Welcome To The Home Of
United SteelWorkers Local 12-591
Our journey began in 1956 as OCAW Local 1-591, through our merger with UPIU to become PACE Local 8-591, and it continues with our merger with USWA to become USW Local 12-591. While our name has changed, our commitment to our communities, our families, and the future of labor remains as strong as ever.
We invite you to browse our site, enjoy what we have to offer, and contact us if you have any questions.
Bargaining Has Begun - Do You Know What's Happening?
To help our members stay informed on negotiations and possible labor actions, please visit our
Local 207L Needs Our Help
Local 207L members in Findlay Ohio have been locked out by Cooper Tires. You may remember Cooper Tires, the company that had no problem accepting $31.2 MILLION in concessions from Local 207L members during their 2008 contract negotiations. Times were tough and USW members sacrificed to help keep Cooper Tires afloat. What's happened since?
The top five executives took home $9.5 million in 2010 and bought a new corporate jet
Two wages increases and double bonuses handed out to management personnel
The City of Findlay and State of Ohio granted substantial subsidies
Now that things are improving, and Cooper Tire showed a profit of $448 million in operating profits, how do they reward the USW members who stepped up during the tough times?
Rather than allow the workforce to continue working as they continue negotiating a new contract, Cooper Tire elects to LOCK THEM OUT and bring in scabs. How's that for "do unto others..."?
We need to show Cooper Tires that we won't accept this unfair treatment of our Brothers and Sisters. Rallies will be scheduled at local Cooper Tire outlets to inform the public of the egregious behavior of Cooper Tires.
Please print and post the flyer below wherever you feel is appropriate.
Additional information can be found at www.stopcoopertire.com
Still Think Our Employers Care About Safety?
One of our main objectives in this round of negotiations is Health & Safety. No longer can we rely on our employers to do the "right" thing... unless you think the right thing is putting profits over people. Our members and coworkers continue to be killed on the job, as the petrochemical industry records record profits yet refuses to properly maintain their facilities and provide adequate training. For more on this, click the link below.
THESE PLANTS CAN BE RUN SAFELY AND PROFITABLY!
Safety Concerns Heighten Over Petrochemical Plants
Scholarship and Grant Deadlines Fast Approaching
Deadline for scholarship applications/essays and grants is March 1st. We encourage you to submit your applications/essays well before the deadline to assure you are included in our awards.
Last year's winner, Malia Danilson, received $5000 as the top Scholarship winner.
Our other scholarship winners were:
Raleigh Kinsolving
$4000
Taylor Cargile
$2500
Molly Scoles
$1500
Shane Hardesty
$1000
Shaina Doyle
$1000
Including 24 Grant awards totaling $33,600, USW Local 12-591 awarded $48,600 for 2011.
Since the Scholarship's inception, we have awarded a total of $562,200
State Workers Are The Problem, Right?
WRONG!
As Governor Gregoire points out in the video below, state workers' give-backs make up a significant share of budget cuts enacted over the last three years. Cuts in wages, medical, pensions, accepted furloughs, etc. How would you feel if you had to take pay cuts, benefit cuts, reduced hours, etc? How would you provide for your families under these circumstances?
So, show us how it's done!
Tell us what you want to live without. Paved roads? Ambulance Services? Police/Fire/Medics (already devastated - no problem until you are the one who needs them)? Pick something, not some generic bull about cut this or that, give us the facts. How much, from where, and why. It's easy to throw our generalized BS when you don't know what you're talking about. Here's an idea... get off you a**, go to Olympia, learn the truth, then spout off.
The time has come. State workers have done their share, it's time the rest of us either...
Step Up or Shut Up
From The International - Global Unite
In 2008, USW and Unite The Union, the largest labor organization in Ireland and the United Kingdom, signed an agreement forming "Workers Uniting", a collaborative effort to create the first global union.
To better understand the importance of a global union, we invite you to watch the video below.
Health &Safety
As we prepare for bargaining, we continue to stress the importance of effective health & safety language. Given the history of our industries, it's important that we protect our members as well as the communities in which we operate. To that end, USW updated an original OCAW video. This is well worth your time.
Still Out Of Control
The Center For Public Integrity (CPI) has published their
second article, titled
"Regulatory Flaws, Repeated
Violations Put Oil Refinery Workers at Risk"
The article expands on the issue of poor maintenance, repeated violations, and the oil industry's constant stalling when penalties are assessed as opposed to correcting the deficiency. Read the full article here.
Questions? Comments? Email the