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10555_Reg_Mag.indd 1 1/30/12 4:21 PM INSIDEUSW@WORK I’m so happy we have a union and a contract. Now we get to take our breaks. If we’re thirsty we can drink water … and all of the “hours we work are in our paycheck. But the biggest difference is we finally get respect as workers. Oliverio Gomez Car wash worker and new member of Local 675 ” INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD Leo W. Gerard International President Stan Johnson Int’l. Secretary-Treasurer 08 12 Thomas M. Conway INTERNATIONAL PAPER LOCKED OUT Int’l. Vice President USW members ratify a four-year master eco- After earning more than $300 million in profits (Administration) nomic and security agreement with International over three years, Cooper Tire locked out 1,051 Fred Redmond Paper. Other contract settlements are reached USW members at its Findlay, Ohio, production Int’l. Vice President with Domtar and Georgia Pacific box plants. facility on Nov. 28. (Human Affairs) Ken Neumann Nat’l. Dir. for Canada Jon Geenen Int’l. Vice President Gary Beevers 14 24 Int’l. Vice President OIL BARGAINING CORELLE PLANT EXPANDS National contract talks with the oil industry in- International demand for USW-produced Carol Landry volve 36 companies, including the nation’s larg- Corelle dinnerware prompts World Kitchen Vice President at Large est refiners, and 130 USW locals that represent to spend $50 million on expanding a plant in approximately 30,000 workers. Corning, N.Y. DIRECTORS FEATURES ON THE COVER David R. McCall, District 1 Speaking Out 03 Darci Klotz, a USW member at Regal Ware in Wisconsin, puts the finishing CAPITOL LETTERS 32 Michael Bolton, District 2 touches on American-made cookware. See story on page 04. News Bytes 33 Stephen Hunt, District 3 Union Security Clause 35 John Shinn, District 4 Daniel Roy, District 5 Wayne Fraser, District 6 Jim Robinson, District 7 Ernest R. “Billy” Thompson, District 8 Volume 07/No.1 Winter 2012 Daniel Flippo, District 9 Communications Staff: Official publication of the United Steelworkers Jim McKay, Editor Direct inquiries and articles for USW@Work to: John DeFazio, District 10 Wayne Ranick, Director of Communications United Steelworkers Communications Department Robert Bratulich, District 11 Gary Hubbard, Director of Public Affairs, Washington, D.C. Five Gateway Center Aaron Hudson and Kenny Carlisle, Designers Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Robert LaVenture, District 12 Deb Davidek, Chelsey Engel, Lynne Hancock, phone 412-562-2400 J.M. “Mickey” Breaux, District 13 Tony Montana, Barbara White Stack. fax 412-562-2445 online: www.usw.org Contributors: Jim Coleman and Connie Mabin, New Media Department USW@Work (ISSN 1931-6658) is published four times a year by the United Steelworkers AFL-CIO•CLC Five Gateway Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Subscriptions to non-members: $12 for one year; $20 for two years. Periodicals postage paid at Pittsburgh, PA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: USW@Work, USW Membership Department, 3340 Perimeter Hill Drive, Nashville, TN 37211 Copyright 2012 by United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO•CLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the United Steelworkers. 2 USW@Work • Winter 2012 10555_Reg_Mag.indd 2 1/30/12 4:21 PM Let’s Bang Pots started working at the age of 16. It also occurs to Want to start a national peaceful support mech- me that I pay taxes which provide for the politi- anism for the Occupy movement? Banging on pots cians’ pay, insurance, and retirement – to which with spoons each evening is a good way to start. they contribute nothing. Governments in Argentina, Chile and else- Now who’s going to try to cut my benefits? The where were brought down by ordinary citizens same people who feel entitled to let us foot the bill banging pots with cooking spoons. On the streets for their benefits in addition to our own. where they live organized groups go outside for 10 Ellen LaFemina minutes to bang a pot at whatever time best suits Associate Member, Ashland, Mass. their purpose. The racket will definitely get attention, and Fighting Back soon the entire neighborhood could be banging I am so happy to know that the unions are fight- along with us. Maybe then we can together change ing back against corporate and Wall Street greed. the way Washington works. An uncle once told me that if it wasn’t for unions, Estelle Leighton everybody would be working for $5 an hour. Saxapahaw, N.C. Over the last 15 years, I have seen many good jobs leave my area, and it scares and depresses me. RG Steel