The purpose of this piece is to discuss the basis of my union’s, the United Steelworkers, political endorsements, for folks both inside our union and allies. Union endorsements are often misunderstood. This is my take, not an official statement by the USW. If we consider ourselves working people first, then this makes sense. If we have other priorities, then any union recommendation will take a lesser position in our voting decisions.
The United Steelworkers District 10 (Pennsylvania) held its annual Conference last week. All the Delegates had been sent by their Local Unions to listen, learn and bring back the messages and education. With the national elections a few months away, and Pennsylvania a key (if not determining) battleground State, the gathered Delegates and the Members they represent, expected to hear the USW’s position.
It’s important to note that Unions have a distinct institutional and legal purpose within our society. We exist to uplift working people both in the workplace and the quality of their lives. Unions are not a church, a charity, a political Party or a business. Unions are involved with politics because we know that everything we gain at the bargaining table can be stripped away by legislative and administrative actions. We also know that we need pro-worker legislation on broad issues that collective bargaining cannot address by itself.
All Unions are dealing with the politics of our time. Each handles their decision-making in their own style and with consideration of their membership makeup. The more diverse a Union’s membership, the more contentious political decisions are likely to be. The USW is about as diverse, by any measure, as any organization can be. That makes political decisions difficult, given that Union’s need to nourish solidarity, as the mainstay of our overall effectiveness.
As our International Officers addressed the USW District 10 delegation, their theme was to focus on POLICY NOT CANDIDATES. In preparation for endorsements, the USW sends an extensive questionnaire to all candidates. Its purpose is to assess where candidates stand on the key legislative issues that impact working and retired Americans. Additionally, for two national election cycles, the USW has held membership meetings across the country, to discuss the Union’s key policy concerns with our members and get their input. The USW also receives lots of member input through our social media sites. The questionnaires, member meetings and other member input, along with an assessment of the candidate’s actual records if they’ve held office, become the basis for any endorsement.
Using the above criteria, the USW has endorsed Joe Biden and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) for reelection. There will be those that insist unions only endorse Democrats. The USW’s history shows it will endorse Republicans, where they are willing to support working family needs. Keep in mind, the USW does not tell its members who to vote for. The endorsement is the union’s assessment of which candidates would best represent workers interests. If members have other priorities they certainly are not bound by a USW endorsement.
In the upcoming Presidential election, both candidates have held the position, so the Union has the records of both candidates to compare. The reasons for the Biden recommendation are numerous.
- During this Administration, manufacturing has gained 15 million new jobs. China trade down 20% and $2 Trillion is going to manufacturing investment
- This Administration has:
- Spearheaded a series of legislative victories that together form a historic industrial/manufacturing policy for our nation. All other first-world nations have these policies. The USW has long advocated for an industrial/manufacturing policy, with tariffs as but one piece of that policy. A major reason we were losing our industrial/manufacturing base was we left it to profit-making corporations to decide our productive capacity.
- Pursued a “Buy American” set of policies in both federal direct purchasing and in determining where federal incentives and spending is granted. This is a critical step in making sure public investments result in good, family sustaining jobs here.
- Insists on company’s seeking federal dollars observe Labor Law and are neutral in organizing campaigns. Assuring that workers are able to gain a fair share of the profits from these investments.
- Fired the corporate attorney that the former President had installed at the head of the National Labor Relations Board, returning that agency to the job of protecting working family’s rights. This has resulted in a sharp increase in NLRB charges against labor law violations and sent a signal to corporate America that the Sheriff is back on the job.
- Enacted the long-sidelined Butch/Lewis Act with saved over a million pensioners under Multi-Employer Pension Funds that had been devastated by the banking manipulation in the 1980’s. Also assures the financial stability of the Pension Guarantee Corporation, which insures everyone’s pensions.
- Changed OSHA rules so that union safety investigators have a right to be on the accident site with OSHA inspectors. This gives a worker perspective to any accident findings and recommendations.
- Put in place a Silica safe-use “standard” that USW members have long needed. OSHA expects it to prevent 600 deaths a year from silica-related diseases – such as silicosis, lung cancer, other respiratory diseases and kidney disease – and to prevent more than 900 new cases of silicosis each year.
- Now pursuing a USW-filed Section 301 Trade Case to curb illegal subsidies of foreign shipbuilding. The aim is to bring this work and supply chain jobs back on shore. The United States once had nearly 30 major shipyards; now we’re down to just a handful... “That correlates with more than 70,000 lost shipbuilding jobs, not to mention all the secondary jobs the industry supports.”
- 2.9 million Medicare retirees have benefited from negotiating drug costs
- Only U.S. President to stand on a picket line with striking workers.
Senator Casey has been a stalwart when it comes to workers rights and continues to support legislation that improves the lives of working families. He currently is proposing an end to any corporate tax deductions for corporate use of union-busters and making union dues tax-deductible again. He’s opposed by a candidate that actually has lived most of his life out of the State. A millionaire who made his money as the CEO of one of the worlds largest hedge funds. Hedge funds are noted for purchasing viable companies, loading them with debt and then strip-mining their assets, leaving the workers high and dry. The USW’s assessment is that Senator Casey’s opponent would not provide support to working people anywhere close to what Senator Casey had demonstrated in his position.
There are those who urge the Union movement to take on a much more aggressive role in social issues and other hot-button causes of the moment. Many of these voices do not have the responsibility of actually delivering improvements to our dues-paying union membership. Union’s, the USW included, are engaged with and support many organizations that pursue these issues. However, the USW leadership has maintained that its primary role is to focus our work and membership on worker needs and issues. As USW International President Dave McCall put it at the Conference, “Our focus has to be on Members, Goals, Values over Greed and Arrogance”.
Ihg 6-21-2024 If you like these commentaries, join my blog for free at: https://ikegittlen.substack.com/ and share. Let’s see what we can build together
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Good article on this topic.
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