work is

appreciated, of course by the workers and families themselves, but also by the USW as a whole. And secondly, to let you know that the USW recognizes and acknowledges that you are called upon as part of your work to face the most difficult and stressful times we face as

an organization – the tragic loss of a member.

We cannot rest till those dreaded calls stop.

There are many unions that can brag about how good they are and how well they take care of their members – and I don’t doubt

that.

But sisters and brothers, we are the only union that takes care of our members when they are sick or hurt – and are there for their families when a loved one is seriously injured or killed on the job.

Our ERT program is just one more example of something good that came out of one of our many mergers – our merger with PACE.

And it has evolved over the years as our Union evolved and grew and as the needs of our members changed. Going from a staff of 3 to 42 and moving from a program that was available only in the U.S., now we have trained staff in the three districts in Canada as well.

One of the things that I have learned from Al and Duronda is that you don’t just show up when the incident happens and then leave

right after. You are there for the families and co-workers when everyone else has gone – when most have forgotten it and moved on with their lives. – everyone that is except the families. You stay in touch with the families to continue to offer help and support.

And all too often, we tend not to think about the co-workers and first responders when someone is critically injured or killed on the

job - the emotional impact it has on them. Again, something I learned from Al and Duronda, the need for assistance for those folks as well.

They are also survivors who are often left struggling with the loss of a union sister or brother, a co-worker, a community member; or

the impact of having to continue to work where an accident has occurred.

Through the work you have done in the ERT program, many of us have learned about post-traumatic stress and how it relates back to co-workers’ injuries and deaths. Al shared with the Executive Board the study that was done on workers where significant injuries or

deaths had occurred; that study showed that those members experience higher incidents of PTS disorder than police, firefighte rs or even the military.

Telling you my story about losing the brother in Polaris and my fears about being put in a position where I would have had to deal

with one of my local members being seriously injured or killed, well, that’s a pretty good indication to me that I would probably not be very effective to do what you all do.

And I am certainly not the only person in our Union who feels like that. And I want that to be a message to you as well. This type of

work is NOT for everyone. And that’s okay. Sure, we all have compassion and sympathy, even anger, when someone is hurt or k illed on the job; we have compassion and sympathy for their families. But it takes more than that to be an advocate for them.

I tell you this because if you find this work is not for you, don’t feel bad, don’t feel guilty, don’t think you are weak. Just recognize

the fact that it is not something you are comfortable with doing; there are lots of other roles you can play to help our members in their time of need.

Al tells me there is a sabbatical program build into our ERT program to help you deal with burn out. Take advantage of tha t program

if you need it. It’s there because we recognize the toll this type of work can have on a person. Sometimes you need someone to talk to; someone to help you through the rough spots; no matter how tough you may think you are, you cannot do this work day in and day

out without a good support system for you as well.

If there was any job I would like to see no longer needed within our union, it is yours. But unfortunately, I don’t see that happening in the near future. Not as long as we have employers who refuse to meet their legal – and moral – obligations to provide safe working

conditions for all workers. Not as long as employers continue to put profit and productivity over the safety of workers.

Not as long as those right-wing politicians refuse to do their jobs by passing stronger safety standards and regulations and make bad employers accountable when workers are injured or killed on the job.

I do want to take a moment to say a special thank you to Al and Duronda for the leadership roles they play in our ERT Program right

across all our Districts. They make sure that we continue to provide top quality training for all of you with regular upgrade of skills, knowledge and materials. And I know they also provide the kind of support you need as you go about your work. As I said, it takes

very special kinds of people to do this work – it also takes some very special leaders – and we are so fortunate to have Al and Duronda.

So thank you for all you do for our members and their families. Thank you for bringing a little light and hope to them in their times of greatest need.

As Steelworkers and as advocates for health and safety of working people, we cannot rest till the day comes when every sing le

worker makes it home, safe and sound, to their family every night.

