Solidarity Works (United Steelworkers)

Tune into the latest USW podcast episode to hear from National College Players Association Founder and Director Ramogi Huma on the intersection of labor and sports activism, the power of collective action, and the challenges facing college athletes during this unprecedented moment of the coronavirus pandemic. www.ncpanow.org 

the podium at the state house in Lansing, Michigan, to give powerful testimony about his experience as a veteran. 

He and other activists were there to voice their support for Bill 5736, which would require employers to display a poster that outlines resources available for veterans and their families. 

This is just one of many pieces of legislation USW members are fighting to pass for workers and their families across the United States, and they’re doing it through the union’s Rapid Response program.

Check out the latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear from Eric and other USW activists about what inspires them to take legislative action and why you should, too!

Learn more at usw.to/rapidresponse.

As workplace innovation and technology evolve more rapidly than ever before, the labor movement is stepping up to ensure workers’ voices are represented in this Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with the director of the AFL-CIO Tech Institute, as well as two USW members in health care and manufacturing, about how employers can center humanity in the future of technology, how to manage tech as it impacts new industries, and how it can be used to make workers’ jobs safer and easier.

(Music in this episide is from the Independent Music Licensing Collective and Ketsa.)

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced millions of American health care workers, including 51,000 USW members, onto the frontlines of the war against the surging outbreak. Tune in to the latest Solidarity Works podcast episode to hear about some of the conditions they are facing, what protections they need to do their jobs safely and what the union is pushing for in Washington, D.C., to make that happen. 

Shout-out to Blue Dot Sessions for the music used in this episode.

In honor of Black History Month, the latest episode of Solidarity Works highlights three USW activists who are building upon the work and legacies of civil rights and community leaders like Dr. King, Bayard Rustin, and Rosa Parks. Listen at usw.to/podcast or wherever you access your favorite podcasts!

Young workers are voting to unionize at lightning speed at Starbucks locations across the US and Canada. Listen to our latest episode to hear from one of these new labor activists, Sarah Broad, talk about her journey as a barista and organizing one of the largest corporations in the world. To learn how to organize with the USW, visit usw.org/join. 

The USW partners with labor organizations around the world to connect workers with common employers and help them build power. In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with Local 12075 President Kent Holsing and USW retiree Mike Zielinski about some of these partnerships, including a years-long alliance with rubber workers in Liberia, and why this solidarity is vital for union members everywhere.

Music in this episode was brought to you by IntraHealth International and Kevin MacLeod.

Fear, grief, anger -- workers everywhere are experiencing a storm of emotions amidst the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. It’s up to every one of us to ensure mental health is a priority, and to remember that there are real humans with real trauma behind the headlines. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the latest USW Solidarity Works podcast episode focuses on creating a dialogue around these issues. Listen to it on your favorite streaming service or at usw.to/podcast.

There’s a lot that looks familiar in President Joe Biden’s Cabinet, but there is also a newness potent throughout, from installing the nation’s first openly gay Secretary to establishing the brand-new Office for Energy Jobs within the Department of Energy.

Listen to the first Solidarity Works podcast episode of 2021 to learn more about the history of the U.S. Cabinet, what roles some of the Secretaries play, and what the USW is hoping to see come out of the new administration’s core group of presidential advisors.

Most people who are familiar with Karen Silkwood likely learned of the chemical technician through the 1983 film Silkwood starring Meryl Streep and Cher. But the movie is no mere Hollywood drama; it is based on the true story of a young woman and union member who fought to expose her employer for deliberately misleading workers and exposing them to harmful chemicals. 

This battle ended in Karen Silkwood’s death on November 13, 1974, a death that few people see as accidental.

Today we’re recounting the legacy of Karen Silkwood as we approach the 50th anniversary of the fatal car crash that took her life. We’re also talking with Jim Key, former head of the USW Atomic Workers Council and who, like Karen, became a whistleblower in the nuclear industry and who feared for his safety as he fought to protect himself and his co-workers.

Finding equipment that fits properly is a common issue for women in certain industries, as is having access to adequate restrooms and changing facilities. This is one of the many reasons why the USW has released a new action guide in the United States called Raising the Bar on Women’s Health and Safety.

