Most people who are familiar with Karen Silkwood likely learned of the chemical technician through the 1983 film Silkwood starring Meryl Streep and Cher. But the movie is no mere Hollywood drama; it is based on the true story of a young woman and union member who fought to expose her employer for deliberately misleading workers and exposing them to harmful chemicals.  This battle ended in Karen Silkwood’s death on November 13, 1974, a death that few people see as accidental. Today we’re...

Last month, members of the United Steelworkers union from across the U.S. traveled to the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., to talk to their elected officials about the importance of reauthorizing Trade Adjustment Assistance. This program, which expired in 2022, provides training and educational opportunities for workers who lost their jobs due to foreign countries like China circumventing trade rules. In today’s episode, we’re talking with David Van Pevenage, who was part of the D.C....

The USW partners with labor organizations around the world to connect workers with common employers and help them build power. In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with Local 12075 President Kent Holsing and USW retiree Mike Zielinski about some of these partnerships, including a years-long alliance with rubber workers in Liberia, and why this solidarity is vital for union members everywhere. Music in this episode was brought to you by IntraHealth International and Kevin MacLeod.

the podium at the state house in Lansing, Michigan, to give powerful testimony about his experience as a veteran.  He and other activists were there to voice their support for Bill 5736, which would require employers to display a poster that outlines resources available for veterans and their families.  This is just one of many pieces of legislation USW members are fighting to pass for workers and their families across the United States, and they’re doing it through the union’s Rapid...

In 1975, the United States was a leader in global shipbuilding. The industry employed 180,000 workers who built more than 70 commercial ships in American shipyards. In the early 1980s, that changed as federal spending on domestic manufacturing was slashed and foreign competitors like China employed predatory practices to dominate the industry. Of course, the USW isn't letting this go without a fight. In this episode, we talk to USW Sub-District 1 Director Jamie Walker about the union's...

More than 80 years ago, U.S. Labor Secretary Frances Perkins identified silica dust as a deadly hazard. Finally, this past April 16, MSHA, through the Department of Labor, issued a final rule reducing silica dust exposure to better protect America’s miners. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, known as OSHA, also clarified a rule in another major victory for workers this month to ensure workers are able to choose their own representative to join OSHA agents during workplace...

The USW’s Next Gen program saw its humble yet historic beginnings in a resolution at the International union’s Constitutional Convention in 2011. It endorsed the training and development of younger Steelworker activists to take on increasingly greater roles in their local unions, their governments and their communities. Since then, young and newer members of the USW across the United States and Canada have answered the call to become activists, and we're talking with three of them for our...

When late International President Tom Conway took the helm of the USW in July 2019, he made a promise that his administration would work to reduce or eliminate tiered wage and benefit systems in union contracts. Many USW locals have heeded late President Conway’s call and made great strides in eliminating these tiered systems in recent years. Today we’re talking with USW Vice president Luis Mendoza about how members in the paper sector have done just that, including workers at WestRock,...

When Croatian painter and immigrant Maxo Vanka first visited Pittsburgh in 1935, he fell in love with the steel town and developed a friendship with Father Albert Zagar of the St. Nicholas Croatian Church in Millvale.  Zagar longed for color on his church’s plain walls, but he didn’t want the usual imagery found in most religious houses. He knew Vanka was the perfect artist for the job. Vanka then painted 25 individual murals that cover every inch of the church, and today, artists and...

Members of the USW across the U.S. and Canada make the highest quality products in their industries, from Bulleit Bourbon distilled in Kentucky and All-Clad cookware handcrafted in Pennsylvania to clothing spun in Portland, Maine, at American Roots and Custom Foam pillows fabricated and molded in Ontario, Canada. Today we’re speaking with several USW members about the products they and their union siblings make and why these products are the ideal gifts for the labor supporter in your life.  

Check out the latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear from two USW members who have stepped up to run for office in their communities. You’ll hear about what inspired them to make these moves and why union members are uniquely equipped to serve in local government to be a voice for workers and families.

