The White House Wants to Hear from Us
Rapid Response to Weigh in on Creating Jobs in America!  

Click HERE to take the Rapid Response survey.

As you know, the USW is taking the lead in pushing for a new approach to creating good, family supportive jobs in America. 

We have worked hard to push the White House and Congress to focus on concrete approaches like creating a new manufacturing policy, providing tax credits for employers that create AMERICAN jobs, giving stimulus funds to small and medium sized businesses that create jobs - instead of big banks, and other approaches.

President Obama is considering various approaches to needed job creation, including the strategies the USW is fighting for.  He is now asking us to weigh in to tell him what we believe should be the most important priorities and tactics to make this happen.

It is important that we make our voices heard loud and clear in Washington, D.C.   Too many of our sisters and brothers are out of work or in jeopardy of losing their jobs for us to sit on our hands and do nothing.  Click on the link below to add your thoughts.

Click HERE to take the Rapid Response survey.

All surveys must be completed by December 10th in order to be considered in the discussion.  Make sure your opinion is heard!

For a printable copy, click HERE.
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Make the Call for REAL REFORM Today!       

Healthcare reform legislation is finally moving forward in Congress.  Key decisions about the shape of the final bill are being made right now, and our legislators need to understand that reform must be meaningful and not add any burdens to the middle class in order to be successful.

Please weigh in with our legislators on three key issues for healthcare reform.  First, we need a strong public health insurance option.  A public option inserts much-needed competition into the healthcare market to drive down costs and provide consumers with an alternative to the private-run plans currently available.  Second, employers need to provide healthcare or pay into a system that will help ensure everyone is covered.  And, third, we do not want our benefits to be taxed as part of any reform plan.  We're already paying too much for healthcare!

For more information on healthcare, please visit the Rapid Response website at www.uswrr.org.  

Healthcare Reform: Senate Update    

The Truth About Healthcare. . .
Did You Know?    

For a printable version, click HERE.
 

WE DID IT!   

President Obama announced on Friday that he would stand up for U.S. workers and impose tariffs on Chinese tire imports.  This decision was a response to the trade case that our union brought over surges in tire imports that have resulted in thousands of lost jobs in our country. 

This move by our President signals a sharp turn from his predecessor, who refused to provide relief in four other similar trade cases with China.  The industries in these cases are being decimated.  President Obama's decision in the current case will give our tire workers a fighting chance.

This is a huge victory for U.S. workers, trade law enforcement, and our union.

Join us for these USW sponsored events: 

What exactly is a "Public Option?"

Simply put, a public option would be a new health insurance plan overseen by the government.  You can think of it like a Medicare plan non-seniors could purchase.  The President stresses that it must be self-sustaining, stating, "taxpayers aren't subsidizing it. . . it has to run on charging premiums and providing good services and a good network of doctors, just like any other private insurer would do."*

The Benefits of a Public Option Include:

.  Giving Americans a Better Range of Health Care Choices

Expanding the options that are available means consumers will have more ability to decide what fits their needs.  A high-quality public option with lower-cost premiums promises to attract many Americans, especially those who have been disappointed by our current for-profit system.

.  Making the Private Health Care Market More Competitive

Today, there is really no competition.  Huge for-profit insurers control large geographical regions.  This profit-driven system needs incentive to meaningfully reign-in costs while providing quality care, rather than simply passing on higher premiums that drive more people into the ranks of the uninsured. 

Medicare, the public insurance program, has been much more successful than private insurers when it comes to reducing administrative and operating costs.  A public plan option would force private insurers to compete on efficiency and quality, rather than on their ability to enroll the lowest-cost people.  Plus, since a public option doesn't have to earn huge profits, premiums are expected to be less.

.  Keeping Insurance Companies Honest

The for-profit insurance industry is guilty of engaging in a number of unethical practices to increase the bottom line: raising rates exorbitantly to force companies into dropping coverage, denying procedures that should be covered, dropping a policy just as a person is diagnosed with a major illness by finding a "technicality."  With the threat of losing customers to a public plan, insurance companies will have an incentive to provide better coverage that is also more affordable.

A Public Option Is Really Just Common Sense.  

*From the transcript of President Obama's remarks at the town hall health care forum at a high school in Portsmouth, N.H., on August 11, 2009.

 

The Latest on Health Care Reform    

Tired of battling over health care at every contract negotiation?  Sick of worrying about what happens to your health care if you lose your job?  Think our system costs too much, covers too little and excludes too many?  If you do, you're not alone.  The good news is that we are finally close to reforming this failed system.