Listen to the latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear from several Women of Steel about their experiences advocating for their safety and health on the job, and how your local can use this action guide to make your workplace safer for all!

In the early 19th century, long before the mass movements for labor and civil rights would grip the nation, a group of determined women and girls working in the textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, mobilized to create the first union of working women in American history.

Take a trip back in time for the latest episode of Solidarity Works, where you will revisit this legendary moment that proved to the country and the world that ordinary people can do extraordinary things, and that even just a little organizing can go a long way.

Listen at usw.to/podcast or wherever you access your podcasts.

At the start of this year, the USW announced a new initiative with our Rapid Response and Veterans of Steel activist groups to push for legislation that helps our military veterans, especially in the workplace.

For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with several USW members about their experience serving in the military and why legislation is needed to uplift veterans as they navigate re-entering civilian life.

Learn more at usw.org/vetsofsteel

This May, members at electric bus manufacturer Blue Bird in Georgia voted to join the USW. Then, in August, members at Kumho Tire, also in middle Georgia, ratified their first contract after a years-long battle to have their voices heard. Check out the latest USW podcast episode to learn how these historic campaigns happened and why they matter not just for the South but for the entire country.

More than 80 years ago, U.S. Labor Secretary Frances Perkins identified silica dust as a deadly hazard. Finally, this past April 16, MSHA, through the Department of Labor, issued a final rule reducing silica dust exposure to better protect America’s miners.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, known as OSHA, also clarified a rule in another major victory for workers this month to ensure workers are able to choose their own representative to join OSHA agents during workplace inspections.

Today, we’re talking with two USW health and safety experts about both of these new rules’ impacts and how the union has been fighting nonstop to keep workers safe, and will continue to do so in the future.

Music in this episode is by Ketsa.

Members of the USW across the U.S. and Canada make the highest quality products in their industries, from Bulleit Bourbon distilled in Kentucky and All-Clad cookware handcrafted in Pennsylvania to clothing spun in Portland, Maine, at American Roots and Custom Foam pillows fabricated and molded in Ontario, Canada.

Today we’re speaking with several USW members about the products they and their union siblings make and why these products are the ideal gifts for the labor supporter in your life.

International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day or Labour Day in most countries, is a celebration of the working class. Its roots are found in the fight for the eight-hour day, which began in Chicago and culminated in the infamous Haymarket Affair on May 4, 1886. 

For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we are going back in time to explore this explosive watershed moment for the American labor movement.

To close out Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, USW Solidarity Works speaks with three activists with the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) who are on the ground fighting for their diverse communities every day.

Learn about combatting anti-Asian racism, immigration and documentation hurdles in America, and how to get involved with APALA by visiting usw.to/podcast. To learn more about APALA, visit www.apalanet.org. 

Last week, more than 3,000 faculty members at the University of Pittsburgh voted to become members of the United Steelworkers union after a robust organizing campaign that began in 2014.

Today, we're talking with two faculty members and activists who have been with the campaign from the start about what it took to secure this historic election and what comes next in the fight for a first fair contract.  

Learn more at www.pittfaculty.org. 

For this episode of Solidarity Works, we’re talking with two USW members who are currently serving as Indigenous Engagement Coordinators for the union’s District 3 and 6 in Canada. Listen to learn about how they’ve been reconnecting to their Indigenous roots and how local unions can make a difference in making sure their Indigenous members not only survive but thrive within their communities and workplaces.

On January 11, 1912, a group of Polish women weavers at a textile mill in Lawrence, Mass., found out their already abysmal pay had been cut as the result of a new bill that shortened the workweek from 56 to 54 hours. They shut down their machines, refusing to labor any more without the proper pay, as they were producing more than ever, and faster.

What resulted was one of the most monumental strikes in U.S. labor history, and it was led by thousands of immigrant workers who realized their worth and refused to settle for anything less.

Follow the USW on Twitter, @steelworkers, and make sure to find us on Facebook!

Workers in Puerto Rico, including USW members in health care, public services, and technology, have endured wave after wave of destruction and chaos in recent years. It’s the job of Local 6135 members at GFR Media to document it all as it unfolds. Listen to the latest USW podcast episode to hear about reporting and resilience on the Caribbean island.

