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United Steelworkers (USW) local unions at Asarco in Tucson, Ariz., contributed to the Congressional campaign of attorney Wenona Baldenegro, a Democrat from Arizona.  Ms. Baldenegro, the first American Indian to graduate from Arizona State University’s prestigious Barrett Honor’s College, is attempting to become the first American Indian woman to serve in Congress.

Ms. Baldenegro’s platform focuses on promoting jobs, supporting local businesses and helping to save federal programs.  Ms. Baldenegro, a Harvard Law School graduate, works as an attorney in Flagstaff and volunteers for numerous causes.

USW Director Bob LaVenture said Ms. Baldenegro has served her community and her goals as a lawmaker reflect those of unions.

“Ms. Baldenegro brings values to the campaign that we have not seen in a long time,” LaVenture stated. “She reminds us so much of politicians from years gone by that will go to D.C. and actually stand up for workers, working families and retirees. We proudly and wholeheartedly endorse her campaign.”

 

Last year, the Women of Steel (WOS) Committee at United Steelworkers (USW) Local 5 in Martinez, Calif., decided to make the holiday season more memorable for patients at the Veteran’s Hospital. 

The committee collected items such as gift bags filled with toiletries, books, movies and clothing. WOS members personally delivered the gifts in December, raising patients’ spirits.

“It was quite an uplifting day,” said WOS Coordinator Raylynn McIntire. “It was so touching to watch the faces of the people, some who had been there for up to three years and never had received a gift.”

Last December, United Steelworkers (USW) Local 13-1 along with members from Shell and Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. united to collect toys for a “Fill the Truck Event.” The campaign was organized by the Shell Deer Park Worker’s Committee to help with the local Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

“Our members in District 13 are always ready to jump into action to assist at rallies or events.” said USW District 13 Director Mickey Breaux. “But it’s events like this at Local 13-1 that show our true community spirit.”  

The nationwide Toys for Tots Program was designed to collect new, unwrapped gifts and distribute them to less fortunate children during the holiday season to allow them to experience the joy of Christmas. 

At Wendell August Forge Steelworkers produce artwork, mostly in aluminum and bronze, including stunning designs on gifts that include trays, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, album covers, plates and platters.

“It’s rewarding for me to make something that customers will value as a keepsake gift, something that they will cherish,’’ said Jason Fleischer, a member of Local 6346  and one of 40 employees hired by Wendell August after a fire completely destroyed the 88-year-old shop in Grove City, Pa. on March 6, 2010.  

The shop, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was lost. But the company’s heritage – more than 4,000 unique dies used to imprint designs onto end products – was spared.  About a third of the dies were in a fireproof vault. The rest required painstaking restoration.

Will Knecht, the company’s president and current owner, said members of the United Steelwokers (USW) union did “a phenomenal job” getting the business up and running in a temporary location.

“They literally worked around the clock after the fire, never a complaint; an amazing group of employees,” he said. “I am proud to be associated with workers who have a true dedication to their job, and a work ethic that is beyond compare.” (more…)

Last year, the Women of Steel chapter at United Steelworkers Local 151G at Dal-Tile, Olean, N.Y., raised $1,570 for a local charity through a year-long effort.

The money went to the Mental Health Association of Cattaraugus County.

Lynn Zalepa, president of USW Local 151G, suggested the project, and WOS chairperson Kerri Simon carried it out, starting off with having members vote on the charity to benefit.

After raising the money through donations and a series of monthly events including bake sales, WOS presented the gift to the executive director of MHACC in December.

MHACC, a nonprofit, provides assistance to people with developmental disorders such as autism. MHACC programs include therapeutic, residential camps for children, transition groups and family support.  The local’s fundraising project will aid the organization, which lacks formal funding, in continuing these services, which it has provided for the past four years.

Dal-Tile managers Marty Reynolds, Tom Blair and Greg Edwards were instrumental in the program’s success, local union officials said.

For USW Local Union 6500 in Sudbury, Canada, it all started 23 years ago when Brother Edgar Burton’s daughters came home from school and asked if they could collect food for the less fortunate.

Burton was so moved that he began a tradition of collecting cans of food for the Sudbury Food Bank. He started by placing an empty box at the plant where he worked. Over the years, as more businesses, employees, schools and organizations joined in, this effort grew into The Greater Sudbury Business and Employee Food Drive.

In July 2010, Brother Edgar Burton passed away. In honor of his contribution and ongoing efforts to reduce hunger in Greater Sudbury, the campaign was renamed The Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive.

In the first year Edgar collected 400 pounds of food. Keeping with his original motto to collect “one more can” than the year before, the Edgar Burton’s Christmas Food Drive has collected a total of 516 tons of food over the past 24 years (over 86 tons last year alone).  All of this was inspired by his daughters asking, “Why do some people not have enough food to eat?”