Health Care Reform is Underway - Before Congress adjourned for their August recess, the House of Representatives finished drafting a bill - H.R. 3200 - that would go a long way towards what we need to see for reform. Those who have employer-provided care can keep their same coverage; those who don't will have access to affordable care.

Getting a Real Solution to the Health Care Crisis Won't be Easy - The Senate has not yet finished their work on a bill, and it could be weaker than the House bill.   Meanwhile, corporate-backed anti-health care reform and anti-government groups have begun an aggressive - and at times violent - smear campaign to stop this needed reform.  Their goal is to create the impression that a movement against health reform exists, but in reality they are a small, misled fringe that's frightened because we're so close to real reform.

Make sure to educate yourself on the facts as this debate continues!

For a printable version, click HERE.
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Will There be Justice from Unfair Trade?    

U.S. tire workers in consumer tire-producing operations are at the losing end of a surge in tire imports from China.  This surge has a direct link to the 25 percent decline in U.S. production and the resulting 7,000 workers who are being impacted by factory shutdowns and slated shutdowns.  These are family and community supportive jobs that are disappearing because China isn't playing by the rules, and our union is taking action through a trade case to help right this wrong.

It's time to make a break from the failed trade policy of the past. 
This case has far-reaching implications for many USW industries beyond just tire.  If we lose, we can expect more industries to be harmed.  If we win, we start on a course of trade law enforcement where U.S. workers get a fair shot.

China's Unfair Trading Practices are Not New
The artificial level of imports has a direct connection to China's distorted, non-market economy and manipulation of its currency.  There are numerous cases in the U.S. where China was found to disregard our trade rules and dump or subsidize exports to our market.  The impact has been loss of jobs and wages for workers in many industries - just like what is happening in the tire industry now. 

The USW Takes Action
Section 421 of the Trade Act of 1974 gives us recourse when a flood of imports from China disrupts our markets and causes harm to U.S. workers and industries.  China agreed to these rules when they became a member of the World Trade Organization. 

Recently, the International Trade Commission affirmed our case, ruling that China violated its WTO commitments on surges related to the U.S. tire market.  Now the case moves on to the President for a final determination on whether or not relief will be granted.  

The President Now Holds the Key
In four previous 421 cases where the ITC found injury, the President at the time - George W. Bush - refused to provide relief.   Currently, President Obama is feeling heavy pressure from the job-exporting crowd to keep the status quo.  The President has until September 17 to make his decision.  It is very important that he hears from us on this case and understands how important this issue is.   This is not just about the tire industry; it's about the future of American manufacturing!

Please Watch for an Action Call Later this Week  

USW Members Respond with Compassion
Locals Across the Country Send Much-Needed Help to Our Hurricane-Impacted
Sisters and Brothers in the Gulf Region

When hurricanes Ike and Gustav ravaged the Gulf Coast last fall, our union had a problem.  The Steelworkers Charitable Fund that has been there for so many of our members facing large-scale tragedy in the past was nearly depleted and unable to assist our sisters and brothers in the way we would hope.  Considering that many of our members were living in tents pitched on the front lawns of their former homes, the need was great.  Rapid Response issued the news at the end of last year through our network and locals responded. 

If any local still wishes to contribute, please note to the following:  

Checks can be written to: Steelworkers Charitable and Educational Organization
Please mail checks to: United Steelworkers, c/o Tim Waters, Rapid Response, Five Gateway Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

The United Steelworkers Charitable and Education Organization is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and contributions are tax deductible. 

For a printable versions, click HERE. 
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Important Information for Laid Off Steelworkers:
Key Changes Make COBRA Health Care Continuation
More Accessible  

Healthcare is a critical issue for anyone in a job loss situation, and finding affordable coverage is often incredibly difficult.  Federal law allows workers who experience certain types of job loss - including a layoff - the right to continue an employer's group health benefits under a program called COBRA.  Individuals normally have to pick up the cost of the entire premium.  For this reason, COBRA is often out-of-reach for people getting by on an unemployment check.  A new change in the law is making COBRA more accessible.

Key Change in Recently-Passed Economic Recovery Act Makes COBRA More Affordable

The federal government will pay 65 percent of COBRA premiums for individuals (and their eligible dependents) who (1) are eligible due to an involuntary job loss occurring between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009, and (2) make less than $125,000 a year. Those who elect COBRA must pay the remaining 35 percent (the employer collects) and include the value of the 65 percent subsidy in their taxable income. The subsidy will last nine months, ending sooner if the individual becomes eligible under another group plan or Medicare. 

