By Scott Marshall
Nothing better illustrates the new direction of labor than the way the United Steelworkers of America (USWA) came to participate in the "Battle in Seattle." Not only did they mobilize over 600 steelworker activists for the big Nov. 30 labor march against the WTO, but they organized a week of activity, forums, and conferences for their members.
Steelworkers began the week with a one day conference for their Rapid Response teams and activists. During the fight against Bridgestone/Firestone, the USWA set up Rapid Response teams. They mobilize rank and file activists for picketlines, demonstrations and other support activities for members on strike, locked out, or for other union campaigns.
The Rapid Response Teams have grown into an important way of involving the membership. Much of their work in the recent period has been aimed at building support for the locked out Kaiser Aluminum workers in Washington state and Ohio.
George Becker, president of the USWA, told the conference, "We didn't bring you here just to march. We have a panel of distinguished experts this afternoon. When you hit the streets you're going to know exactly what you're talking about on trade issues. You're going to take this knowledge and experience back with you to your locals and communities."
Indeed each USWA member got a detailed schedule of the weeks events in Seattle. Everyday was crammed full, including encouraging members to participate in the activities of other anti-WTO groups - from environmental teach-ins to street actions in support of family farmers, and a forum on women's rights in a world economy.
The steelworkers reserved hotel rooms, several weeks in advance, in Tacoma, to be close to the nearby Kaiser plant for support activities with the locked out workers. They also ran chartered buses listed on the printed schedule to get steelworkers back and forth to events.
The weeks events include a benefit concert to raise money for the Kaiser workers and early morning rallies on the Kaiser picketlines. The USWA is also having a rally and demonstration on the Seattle docks where steelworkers are expected to symbolically dump steel in the bay in protest of US trade policies.
Becker makes it clear when he speaks at the different events that he doesn't expect the fight to be won in Seattle. "If they won't fix it here and now, then we're going to take our fight against corporate America's failed trade policies back to Washington, DC. We're going to build a movement, like you've never seen before to get this country out of the WTO," he said.
It is clear from the careful planning and well thought out educational work that the USWA is doing in Seattle, that they mean it. The USWA's work is a great example of how labor is forging alliances and coalitions. They are proud of what they can do as a union. And at the same time they see themselves as a core component of a larger people's movement for economic and social justice.