USW International Union Vice President At Large Carol Landry’s Remarks at the ERT Training at Linden Hall, Dawson, PA, on August 3, 2016 — continued


Debate Over Trump’s Fitness Raises Issue of Checks on Nuclear Power—By William J. Broad & David E. Sangeraug

Hillary Clinton has fueled a debate over whether her rival for the presidency, Donald J. Trump, is fit to command America’s atomic forces. ―Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis,‖ she said in her address at the Democratic convention last week. ―A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.‖

This portrayal has become such an issue in the campaign that President Obama was asked about it at a news conference on Thursday, where he echoed Mrs. Clinton’s concerns. Her charge raises a question: Is there any check on a president’s power to launch nuclear arms that could destroy entire cities or nations?

The short answer is no, though history suggests that in practice, there may be ways to slow down or even derail the decision-making process. No one disputes, however, that the president has an awesome authority.

If the United States appeared to be under nuclear assault, the president would have minutes to decide whether the threat was real, and to fire as many as 925 nuclear warheads with a destructive force greater than

17,000 Hiroshima bombs, according to estimates by Hans M. Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, a private group in Washington.

The commander in chief can also order the first use of nuclear weapons even if the United States is not under nuclear attack.

―There’s no veto once the president has ordered a strike,‖ said Franklin C. Miller, a nuclear specialist who held White House and Defense Department posts for 31 years before leaving government service in 2005. ―The president and only the president has the author ity to order the use of nuclear weapons.‖ Washington keeps details of the nuclear chain of command and its workings secret. The spokesman for the National Security Council, Ned Price, refused to say whether any other member of the chain of command could stop a presidential order to use nuclear weapons.

Mr. Trump has expressed a deep concern about the power of nuclear weapons in recent interviews, and argued that the nuclear command and control system was so antiquated that some sites still used floppy disks. (He was right, according to an inspector genera l’s report.) He has not explained under what circumstances he might use nuclear weapons, nor has he ruled out using them first.

Asked in an interview in March whether he would ever use nuclear weapons in a conflict in which the United States was not f irst attacked with atomic arms, he said he would do so as ―an absolute last step.‖ ―I think it’s the biggest, I personally think it’s the bigge st problem the world has, nuclear capability,‖ he added. He then turned the subject to climate change.

Yet in a March interview on MSNBC, Mr. Trump asked. ―Somebody hits us within ISIS, you wouldn’t fight back with a nuke?‖ He added, ―I would never take any of my cards off the table.‖

Mrs. Clinton has herself taken hawkish positions in the past. During her bid for the presidential nomination in 2007, she refused to exclude the possible use of nuclear arms against terrorists. Mr. Obama had ruled out such a step against Osama bin Laden, then in hiding.

Mrs. Clinton portrayed herself then as the more experienced candidate. Presidents, she declared, ―should be careful at all times in discussing the use and nonuse of nuclear weapons,‖ adding that she would not address hypothetical questions. ―Presidents since the Cold War have used nuclear deterrents to keep the peace,‖ she said, ―and I don’t believe any president should make blanket statements with the regard to use or nonuse.‖

But just a year earlier — before running against Mr. Obama — she seemed to have a different view. Asked about how the Bush administration should try to confront the Iranian nuclear program, she said: ―I would certainly take nuclear weapons off the table. This adm inistration has been very willing to talk about using nuclear weapons in a way we haven’t seen since the dawn of a nuclear age. I think that’s a terrible mistake.‖

This issue of nuclear arms does not rank at the top of voter concerns, but polls suggest the advantage on this issue is shi fting in Mrs. Clinton’s favor. This week, a Fox News poll found that voters had more faith in her ability to handle decisions on nuclear weapons than Mr. Trump, 56 percent to 34 percent. In mid-May, when Fox News first asked the question, the margin in Mrs. Clinton’s favor was half as large.