How Do Individuals Take Advantage of the Subsidy?

Employers must notify eligible individuals who lose or lost their jobs between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 of the new COBRA information and provide eligibility forms.  Notices should be sent out before mid-April.  Individuals who did not elect COBRA coverage when they first lost their jobs or who stopped making premium payments and lost coverage will be given another 60-day period to elect COBRA after the notice arrives. 

Are There Any Special Circumstances?

Yes.  For instance, if an employer went out of business and terminated the health care plan, leaving employees ineligible for COBRA, those individuals still would not be eligible. Or, if a laid-off individual's spouse has family coverage, the individual could still elect COBRA, but would not be eligible for the subsidy.  For more information on these circumstances and other details on the subsidy, please see the "COBRA Subsidy Info" section on the Make Our Future Work site at www.makeourfuturework.org.

Other Resources Available for Laid Off Workers

For an updated version of the Resource Guide for Laid Off Steelworkers click HERE or visit the Make Our Future Work site at www.makeourfuturework.org.   

For a printable version of the following, click HERE.
    

For a printable version of the following, click HERE.
  

Act Now for U.S. Jobs!    

Now that the President has signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law, we have to ensure that we're maximizing the benefits.  To do this, we need to make sure that taxpayer dollars are used to every extent possible to create and maintain jobs in the United States.  That's why our union is leading the way in getting a Buy American Resolution passed at the state and local level.  This will help ensure accountability in the law and make sure we are maximizing the number of jobs that are saved and created in these tough economic times.

Action Instructions

1) Print off the Buy American Resolution, available in legal size (click HERE) or letter size (click HERE).

2) Identify local elected officials that should be targeted.  Possibilities include city councils, county commissioners or council members, school boards, mayors and others.  To view a list of communities and states where the Resolution has been introduced or passed, click HERE.  Please note: while we are asking for your assistance with local lawmakers, there are also Steelworker efforts ongoing at the state level.  It is likely that you will be called on to assist as these efforts progress.

3) Call each elected official and set up a face-to-face meeting where you can present the Resolution.  We are asking that the Resolution be passed at an upcoming council, school board, etc. meeting.

4) On the Resolution Progress Report, available HERE, indicate whether or not each official supported or did not support the resolution.  If they did not make a decision, indicate that you will follow up in the next week.  We expect them to make a decision one way or the other.

5) Return a copy (or original, if possible) of any signed Resolutions or Resolution Progress Reports to:

Email: uswrr@usw.org
Mail: USW Rapid Response, 5 Gateway Center - 7th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Fax: 412-562-2266

6) For questions, contact your District Rapid Response Coordinator or call Rapid Response toll-free at 866-311-1889.

What are the goals of the Resolution?

The Resolution asks that elected officials:

• Work to maximize the creation of American jobs and restore economic growth and opportunity by spending economic recovery plan funds on products and services that both create jobs and help keep Americans employed;
• Commit to purchase only products and services that are made or performed in the United States of America whenever and wherever possible with any economic recovery monies provided; and
• Commit to publish any requests to waive these procurement priorities so as to give American workers and producers the opportunity to identify and provide the American products and services that will maximize the success of our nation's economic recovery program.

If the federal government has already enacted a Buy American law in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, why do we need to act at the state and local level?

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contains Buy American rules that will help our economy and our workers.  But, the states and local governments who will be carrying out the infrastructure projects in the Act still have the ability to circumvent those rules by getting waivers under certain conditions to purchase foreign products with our taxpayer dollars.  Obviously during these tough economic times that are resulting in the layoffs of thousands of Steelworker members who are employed in the manufacturing of iron, steel and other goods, we need to ensure that Buy American rules are implemented as fully as possible - with the fewest waivers possible!  And, when a waiver is sought, we need to know about it quickly.  For this to happen, the process needs to be transparent and public.

Will some state and local governments try to claim that the Buy American rules don't apply to them because of international trade agreements?

It hasn't come up to date, but given that major off-shoring companies are working overtime to undermine these rules, we might hear this going forward.  It's important to note that Buy American rules have been around since 1933 when FDR used them to help pull our country out of the Great Depression, and they've been applied consistently with our obligations under international trade agreements ever since.  The Buy American part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act even specifies that it will be carried out consistently with our obligations under international trade agreements, and our Resolution reads that the governing body will "commit to purchase only products and services that are made or performed in the United States of America whenever and wherever possible." 

