BY TIM MAILHOT
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania - The main points taken up at the 28th biannual convention of the United Steel Workers of America (USWA), held here August 5-8, were unification of the Steelworkers with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) by the year 2000, and continued support to Democratic party candidates, beginning with William Clinton.

This convention came in the context of a drive by the steel bosses against labor, as they seek to shore up declining profits and beat back their competition, both in the United States and internationally. The share of the steel market controlled by the six largest integrated steel makers, which are generally unionized, has dropped from two-thirds to one-third in the last 20 years.

The Wall Street Journal reported in July even that share is shaky for some major steel makers. While many have upgraded and rebuilt their operations and are running at more than 90 percent capacity, profits remain slim. Where before the big producers could maintain high prices through cartel-like agreements, competition is driving the prices down. Their only option for boosting profits is to go after further concessions from the union. A mid-contract wage reopener is being negotiated this year at US Steel and other major producers.

Over the last decade and a half, the steelmakers have already eliminated many jobs, increased productivity, and realigned their investments. The result is that more and more steel is produced in mini-mills which are largely non- union. George Becker, International President of the Steelworkers, announced during the convention that a special project would be initiated to organize the 250,000 non-union workers in the U.S. steel industry. There was no discussion, however, of a plan on how this would be carried out.

Unions carry out mergers
The USWA membership has fallen from around 1 million in the mid-1970s to 565,000 prior to the union's merger with the United Rubber Workers union a year ago. In his keynote speech to the 2,500 convention delegates, Becker described how over the last two years, USWA tops have organized a restructuring of the union into 9 districts instead of the previous 18. They also merged with the United Rubber Workers (URW) union.

These organizational steps have brought in 95,000 new members. The general treasury has grown from $7 million two years ago to $20 million today. The union's strike fund has also grown, one of the arguments given at the time for the URW merger. Yet one of the first steps by the union officials after that merger was to agree to an unconditional return to work by striking rubber workers at Bridgestone/Firestone.

Merger discussions are currently being carried out with two other unions - the Federation of Aluminum Sector Union in Quebec representing 4,500 workers at Alcan, and the 40,000 member Aluminum, Brick, and Glass Workers union (ABGW). On the final day of the convention, it was announced that the executive board of the ABGW would call a convention and recommend the merger to its members.

In addition to pushing for the unification of the steelworkers with the UAW and Machinists unions, Becker stressed working to re-elect Clinton for president and Democrats to Congress this fall. Democratic legislators Rep. Maxine Waters from California and Sen. Christopher Dodd from Connecticut spoke at the convention. Clinton also addressed the delegates on the final day of the gathering through a satellite hookup.

The mayor of Pittsburgh, Democrat Tom Murphy, declined to address the convention. The delegation from District 10, which covers the state of Pennsylvania, had threatened to walk out if he spoke to protest his support for the passage of a state bill severely weakening workmen's compensation benefits.

There was little discussion on how union power could be brought to bear to support ongoing strikes at the Detroit News, McDonnell Douglas, or Bayou Steel, though many delegates mentioned these and other labor struggles.

This convention was the second of three international conventions being held this year to discuss the IAM/UAW/USWA merger. The first was an April meeting of the United Auto Workers' Special Collective Bargaining Convention, and the third will be the IAM's constitutional convention, scheduled to begin in Chicago on September 24. The USWA delegates adopted a resolution supporting the unification process.

Solidarity with Bridgestone workers
The convention was attended by representatives of unions from other countries that organize steelworkers. Some of these have been part of the international "corporate campaign" the Steelworkers union is organizing against Bridgestone/Firestone. Rubber workers at the tire maker's plants in the U.S. were forced out on strike two years ago and scabs were eventually brought in to replace them. Last year the union agreed to return to work, but has yet to get a new contract from Bridgestone.

Solidarity actions have been organized as part of this at Bridgestone's operations in South America and Europe. The representative from Japan, where Bridgestone/Firestone has its headquarters, made a short address to the convention, pledging to continue efforts to pressure the tire maker. He presented a check for $10,000 for the union's Bridgestone/Firestone solidarity fund. Following the convention 18 of Japanese unionists traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, where they joined about 25 local Bridgestone/Firestone workers to picket two of the company's outlets.

A delegation of striking newspaper workers from Detroit also attended the convention. Kate DeSmet, who had been the religion writer for the Detroit News, spoke for the delegation. She said the year-long strike had changed her life "because I've been tear-gassed and pepper sprayed and nearly run over by company trucks....I realized then that these companies, Gannett and Knight Ridder, were willing to kill us to put out a 35-cent scab newspaper."

DeSmet closed by raising the need for a national labor march in Detroit. More than $5,500 was collected from delegates for the strike fund, which the international matched. After the session was over the strikers set up a table outside the convention area to sell T-shirts and their strike newspaper.

Convention delegates voted on a range of proposed changes to the union constitution and resolutions. A debate was sparked by a proposal for amalgamating smaller locals into larger units. The steelworkers union has been amalgamating locals since 1988. Some locals opposed the way this was forced on them, with little input from the affected members and no vote taken in the affected locals.

Five hundred people attended a "Women of Steel," meeting after the convention session the second day of the gathering. The meeting, which some staffers for the IAM and UAW participated in as well as USWA delegates, included an open microphone to discuss issues facing women in the union. The convention voted to set up a women's department of the USWA.

Tim Mailhot is a member of USWA Local 8285 in Birmingham, Alabama.  
 
 
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