The Leslie Marshall Show

Remembering USW President Tom Conway

Leslie is joined by the incoming President of the United Steelworkers (USW), David McCall.

During this interview, they remember the late Tom Conway, former President of the USW, who sadly passed away on September 25th of this year.

While the labor movement and the union both lost a great leader, thanks to Tom’s vision and hard work, both are on firm footing and primed to continue the fight for economic justice and fairness for working families.

Tom’s legacy involves innovations and breakthroughs on a number of fronts:

He bargained cutting-edge contracts across USW sectors.

- He understood that companies needed to be successful so they could pay workers good wages and benefits, so where he could, he worked with them.
- When he couldn’t, he was relentless in his work to find ways to make sure workers’ needs remained at the forefront.
- This included the 2015 oil strike, which helped secure a number of important health and safety provisions for workers.
- And a number of rounds of steel bargaining that helped stave off calls for concessions and ensure fair pay and high-quality benefits.

But Tom understood that fighting for working families wasn’t just about pay; it was about securing the future.
- Early in his time as an international leader, Tom was instrumental in developing the Institute for Career Development (ICD), a joint labor-management training program, enshrined in a number of USW collective bargaining agreements, that offers members opportunities to learn new skills.
- Under his leadership union workers and activists were able to achieve a major victory with the passage of the Butch Lewis Act, which saved the pensions of more than one million workers and retirees, including more than 100,000 USW members.

Tom was also committed to building a diverse movement and many of his efforts contributed to building a strong future for workers.

- He spearheaded an innovative organizing initiative connecting rank-and-file members with their fellow workers to talk about joining the labor movement. This quickly paid dividends, resulting in organizing victories in the United States and Canada, including some of the union’s biggest wins in years.

- These include 3,500 faculty members at the University of Pittsburgh who joined the USW, as well as baristas at Starbucks coffee shops across Canada, and 1,500 workers at Georgia’s Blue Bird Corp. bus factory.
- They join others, including waste disposal workers, professional football players, museum and library workers, high-tech workers, airport workers, prison chaplains and others, who all joined the Steelworkers’ ranks as a result of Conway’s initiative.

Tom also invested heavily in building out the bench, and under his leadership, the union held its first international Next Gen conference in November 2019.
- Under Tom’s direction, the USW built out our Veterans of Steel committees to make sure – to the fullest extent possible – that the union was helping those in need, and making sure veterans’ voices are heard.

Finally, Tom fought relentlessly for both for fair trade and job creation.

- This included working with government leaders in Washington to ensure that they enforced trade laws to prevent illegally subsidized and dumped products that damage American industries and destroy good paying jobs.
- He did this work in steel, rubber and tire, and many other industries.
- It also meant finding creative solutions, as well as working with companies and lawmakers to create jobs.
- He formed partnerships and allied groups like the Alliance for American Manufacturing.
- And more recently, his was one of the loudest voices calling for infrastructure investment.

Tom will be missed a great deal, but his strength as a leader, and vision for the future, have helped countless working people and will continue to help countless more moving forward.

The new USW President, David McCall, has a career of fighting for fairness and justice for workers that began as a member of Local 6787 in Burns Harbor, Indiana, where he worked as a millwright at the sprawling integrated steel facility.
He joined the union's staff in 1985 and served as the director of USW District 1 from 1998 until 2019. Over the course of his career, McCall successfully fought to preserve thousands of jobs in the steel industry and beyond. McCall has also chaired USW master contract negotiations with Cleveland Cliffs, Republic Steel, Timken, Graphics Packaging and others.

The website for the United Steelworkers is www.USW.org.
Their handle on both Twitter and Instagram is @steelworkers.

How is the United States Doing at Reshoring Its Jobs and Supply Chains?

Leslie is joined by Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a partnership established by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union.

The two examine the importance of supply chains.
Their conversation includes how the United States is doing at reshoring its supply chains, how 'Bidenomics' is improving the country's manufacturing sector, and a Washington Post expose on how Tesla and EV supply chains are raising concerns about forced labor in China.

The AAM website is AmericanManufacturing.org and their Twitter handle is @KeepItMadeInUSA.
Scott's handle is @ScottPaulAAM.

The Power of Ordinary People

Leslie is joined by Amber Miller, Director of the USW’s Rapid Response Department, a nearly 30-year tradition of member-driven, issue-based, nonpartisan legislative activism. Amber has been a proud second-generation Steelworker since 1997 where she began her career at Chase Brass and Copper in northwest Ohio.

The two discuss the power of ordinary people, strengthened by their Union, the United Steelworkers (USW).
During their conversation, Leslie and Amber examine the specific ways that the USW empowers their members to make a difference.
This includes by educating USW members about critical issues that affect them and their families, working with legislators to put workers' priorities into action, and offering workers a venue to communicate directly with their elected leaders.

The website for the United Steelworkers is USW.org. Their handle on both Twitter and Instagram is @steelworkers.