And make sure to follow the USW on social media, @steelworkers, and check out the work of our reporters and photographers for GFR Media at elnuevodia.com and primerahora.com

Check out the latest episode of Solidarity Works for a conversation with Guillermo Perez about labor law and the Supreme Court, the history and impact of the Lochner Era, and what labor needs to do to fight back against legislative attacks on workers’ rights. 

From salt and copper to soda ash and iron ore, members of the USW mine the many crucial resources needed to keep the U.S, Canada, and the world moving. It’s an industry that goes back 150 years, and it’s an industry that has seen exponential change over the past several decades.

In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we’re speaking with USW Vice President of Administration Emil Ramirez about all things mining. He talks about what the historic sector looks like in District 11, which he calls home, as well as what the future of the industry as a whole looks like as technology continues to expand.

From the XFL and USFL to Rugby Canada, professional athletes are organizing with the USW to gain a stronger voice on the job and protect their health and safety. Listen to the latest episode of Solidarity Works to learn about how sports unions change the game and bring teamwork to a whole new level.

On June 20, 2020, the Poor People’s Campaign, led by friend of the USW Rev. Dr. William Barber, will host the largest digital and social media gathering with the Mass Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington. A reboot of MLK’s monumental event in 1968, this campaign calls for all hands on deck to address systemic racism, poverty, and all other interlocking injustices of America. Listen to the latest USW podcast episode to hear Barber speak on seizing this moment in history to make real change for the 140 million poor and low-income people in the United States. www.june2020.org

Listen to the latest USW Solidarity Works podcast episode to hear from Union Veterans Council Executive Director Will Attig on the top issues veterans are currently facing, how labor and veterans can work together to create change, and why more and more service members are stepping out into the streets. You’ll also hear from USW International President Tom Conway about the union’s Veterans of Steel program.

For our first full episode, we are excited to bring you a conversation with USW’s Rapid Response Director Amber Miller about the busy legislative year that was 2019 and what lies ahead in 2020 for workers and the bills that will undoubtedly impact their lives.

Make sure to visit uswrr.org to sign up to receive updates about legislation that impacts labor and workers, and to learn more about the bills discussed in this episode.

Follow us on Twitter, @steelworkers, and find us on Facebook!

When Sean Gardener, a Buddhist chaplain in Canada, first walked into the prison where he would be providing spiritual care to people behind bars, he expected to feel nervous or fearful. Instead, he felt at home. 

Listen to our latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear from Sean, along with a public defender in Pennsylvania, talk about working in the criminal justice field and share their experiences as USW members.

Bay City Public School bus drivers in Michigan are back at the wheel this school year, and they’re fired up and ready to go after beating back privatization efforts this past May. Listen to the latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear about their impressive fight and their continued campaign to keep their jobs intact and their students safe.

Allan McDougall, the first director of the USW Emergency Response Team, learned firsthand the importance of healing and the need for long-lasting support from unions more than thirty years ago while working in a mine in Canada. After witnessing multiple co-workers’ deaths and suffering in silence with alcoholism, Allan took control of his life and health, and brought that experience to the groundbreaking USW program. 

Listen to the latest episode of Solidarity Works to learn more about how the Emergency Response Team was created, how it serves members in their most vulnerable moments, and how you can get involved.

(Music from this episode is by Ketsa.)

Listen to the latest USW podcast episode to hear from Pride at Work Executive Director Jerame Davis on the recent SCOTUS victory for LGBTQ+ workers, how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the community, and how the current swell of protests around racial injustice has helped remind a movement of its roots.

Anne Balay published her first book, Steel Closets, featuring the stories of forty gay, lesbian, and trans steelworkers, in 2014. Four years later, after a personal career setback, she persevered and published her second book, Semi Queer, focusing on the world of gay, trans, and black truck drivers. 

For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, and in honor of Pride Month, we talk to Balay about the adrenaline of survival, overcoming other people’s prejudices as well as our own, and the richly textured lives of some of America’s most marginalized yet resilient workers. Visit usw.org/steelpride to learn more.