This year, along with the many cans and boxes of food collected, Local 6500 raffled a Harley Davidson Soft Tail Classic motorcycle and raised $30,000 for this cause. Local 6500 President Rick Bertrand said later, “Each year I am more proud and amazed by what the Steelworkers’ sisters and brothers of Local 6500 can achieve.”

USW Local 6500 President Rick Bertrand (center) presents a $30,000 check to the Chair of the Sudbury Food bank, Geoffrey Lougheed. In the background are Local 6500 members Norm Black, Dave Gordon, Wess Dowsett, Norm Rivard, Tim Kiley, Nick Larochelle, Mike “OB” O’Brien, and Patrick Vienot.

United Steelworkers (USW) Local Union 1533 teamed up with Fairbanks Morse Engine company over the holidays to raise $3,300 for the Salvation Army. 

Individual workers donated and groups of workers raised money by participating in bell ringing throughout “Spirit Week.”

John W. Bottorff, Fairbanks Morse vice president of human resources, said the union’s support for the Salvation Army has been a tradition. “Employees were extremely generous and proud to help in so many ways,” Bottorff said.

Volunteers conducted bell ringing at several locations throughout the Beloit area including the Save-a-Lot grocery store and Woodman’s grocery.  The group’s efforts brought the community’s total collection to more than $70,000, exceeding last year’s contribution of $63,000.

USW Local 1533 President Kevin Bishop encouraged local unions, businesses and community groups to organize support for the Salvation Army’s new program for the 2012 holidays called “Adopt a Kettle.”

Members of USW Local 3657 Women of Steel trimmed a holiday tree with red and green paper slips bearing the names and ages of children of Local 6996 members who had been locked out for months by Hofmann Industries in Sinking Spring, Pa.

WOS members from Pittsburgh, Pa. took the slips from the tree and bought presents that each child had asked for, trying to purchase as many America-made gifts as possible. Local 3657 wrapped the gifts, ranging from board games to nonobugs, and sent them to Local 6996 in time holiday distribution.

After the holidays, Local 6996 President Dean E. Showers sent Local 3657 WOS photos and a note expressing his gratitude. He said,

“Thank you again for the solidarity and kindness given to our locked-out members. Your Christmas gifts were very much appreciated by our members and their children. Your continued support enables our members to find the courage, energy, and commitment to Stand Up and Fight Back.”

Steffi Domike, co-chair of Local 3657, said it chose Local 6996 for the project because it is a fellow District 10 local, and its members had suffered terribly during the lockout.

USW District 10 Director John DeFazio packs handbags with USW Local 3657 WOS members

By Steffi Domike and Pam DelBianco
Co-chairs, USW Local 3657 WOS

When District 10 Women of Steel co-chairs Keli Vereb and Paulette Battisti delivered five huge boxes filled with handbags to Pittsburgh’s Wood Street homeless shelter on Dec. 7, they made fifty homeless women just a little happier this holiday season. The purse delivery was a joint project of District 10 and USW Local 3657 Women of Steel.

The Local 3657 Women of Steel chapter initiated the purse collection project early in November and anticipated making a delivery to the shelter in January of 2012. The initial plan was to put a Ziploc bag filled with toiletries into each purse. What surprised everyone was the number of unused and gently used handbags that members, sisters, friends and relatives quickly donated to this worthy cause.

By the first of December, over 50 purses were piled up in 4 large boxes, nearly filling the front of committee co-chair Steffi Domike’s office. Small bottles of shampoo, conditioner and lotion filled another box.

Then Paulette Battisti, co-chair of District 10 Women of Steel and new clerical staff member in the International office of the Education and Membership Development Department, decided that more could be done to make this a special gift. She contacted District 10 Director John DeFazio for a donation. Then with $250 in hand, she purchased 50 hats, 50 packages of socks, 50 pairs of gloves and 50 toothbrushes.

By early December, it was clear that there were enough purses and materials to fill them and Dec. 7 was set as the date to put it all together. Director DeFazio came into the International office to help and brought along a purse donated by the district secretary Cindy Minnick. Women of Steel activists Chris Patberg, Pam DelBianco, Barbara White Stack, Steffi Domike and Paulette Battisti set up an assembly line to quickly stuff the bags with all of the donated and purchased items.

More handbags and winter clothing are still being dropped off, so Local 3657 WOS plans to make a second delivery in January.

The Women of Steel (WOS) Committee at United Steelworkers (USW) Local 5 in Martinez, Calif., set a goal of delivering 200 holiday gifts to patients at the local Veterans Hospital.

They filled holiday gift bags with toiletries, books, movies, clothing and other items after receiving a $250 donation from the Institute for Career Development (ICD) and $500 from USW Local 5. In addition, the Steelworkers Health and Welfare Fund donated toothbrushes, lens cleaners and pill cases.

On Dec. 10, volunteers stuffed the gifts into two SUV’s, a truck, and a car to take to the hospital.  There, they took time to visit each veteran, and delivered the gifts with the help of some of the patients and hospital volunteers. (more…)