America and the World’s Clean Energy Future Is Arriving Faster Than You Think

Leslie is joined by Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a partnership established by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union.

The two discuss how solar manufacturing in the United States is booming, thanks to public policy!
They also break down how fast clean energy manufacturing is scaling up in America.

The AAM website is AmericanManufacturing.org and their Twitter handle is @KeepItMadeInUSA.
Scott's handle is @ScottPaulAAM.

Teamsters Win Historic UPS Agreement; Now Going to Battle for their Pilots vs Cape Air & Republic Airways

Leslie is first joined by Vincent Perrone, Teamsters International Trustee and a member of the Teamsters National Negotiating Committee for the UPS contract. He's also the President of Teamsters' Local 804 in New York.

The two discuss the historic new UPS contract won by the Teamsters.

Highlights of the tentative 2023-2028 UPS Teamsters National Master Agreement include:

- Historic wage increases. Existing full- and part-time UPS Teamsters will get $2.75 more per hour in 2023. Over the length of the contract, wage increases will total $7.50 per hour.

- Existing part-timers will be raised up to no less than $21 dollars per hour immediately, and part-time seniority workers earning more under a market rate adjustment would still receive all new general wage increases.

- General wage increases for part-time workers will be double the amount obtained in the previous UPS Teamsters contract — and existing part-time workers will receive a 48 percent average total wage increase over the next five years.

- Wage increases for full-timers will keep UPS Teamsters the highest paid delivery drivers in the nation, improving their average top rate to $49 per hour.

- Current UPS Teamsters working part-time would receive longevity wage increases of up to $1.50 per hour on top of new hourly raises, compounding their earnings.

- New part-time hires at UPS would start at $21 per hour and advance to $23 per hour.

- All UPS Teamster drivers classified as 22.4s would be reclassified immediately to Regular Package Car Drivers and placed into seniority, ending the unfair two-tier wage system at UPS.

- Safety and health protections, including vehicle air conditioning and cargo ventilation. UPS will equip in-cab A/C in all larger delivery vehicles, sprinter vans, and package cars purchased after Jan. 1, 2024. All cars get two fans and air induction vents in the cargo compartments.

- All UPS Teamsters would receive Martin Luther King Day as a full holiday for the first time.

- No more forced overtime on Teamster drivers’ days off. Drivers would keep one of two workweek schedules and could not be forced into overtime on scheduled off-days.

- UPS Teamster part-timers will have priority to perform all seasonal support work using their own vehicles with a locked-in eight-hour guarantee. For the first time, seasonal work will be contained to five weeks only from November-December.

- The creation of 7,500 new full-time Teamster jobs at UPS and the fulfillment of 22,500 open positions, establishing more opportunities through the life of the agreement for part-timers to transition to full-time work.

- More than 60 total changes and improvements to the National Master Agreement — more than any other time in Teamsters history — and zero concessions from the rank-and-file.

Leslie is then joined second by Greg Unterseher, Manager of Pilot Representation for the Teamsters Airline Division.

They detail the Teamsters lawsuit against Cape Air and Republic Airways for unlawfully requiring pilots to sign employment contracts with non-compete clauses that impose penalties ranging from $100,000 to $250,000.

The lawsuit asserts the employment contracts are an attempt by the airlines to change pilots’ working conditions unilaterally, in violation of federal labor law under the Railway Labor Act.

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Visit Teamster.org to learn more and follow them on Twitter @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters. 

Protecting Workers from Deadly Heat

Leslie is joined by Steve Sallman, Director of the United Steelworkers Health, Safety and Environment Department, where he's worked for over 19 years.

The two discuss the urgent and timely topic of protecting workers from deadly heat.

As the planet gets hotter, and wide swaths of the United States are seeing record temperatures, heat is becoming an ever more urgent workplace health and safety issue – in both in-door and out-door occupations.

It’s no surprise that unions work to provide solutions.

The USW works to negotiate common sense solutions into their contracts like rest breaks, ample supplies of water, electrolytes, and proper ventilation.

UPS drivers made this a centerpiece of their recent contract negotiations too, signaling that this was so significant that they were willing to strike as necessary.
They ultimately got what they needed, including fans and air conditioning in their trucks.

However, all workers need protections, starting with a national standard on heat exposure like workers have for other hazards like falls and asbestos exposure.
Without proper controls and protections, working in the heat can cause illness and even death.
According to the BLS, there have been 436 work related deaths caused by heat exposure since 2011, and an average of 2,700 cases per year of heat-related illness.
The real number could be much higher, given that many workers who are exposed to extreme heat are undocumented and reluctant to come forward.
Even when it’s not immediately obvious, heat is harming a worker’s body, which can cause them to suffer long-term consequences, like renal damage.

The Biden administration is taking this threat seriously, enabling workers to make some headway.
Just last month, President Biden ordered the DOL to issue the first ever hazard alert for heat.
In the same announcement, the department also announced that OSHA would intensify enforcement of existing safety provisions when it comes to heat.
Biden also announced funding to improve weather forecasting, as well as additional money for clean drinking water in Western states impacted by drought.