This is not the first time nuclear weapons have been an issue in a presidential race. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson, in his campaign against Barry Goldwater, broadcast — just once — a television ad that showed a little girl counting flower petals in a field moments before a mushroom cloud filled the screen.

In movies and popular culture, the president is depicted as having a finger on the button. In fact, there is no button, but rather a vast complex of rules and equipment, including careful procedures for the military to authenticate the identity of the commander in chief. The president’s emergency satchel — a black briefcase full of war plans, authentication codes and communication devices — follows him (or her) just about everywhere, carried by an aide trained in the procedures.

The president’s authority over nuclear decision-making challenges the Constitution’s clear declaration that only Congress ho lds the power to declare war. In practice, the arrival of the nuclear age dismantled the traditional rules by rewriting the timelines of war. It would take 12 minutes or less for weapons fired from submarines to reach Washington, and 30 minutes for warheads from most intercontinental missile s. Bombs dropped by aircraft, if they could pierce the country’s air defenses, would take only hours.

As a result, Congress began delegating the powers of nuclear war-fighting to the president, starting with Harry S. Truman — the only president who has ever ordered a nuclear strike against another nation. In real life, the lines of authority have blurred — markedly so during the Nixon administration, when there were at least two instances in which top officials tried to slow, or undermine, the presiden t’s nuclear authority.

The first came in October 1969, when the president ordered Melvin R. Laird, his secretary of defense, to put American nuclear forces on


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Debate Over Trump’s Fitness Raises Issue of Checks on Nuclear Power—continued

high alert to scare Moscow into thinking the United States might use nuclear arms against the North Vietnamese.

Scott D. Sagan, a nuclear expert at Stanford University and the author of ―The Limits of Safety,‖ a study of nuclear accidents, said Mr. Laird tried to ignore the order by giving excuses about exercises and readiness, hoping that the president who sometimes embraced t he ―madman theory‖ — let the world think that you are willing to use a weapon — would forget about his order.

But Nixon persisted. Dr. Sagan reports that during the operation, code-named Giant Lance, one of the B-52 bombers carrying thermonuclear arms came dangerously close to having an accident.

Then, in 1974, in the last days of the Watergate scandal, Mr. Nixon was drinking heavily and his aides saw what they feared was a growing emotional instability. His new secretary of defense, James R. Schlesinger, himself a hawkish Cold Warrior, instructed the mil itary to divert any emergency orders — especially one involving nuclear weapons — to him or the secretary of state, Henry A. Kissinger. It was a completely extralegal order, perhaps mutinous. But no one questioned it.

―Although Schlesinger’s order raised questions about who was actually in command,‖ Eric Schlosser writes in ―Command and Control,‖ a 2013 book, ―it seemed like a good idea at the time.‖

Experts agree that the real nightmare of nuclear command centers not on launching attacks, but responding to them. In a recent memoir, William J. Perry, secretary of defense to President Bill Clinton, called it ―the immense peril we face when in mere minutes our leaders must make decisions affecting the whole planet.‖

In 1980, Zbigniew Brzezinski, the national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter, was awakened by news of an impending nuclear attack that was lighting up the screens at the military’s early-warning command centers. He asked the military officer who called him for more information and confirmation. The next call said that the attack involved not just submarines but thousands of warheads fired from land-based missiles.

As Mr. Brzezinski prepared to phone the president, the officer called again to say it was all a mistake — a computer had generated a false alarm.

The episode poses the ultimate question for a new administration, a set of judgments that the president, the secretary of defense and the national military command often rehearse in secret, especially at the beginning of a presidency. Because all warning systems are subject to error, the president has to decide, often in minutes, whether to ―launch on warning,‖ to ―launch on attack‖ or — perhaps the hardest decision of all — to absorb a first nuclear attack rather than risk launching on false information.

In the case of Mr. Trump, some members of the Clinton campaign have raised a different fear: that the man who regards himse lf as America’s best negotiator may try to use the threat of employing nuclear weapons as a bargaining chip.