Welcome to Solidarity Works, a podcast from the United Steelworkers (USW) union. We're here to have conversations and start conversations about the past, present, and future of the labor movement, as well as talk about some of the work the union is doing, with USW activists leading the way.

Make sure to follow the USW on Twitter (@steelworkers) and subscribe to our podcast on your favorite streaming service.

This month, we’re talking with USW Vice President at Large Roxanne Brown about what’s at stake for workers this November during midterm elections. We’re also joined by Local 1557 member and activist JoJo Burgess about his experience getting out the vote in Pennsylvania.

Learn more at www.uswvoices.org. 

The United States is the wealthiest country in the world, yet we rank 13th when it comes to the overall quality of our infrastructure. The American Jobs Plan aims to change that. 

For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with USW President Tom Conway as well as with a local union member at Dow Chemical in Michigan about the importance of investing in infrastructure and in our communities.

When late International President Tom Conway took the helm of the USW in July 2019, he made a promise that his administration would work to reduce or eliminate tiered wage and benefit systems in union contracts.

Many USW locals have heeded late President Conway’s call and made great strides in eliminating these tiered systems in recent years. Today we’re talking with USW Vice president Luis Mendoza about how members in the paper sector have done just that, including workers at WestRock, America’s second-largest packaging company.

We’re also talking with Chris Frydenger, who works at a brass foundry in Illinois, about how his local was able to beat back a two-tier system implemented in 2016.

In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with USW Vice President of Human Affairs Kevin Mapp and Pride at Work Co-President Brittani Murray about uniting workers across race, class, and gender to build a labor coalition that lasts.

Music in this episode is by Ketsa.

The USW’s Next Gen program saw its humble yet historic beginnings in a resolution at the International union’s Constitutional Convention in 2011. It endorsed the training and development of younger Steelworker activists to take on increasingly greater roles in their local unions, their governments and their communities.

Since then, young and newer members of the USW across the United States and Canada have answered the call to become activists, and we're talking with three of them for our latest episode. 

They'll share how they became involved in their local unions, what they believe is currently driving young workers to organize, and why they believe the labor movement’s future is bright because of the next generation’s diversity.

California musician and activist Jonny Miller Jr. is continuing his ancestors’ legacy by making his mark on the labor movement. He sings on picket lines, writes songs about the working class, and teaches the next generation about the importance of labor history.

In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with Jonny about his career, his love of labor, and the traditional connection between art and activism.

Learn more and buy Jonny's labor album, IE Songs, at https://jonnymillerjr.com/. 

In August 2019, 300 workers across 19 branches of the historic Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh voted enthusiastically to join the United Steelworkers union, and earlier this month, they officially became members as they ratified their first agreement! 

For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk to two library workers about their monumental organizing campaign and about their roles as pillars of the community.

When the darkness of the Great Depression swept across the globe starting in the 1930s, one woman in America lit the flame that would finally help bring light to millions of U.S. workers and their families. As we close out Women’s History Month, the USW podcast Solidarity Works spotlights Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve as a president’s cabinet secretary, as a reminder of what can be accomplished by ordinary people during extraordinary times.

Make sure to check out the United Steelworkers' Women of Steel (WOS) program and sign up to receive monthly updates by visiting usw.org/wosnews.

The coronavirus outbreak has squeezed the U.S. manufacturing sector as many companies have been forced to shut down, but others have ramped up production both to help provide front-line workers with the equipment they need as well as provide everyday essentials and services to keep America running. Check out the latest USW podcast episode, featuring International President Tom Conway, to learn about the mobilization happening amidst COVID, how and when it’s been done before, and what’s needed to move manufacturing forward post-pandemic.

Make sure to check out usw.org/covid19 for regular updates from the union and to find out how you can donate PPE to workers in need.

Last month, members of the United Steelworkers union from across the U.S. traveled to the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., to talk to their elected officials about the importance of reauthorizing Trade Adjustment Assistance. This program, which expired in 2022, provides training and educational opportunities for workers who lost their jobs due to foreign countries like China circumventing trade rules.

