From our President...

11/07/08

Fellow Steelworkers,                                                                          

                Today we find ourselves in a very troubling economy that is affecting our friends and families. There is no doubt this economy is hurting American jobs and cutting into our paychecks. This week the company has exited all contractors, many of whom have spent the last 15-20 years at I/N. No matter what your opinion is of contractors, they all have families and pay bills just like you and me. In all my life I have never witnessed the effects of economic turmoil like I am seeing today. This could be that my parents found creative ways to get us through tough times while growing up, because I am certain there were difficult times. We have before us one of those tough times that calls for tough people. I was given a quote from one of our team members the other day and it is fitting. “Tough times go away, tough people don’t.”

               We are so blessed to have achieved our objectives during negotiations just prior to the wheels falling off the economy. Today Severstal is still in negotiations with the USW and the talk is of extending the contract until the end of the year. They will continue to work under the old agreement while trying to apply a pattern contract during a downward steel cycle, a very difficult proposition. The next few months for us will be no less difficult. After spending nearly 6 months in negotiations resulting in a good contract, all of us just wanted to relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Unfortunately we cannot. 

               Together we can get through these tough times for we have a recipe that works. On that hot August day, 300 of us stood together for what we believed in. We had members hired just this year stand up with 30 year veterans in support of protecting retiree benefits they won’t see for decades. We have 19 new steelworkers at our plant that need us to exercise the same resolve today as we did in August. We have an opportunity to build on what we did over the summer by strengthening further our solidarity and unity. Or we can let these tough times destroy all that we have gained. The company’s targets of zero contractors and zero overtime are lofty goals that will test our resolve and work culture. I am not so concerned with whether or not we can meet these goals, because they were cast upon us. Our interests should be how we get through these tough times and what our Union will look like when we are done. If we let the company divide us, we will be vulnerable to the next challenge. If we allow ourselves to pick each other apart we will not be able to pick each other up when we really need to. This summer the members of USW local 9231 made me very proud to be a member and to be privileged to represent you.

               I am here again today asking for your help. Your local Union Leadership will be forced into difficult positions that lie ahead. Our charge is to meet these challenges with everyone’s interest in mind. Solidarity does work, we have just proven that a little over two months ago. Standing together again is what is needed today. Our commitment to you is that we will work hard every day to ensure our rights under the CBA are upheld, to ensure 450 members can continue full-time employment, to preserve our work culture that we fought hard to protect during negotiations and to communicate to the fullest extent possible through these tough times. We will get through this cycle, for we have no choice. The challenge to each of us is to come out of this a stronger Union that can only be accomplished by standing together. So this is OUR goal, this is OUR challenge.

In Solidarity,

Todd Kegley

USW Local 9231 President