Layoffs When I was small, my grandfather explained Just before Christmas, RG Steel gave employ- the difference between Republicans and Demo- ees a present – laid off until further notice! crats. He said the Republicans were for the There’s no doubt that 2012 will bring big wealthy and the Democrats were for the working changes in RG Steel’s operations at Sparrows class. The problem is I don’t think any politicians Point. There have been many calls to Baltimore are for the working class anymore. They are con- County Councilman John Olszewski from upset trolled by big corporations and Wall Street. employees who fear a permanent shutdown. Pete Raschke Let’s hope that RG Steel sticks to what they Associate Member, Ashland, Ohio said: “RG Steel symbolizes the dawning of a new day in steel production and service. We are creat- Nation is Crumbling ing a pathway to a brighter future for our custom- The last I heard, there are about five people ers, employees and communities.” in desperate need of a job for every job opening, Only time will tell if they are speaking the meaning that a whole lot of Americans are left be- truth. hind with no means of providing for their families. LeRoy R. McClelland Sr., Retiree The nation has been crumbling from the bottom Local 9477, Essex , Md. up and as long as we won’t acknowledge today’s poverty, there is no chance of restoring the middle Editor’s note: At press time, RG Steel issued class. a recall notice to 500 laid-off USW members at Sparrows Point and separately announced a D.H. Fabian breakthrough in the company’s drive to secure ad- Fort Atkinson, Wis. ditional financing to ramp up production overall. As the writer notes, however, only time will tell. Stay Strong Just want to remind my union brothers and sis- Working as a Team ters to stay strong and fight for a better way of life I thank God that 230 USW members stuck to- for all of our union brothers. It is hard in a Right- gether and won a long, hard battle against Honey- to-Work state, but there is power in numbers! well in Metropolis, Ill. The company thought it had Dennis Coleman USW active and retired bested them by hiring scabs with no experience, Local 8888, Heathsville, Va. members and their which they found out didn’t work. families are invited to Now, make sure that the company lives up to “speak out” on these Inspired to Fight Back pages. Letters should be the contract. Good luck to the workers who got What has inspired me to stand up and fight back to work doing so with pride and solidarity. short and to the point. back is the debt I owe to those who have fought We reserve the right to Richard Vogt, Retiree before me to give my family and myself the edit for length. Local 1115, Waukegan, Ill. benefits we enjoy today and to help ensure that the workers who come after me are not left behind. Mail to: Who’s Entitlement? We need to preserve what we have and build on USW@Work I resent politicians’ constant referral to my it, not go back. Solidarity now and forever! Five Gateway Center, health insurance, Social Security, and Medicare Mike Polkki Pittsburgh PA 15222 as “entitlements.” I have earned and paid out Local 4974, Ishpeming, Mich. or e-mail: of pocket for these things for 59 years – since I [email protected] USW@Work • Winter 2012 3 10555_Reg_Mag.indd 3 1/30/12 4:21 PM atching Steelworker Rodney Kutz at work, it’s obvious that he is skilled at his craft – casting Wmolten aluminum into cookware at the Regal Ware plant in Kewaskum, Wis. “There is a lot of pride in the cook- ware that we make here at Regal Ware,” Kutz said as he prepared a mold for a dutch oven that would be finished down the line in merlot porcelain with a hard non-stick interior. USW-represented production work- ers at Regal Ware, a Wisconsin maker of stainless steel and cast aluminum cookware, are working hard to sustain a 100-year tradition of made-in-America quality in a punishing global market- place. Regal Ware, its employees and their communities have been pummeled by the recession, outsourcing and cheap imports from China. Yet they are bet- ting the company can survive in its second century by staying true to a commitment to make good products in the United States with a skilled and experienced union work force. “It’s a very competitive market, but what differentiates us from imports is our attention to detail and the quality of our products,” said Tim Gintner, vice president of Local 850. “We’re very proud of it.” Union for 70 years The family-owned business, whose workers have been union represented for some 70 years, operates plants in Kewaskum and nearby West Bend, the larger of the two facilities.