Our bottom line is that we don't want elected officials to hide behind "trade agreement obligations" as a reason to get around ALL the domestic purchasing they CAN do with taxpayer dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  This is also why we are asking the state and local governments to commit to publish any requests they make for a waiver of the Buy American rules.  We want to know how our taxpayer dollars are being spent!

What are some talking points I can use when talking about the need for the Buy American Resolution?

• To get our nation back on track, we must get our economy working again and working for the middle class.  In order to do that, we need to insist that our tax dollars are spent at home, on American-made products.
• The United States is, by far, the world's largest importer.  We brought in $819 billion in goods in 2007.  This is why Buy American is so important.  It is about using taxpayer dollars, when allowed by our obligations under international trade agreements, to purchase U.S.-produced goods. 
• Four million U.S. manufacturing jobs have been lost since 2000, amounting to losses of nearly one-fourth of all U.S. manufacturing jobs.  Factory orders now stand at record lows while the U.S. racked up a $700 billion trade deficit in 2007.
• Buy American ensures that taxpayer dollars are used to buy goods produced in our country and create jobs at home.
• According to an Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) study by the University of Massachusetts' Political Economy Research Institute, significant investment in infrastructure could create more than 250,000 manufacturing jobs if U.S.-made goods are used.

How do Americans Feel About Buy American?

Two recent surveys show that Americans overwhelmingly approve.  A Harris Interactive poll found 84 percent favor "Buy American" requirements (66 percent strongly, 18 percent somewhat).  The support was consistent regardless of gender, age, income level, education or region.  A Pew survey also confirmed strong support with 70 percent of Democrats, 66 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of Independents saying the federal economic recovery plan should require that spending should be limited to U.S.-made goods and services.

Where can I read more about Buy American?

The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) has done a great job of outlining why infrastructure spending creates jobs, and how the job-creation is maximized by spending taxpayer dollars on U.S. goods.  Click HERE for their infrastructure report. The AAM has also debunked many of the Buy America myths in another report entitled, Buy America: Key to America's Economic Recovery, available HERE.

For additional resources and assistance, contact Rapid Response toll-free
at 866-311-1889 or visit the following websites:

www.uswrr.org
www.makeourfuturework.org 

For a printable versions, please click HERE.
Note: Adobe Reader is needed to view the file.  For a download, click HERE

     

For a printable versions, please click HERE.
Note: Adobe Reader is needed to view the file.  For a download, click HERE

  

Rapid Response Says THANKS!       

Rapid Response has asked much of our activists in the past few years.  The work that has been done on the Employee Free Choice Act in particular has been outstanding.  Thanks to your efforts, the Steelworkers are leading the way in the labor movement on this critical issue.  Now is our time to say thank you!

Each local president should have recently received free entry cards and instructions for the 2008 Rapid Response Appreciation Drawing in the mail.  The person whose card is drawn will receive his or her choice of a USW-made 2009 Harley Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle or $16,000 cash.  Appropriately, the entry card for this drawing will be used as part of our union's efforts to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.  These cards will reinforce our message to the next president and Congress that we need this bill. 

Please Note:  To win, the person whose name is drawn must be an active, retired or associate member AND be registered to vote.  Persons who are already registered are not required to re-register to participate.  All members should be given an opportunity to be part of the drawing!  Cards should be mailed to Rapid Response by October 10, 2008 at USW Rapid Response, 5 Gateway Center, 7th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

1. Get Registered to Vote

2. Fill Out a Card & Mail to Rapid Response

3. Help Our Union Pass the Employee Free Choice Act

4. Win a USW-Made Harley Davidson Motorcycle!

Questions?  Call us on the toll-free Action Hotline at:
866-311-1889

Where prohibited by applicable law, neither the offering nor awarding of the prize shall be valid or enforceable.

For a printable version, please click HERE.

 Voter Registration Action
About to Begin

The election is fast approaching.  Voting is critical to our efforts to hold elected officials accountable.  When union members and their families turn out to vote in large numbers, legislators pay more attention to our issues.  In order to be ready to vote, we need to ensure that all our members' registrations are current.

Rapid Response is in the process of mailing packets of voter registration information to each Local Union President.  Questions on the Action can be directed to Rapid Response on the toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-866-311-1889.

What are some reasons a person might need to register or re-register?

• Never having voted before
• Removed from the rolls because of not voting in a recent election
• Moved
• Changed names
• To receive an updated voter id card (helpful since so many polling locations have changed in recent years)
• Change political party affiliation (in some states)
• Completed punishment for a felony

Also, watch for materials on the free 2008 Rapid Response Appreciation Drawing enclosed in the packets! 
 