Members of the United Steelworkers union are known for being masters of production. On top of creation, we also help repair damage done in the past to ensure our communities can thrive in the future. We do this by cleaning up toxic nuclear sites to protect local residents and wildlife, and we conduct vital tests for various nuclear sector needs. In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with Jim Key, who heads the USW Atomic Workers Council, about what the sector looks like today...

This May, members at electric bus manufacturer Blue Bird in Georgia voted to join the USW. Then, in August, members at Kumho Tire, also in middle Georgia, ratified their first contract after a years-long battle to have their voices heard. Check out the latest USW podcast episode to learn how these historic campaigns happened and why they matter not just for the South but for the entire country.

This week, nearly 200 USW members who work in the vast and diverse health care sector are gathering in Pittsburgh for their first Health Care Workers Council Conference since 2018. A lot has changed in the industry over these past five years, not only due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of automation, short staffing, and skyrocketing rates of workplace violence. Health and safety has quickly become one of the top priorities for the sector’s workers, and USW members especially...

For this episode of Solidarity Works, we’re talking with two USW members who are currently serving as Indigenous Engagement Coordinators for the union’s District 3 and 6 in Canada. Listen to learn about how they’ve been reconnecting to their Indigenous roots and how local unions can make a difference in making sure their Indigenous members not only survive but thrive within their communities and workplaces.

When Sean Gardener, a Buddhist chaplain in Canada, first walked into the prison where he would be providing spiritual care to people behind bars, he expected to feel nervous or fearful. Instead, he felt at home.  Listen to our latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear from Sean, along with a public defender in Pennsylvania, talk about working in the criminal justice field and share their experiences as USW members.  

At the start of this year, the USW announced a new initiative with our Rapid Response and Veterans of Steel activist groups to push for legislation that helps our military veterans, especially in the workplace. For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with several USW members about their experience serving in the military and why legislation is needed to uplift veterans as they navigate re-entering civilian life. Learn more at usw.org/vetsofsteel

From the XFL and USFL to Rugby Canada, professional athletes are organizing with the USW to gain a stronger voice on the job and protect their health and safety. Listen to the latest episode of Solidarity Works to learn about how sports unions change the game and bring teamwork to a whole new level.

In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with USW Vice President of Human Affairs Kevin Mapp and Pride at Work Co-President Brittani Murray about uniting workers across race, class, and gender to build a labor coalition that lasts. Music in this episode is by Ketsa.

As workplace innovation and technology evolve more rapidly than ever before, the labor movement is stepping up to ensure workers’ voices are represented in this Fourth Industrial Revolution.  In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with the director of the AFL-CIO Tech Institute, as well as two USW members in health care and manufacturing, about how employers can center humanity in the future of technology, how to manage tech as it impacts new industries, and how it can be used to...

Listen to the latest episode of USW’s Solidarity Works podcast to learn about some of history’s forgotten labor heroes, as well as a new Pride at Work partnership that aims to increase union membership among LGBTQ+ workers! Find it at usw.to/podcast or wherever you access your favorite podcasts. To download a host of LGBTQ+ resources from the USW, visit www.usw.org/steelpride.

This month, we’re talking with USW Vice President at Large Roxanne Brown about what’s at stake for workers this November during midterm elections. We’re also joined by Local 1557 member and activist JoJo Burgess about his experience getting out the vote in Pennsylvania. Learn more at www.uswvoices.org. 

Finding equipment that fits properly is a common issue for women in certain industries, as is having access to adequate restrooms and changing facilities. This is one of the many reasons why the USW has released a new action guide in the United States called Raising the Bar on Women’s Health and Safety. Listen to the latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear from several Women of Steel about their experiences advocating for their safety and health on the job, and how your local can use this...

Bay City Public School bus drivers in Michigan are back at the wheel this school year, and they’re fired up and ready to go after beating back privatization efforts this past May. Listen to the latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear about their impressive fight and their continued campaign to keep their jobs intact and their students safe.