This week, Joe Scarborough on MSNBC’s ―Morning Joe‖ said that Mr. Trump had asked an unnamed adviser what the utility of nu clear weapons was if no one was willing to use them. The Trump campaign denies that.

Some who have discussed nuclear strategy with Mr. Trump — often in the context of the Iran deal signed last summer — said that he had never expressed a desire to use such weapons, but lacked knowledge of the history of deterrence, and that the negotiator in h im seemed interested in the question of whether the United States should ever threaten to use its arsenal.

That threat alone, of course, could have tremendous consequences. It could give another country a motive to invest in a nuc lear arsenal. Or if — like North Korea or Pakistan — it already possesses nuclear weapons, the threat could prompt the country to use them pre-emptively.

As long ago as 1984, when he was a 38-year-old developer, Mr. Trump told the Washington Post reporter Lois Romano that he would like to be the negotiator on nuclear weapons with the Soviets.

“Some people have an ability to negotiate,” he told her. “It’s an art you’re basically born with. You either have it or you don’t.” He assured her he could learn about missiles quickly. “It would take an hour and a half to learn everything there is to learn about missiles.… I think I know most of it anyway,” he said.

Decades of arms reductions, and President Obama’s oft-stated goal of making nuclear weapons less central to American defenses, have put only a modest dent in Washington’s ability to initiate the unthinkable.

Some scholars (and Wikipedia entries) insist that a system of checks and balances puts the secretary of defense in the decision loop. But Bruce G. Blair, a research scholar at Princeton University who as an Air Force officer would have launched a nuclear missile if an order had come from the president, said that rule applied in the silos but not at the top of the command chain.

―There’s nothing the secretary of defense can do,‖ Dr. Blair, who wrote a book on nuclear command and control, said in an interview. ―He has no authority to refuse or disobey that order.‖

Mr. Sagan, the Stanford expert, agreed, but noted that there were other ways for the secretary of defense to slow things down. ―I think we’d be in uncharted waters if a president ordered the use of nuclear weapons and the secretary of defense refused to concur,‖ he said. ―This has never happened.‖ No one, he added, could predict what would ensue if the nation’s top defense official tried to declare that the president was unfit to issue such an order.

―In some scenarios,‖ Mr. Sagan added, ―such as an unprovoked nuclear attack by a president in peacetime, a constitutional c risis would be more likely than a prompt following of rules regarding succession and command authority.‖


On this day in 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs into law

the Social Security Act. Press photographers snapped pictures as FDR, flanked by ranking members of Congress, signed into law the historic act,

which guaranteed an income for the unemployed and retirees. FDR commended Congress for what he considered to be a ―patriotic‖ act.

Roosevelt had taken the helm of the country in 1932 in the midst of the Great Depression, the nation’s worst economic crisis. The Social

Security Act (SSA) was in keeping with his other ―New Deal‖ programs, including the establishment of the Works Progress Administration and the

Civilian Conservation Corps, which attempted to hoist America out of the

Great Depression by putting Americans back to work.

In his public statement that day, FDR expressed concern for ―young people [who] have come to wonder what would be their lot when they came to old age‖ as well as those who had employment but no job security. Although he acknowledged that ―we

can never insure one hundred percent of the population against one hundred percent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life,‖ he

hoped the act would prevent senior citizens from ending up impoverished.

Although it was initially created to combat unemployment, Social Security now functions primarily as a safety net for retirees and the disabled, and provides death benefits to taxpayer dependents. The Social Security system has remained relatively

unchanged since 1935.

This Month in Labor History: Social Security Act of 1935

PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT SIGNING THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT - AUGUST 14, 1935

Today a hope of many years' standing is in large

part fulfilled. The civilization of the past hundred years, with its startling industrial changes, has

tended more and more to make life insecure. Young people have come to wonder what would be their

lot when they came to old age. The man with a job

has wondered how long the job would last.