A handful of states – California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Minnesota – also issued their own heat exposure standards. Only Minnesota and Oregon have protections for indoor workers as well.

But corporations and the Republicans who serve them are unfortunately pushing back hard, lobbying against protections and, in some cases, even overturning them.

Business groups in Oregon are suing the state over heat related workplace protections.
Even worse, Republicans in Texas earlier this summer even took the extreme step of passing a law that eliminates local ordinances requiring water breaks for construction workers.
After Austin in 2010, and Dallas in 2015, required water breaks, reported heat illness numbers in Texas dropped from 770 to 170.
Now workers are bracing for what comes next.

This isn’t just a matter of lost productivity, though heat can impact that as well. It’s truly life and death.
In June, a postal worker in Texas collapsed and died in triple digit heat.
This summer, a Houston-area construction worker also collapsed and died of hyperthermia.
Countless more will soon be at risk once the new Texas law goes into effect.

The USW continues to fight for workers, as demonstrated by the union’s comments to OSHA in the federal register.
Until then, the USW continues to push for an OSHA standard and works to protect workers through their contracts and other health and safety work.

The website for the United Steelworkers is www.USW.org.
Their handle on Twitter and Instagram is @steelworkers.

U.S. Attitude Toward ’Made In America;’ ’Bidenomics;’ Trade Relations with China

Leslie is joined by Scott Paul, President of the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), a partnership established by some of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers union.

The two discuss how Americans feel about 'Made In America' products, whether 'Bidenomics' is working, and why it’s time to end 'permanent normal trade relations' with China.

The AAM website is AmericanManufacturing.org and their Twitter handle is @KeepItMadeInUSA.
Scott's handle is @ScottPaulAAM.

Federal Trump Indictment Unsealed; First Female AFL-CIO President Details Opening Year Leading the Union

Leslie begins today's show with her 'Ripped from the Headlines' news segment, where she details the now unsealed 38-count federal indictment against former President Trump in the classified documents case.

During the remainder of the show, Leslie is joined by Liz Shuler, president of the 60 unions and 12.5 million members of the AFL-CIO, and the first woman leader of America’s labor movement.

The two discuss the resurgence of the labor movement, key accomplishments from the past year, and building a modern and more inclusive movement.

The website for the AFL-CIO is AFLCIO.org and their Twitter handle is @AFLCIO. Liz's handle is @LizShuler.

Publishers and Authors Sue Florida for Book Bans; Iowa Votes to Rescind Some Child Labor Laws

Leslie begins today's show with her 'Ripped from the Headlines' news segment.

Here are the stories that she gave her take on:

1. ASSOCIATED PRESS: "‘No corner of the global economy will be spared’: How America’s first-ever default would tank the entire world"

2. AUDIO: Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, outlines Republican Carelessness and Hypocrisy when it comes to the debt ceiling

3. AXIOS: "Nearly 2 billion at risk from "unprecedented" climate conditions"

4. AXIOS: "U.S. lawmakers OK'd more pro-gun bills than safety measures since Uvalde"

5. AXIOS: "Surgeon general issues advisory about social media risks for kids"

For the remainder of the show, Leslie is joined by Jessica Levinson, Professor at Loyola Law School, Legal Contributor for CBS News, Columnist for MSNBC, and host of the 'Passing Judgment podcast.'

The two discuss two important legal stories that affect America's children.

The first story is about Penguin Random House, advocates and authors suing a Florida school district over book bans.

The subject of the second story is legislation that was recently passed by Iowa's Republican legislature that would rollback certain child labor laws in the state. The Department of Labor is pushing back on the legislation though, which will likely setup a court battle between the two.

Jessica's Twitter handle is @LevinsonJessica and you can find her podcast, 'Passing Judgment,' by searching for it at the webpage: Podcasts.Apple.com.

Workers Making History

Leslie is joined by Roxanne Brown, the USW’s International Vice President at Large, who oversees the union’s public policy and legislative agenda as well as its political work. She has spent more than two decades advancing policies on Capitol Hill and with regulatory agencies on behalf of USW members. She has extensive experience in manufacturing, environmental and energy policy.

The two discuss how Union workers right here in the United States are making history.

Last week, workers at Blue Bird Corporation's Fort Valley, Georgia facility notched an historic victory by voting to join the USW. The approximately 1,400 Blue Bird workers manufacture school buses, including low-emission and zero-emission models, making this significant on many levels.

Leslie and Roxanne discuss those details, and more, during the remainder of the interview.
This includes talking about how the 'Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,' the 'Inflation Reduction Act' and the 'CHIPS and Science Act ,' are all driving significant positive developments in domestic manufacturing.

You can follow Roxanne on Twitter, where her handle is @BrownRox. Follow the USW, on both Twitter and Instagram, using the handle @steelworkers, and visit their website at USW.org.