Providing a Rapid Response

by Bill Filus, Legislative Chairman

Posted September 22, 2006

The President of USW 1219, Chuck Jackson, has appointed me to represent the Local as Legislative Coordinator. In that role I attended a seminar at the United Steelworkers Training Center at Linden Hall concerning the USW Rapid Response Program. USW Union Members representing District 10, which encompasses the entire state of Pennsylvania, attended the seminar. The USW members in attendance represented Steelworkers, Chemical Plant Workers, and Hospital Workers, to name a few. Everyone had one thing in common: concern about the future of their respective industries and the survival of organized labor as a strong voice for workers in the United States of America.

Rapid Response is the United Steelworkers nonpartisan grassroots education, communication, and action program that involves every Steelworker member. When Rapid Response Teams are established and functioning throughout the various E.T. Plant departments, Rapid Response, through Info Alerts and Action Calls distributed by the United Steelworkers International Union Headquarters,  will allow for almost instant personal communication with every member of Local 1219 on pending legislation concerning labor and work related issues. Action Calls will identify the issue, the effect on our members and their families, and the sponsors and supporters in government, and then ask for a specific response from those elected representatives.

The Rapid Response Program at Edgar Thomson will provide our membership with the necessary structure to activate union members and  to provide for real change in our ability to influence the legislative process on issues that may affect our jobs and families before it is too late and the negative legislation becomes law. Rapid Response provides the tools to generate necessary changes in the legislative process that will ensure that labor survives far into the future by providing an opportunity for all USW members to have a strong vote and an active part in the development of laws and trade bills that affect our daily lives and ability to earn a decent living.

I will be working with Chuck Jackson to get an active and effective team in place at our plant. If you are interested in becoming a department coordinator or team member, please call the Union Hall at  x7290 or 412-271-4555, or send an e-mail to legislative1219@hotmail.com and leave your contact information. I know some of you have been team members in the past; I hope you will participate again. Also, we've gained many new union members over the last few years. This is a good opportunity to become involved with issues that could affect your future as a steelworker and to help ensure that steel will continue to be produced in the Mon Valley far into the future.

Finally, as a member of USW Local 1219, you may be asked by a fellow union member, a Rapid Response Team Member from your department, to write a short note or make a call to an elected official expressing your concern over pending legislation that could affect our jobs as steelworkers. When asked, please take a few minutes to comply with the request. It's very important for your elected officials, Senators and Congressmen, to know how you feel and to know that your vote is at stake. Make no mistake -- they will pay attention when they know that we are organized, united, and monitoring how they vote on issues that affect us. Remember, our union can be as weak as we let it become through complacency and apathy, or as strong as we want it to be through involvement and action.

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