08-04-26

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​Stop the Farm Bill Attack on USW Jobs!

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On Thursday, August 6, 2026, the Senate Committee on Agriculture will vote on the Farm Bill 2.0. This measure would negatively impact many USW-represented jobs by:

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• Keeping harmful SNAP cuts in place, forcing millions off food assistance. Beyond devasting impacts to children and families, it also means fewer grocery purchases and less demand for products made by USW members throughout the food manufacturing and packaging supply chain.

 

• Permanently allowing year-round E-15 fuel sales and expanding refinery exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirements. That would shift billions of dollars in Renewable Identification Number (RIN) compliance costs onto many USW-represented merchant refineries that don't qualify for exemptions, increasing operating costs and putting refinery jobs, maintenance, safety investments, and future operations at risk.

 

• Expanding renewable fuel eligibility for woody biomass, increasing competition for the wood fiber used by USW paper and pulp mills. Higher raw material costs could put manufacturing jobs and mill competitiveness at risk.

 

For more details on these issues, please view USW’s letter of opposition here.

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Click Here to Tell Members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture to Vote No on the Farm Bill 2.0 on Thursday!

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07-22-26

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Rapid Response Conference in Washington DC

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This summer's USW Rapid Response Legislative & Policy Conference was held in Washington, D.C. last week and our Rapid Response Chair Colt Kovatch and Trustee Kirk Williams attended to represent our local.  Over the course of the conference, they had training sessions on current and upcoming legislation and how it will affect workers.  They also heard from various labor leader speakers, including USW's International President, Roxanne Brown, and National AFL-CIO President Liz Schuler,  and rounded out the conference with visits to the US congressional offices.  This annual conference is instrumental in keeping members informed and involved in legislative action and we thank Colt and Kirk for participating.  If you would like to learn more or become involved with our local's Rapid Response, please contact your unit president.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

05-13-26

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ACT NOW: Stand with USW’s Atomic Energy Workers!

 

The Waste Isolation Pilot Program (WIPP) in New Mexico is a critical part of national infrastructure. WIPP safely manages nuclear waste from clean-up sites across the United States, supporting thousands of good-paying union jobs, local businesses, and communities. The New Mexico Environment Department is proposing changes to the WIPP permit that would set mandatory limits on shipments received from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) before WIPP is able to receive shipments from other sites.

 

Based on the past extremely low number of shipments received at WIPP from LANL, the proposed mandatory limits would be nearly impossible to meet – meaning shipments from other cleanup sites would be halted. While this proposal is happening in one state, its impact reaches far beyond New Mexico.

 

Disruptions at WIPP don’t stay at WIPP.

• These changes could impact nuclear facilities and cleanup sites across the country – including those where USW members work – by creating backlogs, delaying shipments, and shifting risk onto other locations.

• That means fewer stable operations, increased uncertainty, and real consequences for working people and their communities.

 

USW opposes these changes because working people should not bear the cost of decisions that weaken safety, threaten jobs, and destabilize critical systems.

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Click HERE for a printable version.​​​​​​​​​​