In today’s episode, we’re talking with David Van Pevenage, who was part of the D.C. coalition and who worked at a WestRock paper mill in Washington state until it was shuttered due to unfair trade. We’ll also hear from USW Legislative Director Roy Houseman, who was fortunate enough to benefit from TAA years ago, about why this program is so vital to American workers and their communities.

Music in this episode by BlueDot Sessions.

The wheels may have ground to a halt, but the fight never ends! Listen to the latest episode of Solidarity Works to learn about the USW’s We Supply America infrastructure campaign and the six-state bus tour that allowed us to highlight all the amazing work our members do that can help rebuild our country. Visit www.uswvoices.org to learn more.

Members of the United Steelworkers union are known for being masters of production. On top of creation, we also help repair damage done in the past to ensure our communities can thrive in the future. We do this by cleaning up toxic nuclear sites to protect local residents and wildlife, and we conduct vital tests for various nuclear sector needs.

In the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with Jim Key, who heads the USW Atomic Workers Council, about what the sector looks like today and what’s to come. We’ll also hear about the different sites we represent and the role our members play in cleaning up America’s toxic legacy.

Check out the latest episode of Solidarity Works to hear from two USW members who have stepped up to run for office in their communities. You’ll hear about what inspired them to make these moves and why union members are uniquely equipped to serve in local government to be a voice for workers and families.

In 1975, the United States was a leader in global shipbuilding. The industry employed 180,000 workers who built more than 70 commercial ships in American shipyards.

In the early 1980s, that changed as federal spending on domestic manufacturing was slashed and foreign competitors like China employed predatory practices to dominate the industry.

Of course, the USW isn't letting this go without a fight. In this episode, we talk to USW Sub-District 1 Director Jamie Walker about the union's campaign to restore domestic shipbuiding.

Learn more at www.full-steam-ahead.org. 

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law on Thursday, March 11, a historic piece of legislation that aims to jolt the economy back to life. For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk to two members of the union as well as USW Legislative Director Roy Houseman about what this bill means for workers, their families, and their communities. (usw.to/podcast)

Nine years ago, USW member E.J. Jenkins had a vision -- he wanted to start conversations and ignite change in his community of Gary, Ind., a lakeside city just outside of Chicago struggling with mass joblessness and a housing crisis caused by a history of segregation and steel industry downturns. That vision led to what is now Black Labor Week, an annual five days dedicated to labor, to blackness and to the community members of Gary. Listen to this Solidarity Works episode to learn about the Steelworker event that is growing into a movement, the activists who make it all happen and the city they serve.

For information about the USW’s Next Generation program, visit usw.org/nextgen. 

Credit to Uniq for the main music theme used throughout this episode: soundcloud.com/uniqofficial.

For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, hear from Coalition of Labor Union Women President Elise Bryant, USW Women of Steel Director Ann Flener-Gittlen, and Local 9460 President Deanna Hughes about what it means to step up as a woman in leadership, how to overcome the fears that can hold women back, and what women need to do in this crucial election year to move forward together.

For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, two USW activists and leaders -- Teresa and Mayson -- share their stories of surviving intimate partner abuse and how unions can help break the cycle of domestic violence.

Learn more from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence at ncadv.org. 

From providing hundreds of thousands of family-supporting union jobs, to connecting people to lifelines including medication and paychecks, the United States Postal Service continues serving the American public 245 years after its founding. Learn about the agency’s history, its current challenges, and how to help keep it funded and strong for the future in the latest Solidarity Works podcast episode.

For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk with two activists from the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice about the life and legacy of the late labor and civil rights’ leader, who has often remained in the shadows of history. We also chat about their work with the LGBTQ+ community and how everyone can play a role in building a more inclusive, loving movement for all.

Music from this episode is by Ketsa. (https://ketsa.uk)

In the early morning hours of Saturday, November 13, United Steelworkers Local 7600 reached a tentative agreement with health care giant Kaiser Permanente, preventing an impending strike. More than 40,000 health care workers across the West Coast would have, if necessary, walked off the job that following Monday in their fight for safe staffing and wage justice in the Inland Empire.

