Video: Despite anti-union attacks, steelworkers rally for contract, justice

GARY, Ind. — United Steelworkers (USW) union members and allies demonstrated this past week in two separate rallies for a fair contract for workers who produce steel. Seventeen thousand US Steelworkers and thousands more at ArcelorMittal began industry-wide contract bargaining in basic steel about a month ago. Their current contracts expire on Sept. 1, and these two big steel companies have come with terrible proposals for cutting deep into active worker and retiree benefits, dangerous work rule changes, and proposals that will severely weaken bargaining rights.

These tough negotiations come at a time of unprecedented attack on unions by corporate-sponsored far rightwing politicians, think tanks and media. Already the aluminum company, ATI, has locked out 2,200 USW workers around the country.

But the union membership and leadership are fired up and rallying with allies around the country at the different plant gates of each company.

Steelworkers Want a Fair Contract Now! from Scott Marshall on Vimeo.

 

 


CONTRIBUTOR

Scott Marshall
Scott Marshall

Scott has been a life long trade unionist and was active in rank and file reform movements in the Teamsters, Machinists and Steelworkers unions in the 1970s and '80s. He was co-chair of the Save Our Jobs committee of USWA local 1834 at Pullman Standard in Chicago and active in nationwide organizing against plant shutdowns and layoffs. He was a founder of the unemployed organization Jobs or Income Now (Join), in Chicago, and the National Congress of Unemployed Organizations in the 1980s. Scott remains active in SOAR (Steelworkers Active Organized Retirees). He lives in Chicago.

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