Are you from one of the following states?
Click here for additional instructions for your voter registration action.

CA, GA, IL, LA, MN, MO, NV, OH, OR, SD,
VA, CO, DE, FL, MD, NM or TX

For a printable version, click HERE.
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Taking Back Our Economy - Part 17  

Economic Snapshot    

While the Rapid Response Taking Back Our Economy series has taken a break for a few months during ongoing actions, the downturn in the U.S. economy keeps getting worse.  This InfoAlert gives a quick snapshot of job trends shaping our economy right now.  

For a printable version, click HERE.
  

Please Make a Quick Call to Protect Medicare TODAY    

The Cost of Activism in Colombia
Union activists in Colombia often put their lives on the line as they
try to improve their workplaces and communities.  

• During the morning of November 7, 2007, 45-year-old elementary school teacher Mercedes Consuelo Restrepo Campo headed to work on her motorbike.  As she stopped at a stop sign in front of another elementary school along her route, a group of gunmen unloaded fire, piercing Mrs. Restrepo's upper body with bullets.  The gunmen fled, leaving Mrs. Restrepo to die from her wounds.  Why was she killed?  She was known for the views she shared with her teacher union's leadership (Mrs. Restrepo was the head of her union's women's committee).  They had recently taken a public stance against the ongoing corruption occurring in the city administration of Cartago, Colombia, the city where Mrs. Restrepo had worked and lived. 
  
   
• José Jesús Marvín Vargas worked at a Nestlé subsidiary in Dosquebradas, Colombia.  On November 22, 2007, he left work as usual.  On his way home, unknown gunmen opened fire and shot him dead.  Mr. Marvín Vargas was a married father of two, who was known as a good union activist within Sinaltrainal, a food industry union in Colombia that has strong ties to the Steelworkers.  He was also known in the community for his activism and campaign work to gain a seat on the Dosquebradas city council. 
  
   
• This past fall, union activists throughout Colombia were part of the planning for a national protest event called the National Agrarian and Popular Mobilisation.  The goals of the protest included a demand for the resignation of Colombian President Uribe and a call to stop the pending free trade agreement with the United States.  Leading up to the October event, the state-backed paramilitary groups and the Colombian Army set out to silence dissent.  What followed was a systematic hunt for activists that resulted in torture, illegal detention, and most tragically, murders.  Among those murdered were Simón Corena, Gentil Yascuaran Pai, and Feliciano Obando, three union members involved in the protest planning.

Union Members Tortured and Murdered    
The Truth About Colombia  

If you lived in Colombia, you could be marked for murder simply because you are a union member.  Since 1991, over 2,200 union members have been murdered, giving it the notorious distinction of being the country with the most murdered unionists in the world.

Did You Know. . .

• The number of reported death threats in 2006 numbered an astounding 244. Many death threats start when union leaders and activists work to organize new members or get ready to bargain.
  
   
• Over 97 percent of the murder cases since 1991 have gone without punishment. Many are believed to be carried out by the government or by paramilitary death squads with corporate involvement.
  
   
• The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has declared Columbia: "the most dangerous place in the world to be a union member."
  
   
• Not surprisingly, this situation is taking a toll on the Colombian labor movement.  There are fewer and fewer people covered under new union contracts each year.  In 1996 there were 260,000.  Last year that number fell to only 47,000. 
  
   
• The Steelworkers have been in a years-long struggle on behalf of the beverage and food union known as Sinaltrainal to challenge the human rights abuses, including a number of murders as well as torture, against its members and leaders.  More Sinaltrainal members were murdered in 2007.
  
   
• The Bush Administration is actually considering a free trade agreement with Colombia even though they know all about the torture and murder of Columbian trade unionists!

Note to Rapid Response Teams:  Get Ready!  Rapid Response will be sending out additional educational InfoAlerts in the coming weeks which will lead to a call for action on Colombia.

 
Taking Back Our Economy - Part 14  

Fighting Back    

Our union was among the first to sound the warning bells over globalization and the free trade agreements that fuel the process.  Today we continue to lead the fight to protect workers in the global economy.  As a result of our efforts to raise the issues, public opinion is on our side, with a majority of Americans now skeptical of the "benefits" of globalization.* 

* An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted in mid-December 2007 showed that 58 percent of those surveyed thought the increased globalization of the American economy is bad because it "has subjected American companies and employees to unfair competition and cheap labor." 

Out with 2007 & In with 2008!