Today, we're sitting down to talk with Local 7600 President Micheal Barnett and Vice President Norberto Gomez about this monumental fight that brought thousands of health care workers together to win this contract and what the local’s plans are for the future.

One year ago, much of the United States entered various stages of lockdown due to the coronavirus. Since then, a lot has changed for most workers, but today, women remain the most economically impacted by the upheaval. Healthcare concerns, both physical and mental, are on the rise as well for many women and their families, as the pandemic moves into its second year and as vaccines are just now becoming more widely available.

For the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we talk to two Women of Steel -- a health care worker in Georgia and a refinery control room operator in Ohio -- about how life at home and on the job has changed over the past year, and what legislative leaders can do to ease the burden so many are bearing across the nation.

On August 28, 1963, nearly a quarter of a million people gathered in the nation’s capital for the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Martin Luther King Jr.’s rousing “I Have a Dream” speech is the most cited moment from that monumental event, but another man, the very mastermind behind the march itself, opened the record-breaking day with a beautiful, succinct speech in his resounding baritone voice.

His name was A. Philip Randolph, and for the latest episode of Solidarity Works, we dive into his life and legacy by talking with the president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, Clayola Brown, who is also the new head of the AFL-CIO Civil, Human, and Women’s Rights Department.

This week, nearly 200 USW members who work in the vast and diverse health care sector are gathering in Pittsburgh for their first Health Care Workers Council Conference since 2018. A lot has changed in the industry over these past five years, not only due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of automation, short staffing, and skyrocketing rates of workplace violence.

Health and safety has quickly become one of the top priorities for the sector’s workers, and USW members especially aren’t waiting for employers to protect them. They’re taking matters into their own hands.

In our latest episode, we hear from two members and conference attendees, Kim and Casey, who are using the collective strength of the union to make positive changes in their workplaces in order to keep themselves and their co-workers safe and supported on the job. 

Listen to the latest episode of USW’s Solidarity Works podcast to learn about some of history’s forgotten labor heroes, as well as a new Pride at Work partnership that aims to increase union membership among LGBTQ+ workers! Find it at usw.to/podcast or wherever you access your favorite podcasts.

To download a host of LGBTQ+ resources from the USW, visit www.usw.org/steelpride.

In January 1965, after two full years of fighting for Black Americans’ right to vote throughout the South, the Dallas County Voters League and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee had felt they had hit a wall with white indifference and inaction. And so, they called upon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to join their campaign in Selma, Alabama.

Today, in 2020, the fight for the vote continues. Listen to the latest Solidarity Works episode to hear from USW Vice President Roxanne Brown, as well as from a steelworker in Gary, Indiana, about the current-day battle for the ballot and how you can get involved. www.uswvoices.org. 

When Croatian painter and immigrant Maxo Vanka first visited Pittsburgh in 1935, he fell in love with the steel town and developed a friendship with Father Albert Zagar of the St. Nicholas Croatian Church in Millvale. 

Zagar longed for color on his church’s plain walls, but he didn’t want the usual imagery found in most religious houses. He knew Vanka was the perfect artist for the job.

Vanka then painted 25 individual murals that cover every inch of the church, and today, artists and activists, including members of the USW, are working to preserve the historic art to its original glory. 

Today we’re talking with two of these members who are dedicating their time and expertise to saving these murals and what they mean for Pittsburgh and the labor movement as a whole.

Learn more at www.vankamurals.org. 

Music from today’s episode includes Dancing at the Marketplace by Lobo Loco and 13 Hora Din Clejani Cigansko by The Underscore Orkestra.

Episode photo of Angelica Marks by Matt Dayak (DAYAK CREATIVE LLC).

This episode kicks off the first in a series we hope to continue featuring SOAR (Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees) activists offering us their words of wisdom as the labor movement enters a time of great change and upheaval.

Today we speak with Nellie Caraballo, a former USW staff rep and public sector worker who is now a proud SOAR member, about the early challenges she endured on the job that ended with her stepping up in her local union and in her community. 

She also reflects on what she learned about people during her organizing days, the hope she sees in the next generation, and her advice to them about the importance of fighting for positive social and economic change.

To learn more about SOAR, make sure to check out usw.org/soar.