This social security measure gives at least some protection to thirty millions of our citizens who will

reap direct benefits through unemployment

compensation, through old-age pensions and through increased services for the protection

of children and the prevention of ill health.

We can never insure one hundred percent of the

population against one hundred percent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life, but we have tried to

frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family

against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.

This law, too, represents a cornerstone in a structure which is being built but is by no means complete. It is a structure intended to lessen the force of possible future depressions. It will act as a protection to future Administrations against the

necessity of going deeply into debt to furnish relief to the needy. The law will flatten out the peaks and valleys of deflation and of inflation. It is, in short, a law that will take care of human needs and at the same time provide the United States an economic

structure of vastly greater soundness.

I congratulate all of you ladies and gentlemen, all of you in the Congress, in the executive departments and all of you who

come from private life, and I thank you for your splendid efforts in behalf of this sound, needed and patriotic legislation.

If the Senate and the House of Representatives in this long and arduous session had done nothing more than pass this Bill, the

session would be regarded as historic for all time.


Hillary Clinton Statement on Social Security Act Anniversary

For Immediate Release, August 14, 2016 Contact: [email protected]

Today, on the 81st anniversary of the Social Security Act, Hillary Clinton issued the following statement:

“For eighty-one years, Social Security has been America at its best. It reflects our shared belief that every American should be able to retire with dignity after decades of hard work. That no American should face poverty because he or she is disabled. That we are stronger together. “Social Security benefits 59 million Americans today—but Republicans are relentlessly trying to attack and undermine this bedrock American guarantee. They want to cut benefits and gamble seniors‟ retirement security on the stock market through privatization. “And Donald Trump is no different—just look who he chose as his running mate. Mike Pence spent his time in Congress championing efforts to dismantle Social Security—and to privatize it even faster than President George W. Bush and Paul Ryan proposed. “We cannot and we will not stand for that. When I served in the Senate, I helped lead the fight against the Bush privatization scheme. Instead of cutting or privatizing Social Security, we will defend and expand it. “When President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, he said it „represents a cornerstone in a structure which is being built but is by no means completed.‟ Social Security works, but we can make it better. Millions of women—and men—who are widowed or who take time out of the paid workforce to raise a child or care for a sick family member are being left behind. As President, I‟ll ex-pand benefits to cover these hardworking Americans, because no one should have to live in poverty because their spouse died or they did the vital work of taking care of a loved one.

“Social Security isn‟t just a program—it‟s a promise. And I won‟t stop fighting until every American shares fully in that promise.”

###

Social Security Act Signing Ceremony—AUGUST 14, 1935

There were many photographs

taken of the Social Security Act signing ceremony. The posing was

different in many of the photographs and in no single photograph are

all the participants visible. This

composite photograph shows all of the participants in a single image.

1. Rep. Jere Cooper (D-TN)

2. Rep. Claude Fuller (D-AR)

3 . Rep. Robert Doughton (D-NC)

4. Rep. Frank Buck (D-CA)

5. Rep. John Boehne, Jr.(D-IN)

6 . Sen. Robert Wagner (D-NY)

7 . Sen. Alben Barkley (D-KY)

8 . This individual is presently unknown.

9 . Sen. Robert LaFollette, Jr., (PROG-WI)

10 . Rep. John Dingell, Sr. (D-MI)

11. Sen. Augustine Lonergan (D-CT)

12 . Frances Perkins

13. Rep. Frank Crowther (R-NY)

14. Sen. William H. King (D-UT)

15. Rep. David J. Lewis (D-MD)

16 . Sen. Byron Patton "Pat" Harrison (D-MS)

17. Sen. Joseph Guffey (D-PA)

18. Senator Edward Costigan (D-CO)

19. Rep. Samuel B. Hill (D-WA)

20. Rep. Fred Vinson (D-KY)

21 . President Franklin D. Roosevelt.


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