USW Mourns Passing of District 12 Director Bob LaVenture
It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that District 12 Director Bob LaVenture passed away today.
Bob was a tireless union activist who always fought on the side of working people, first in his home state of Wisconsin and later on behalf of our members in District 12.
Bob joined the labor movement in 1970 when he went to work at an International Harvester – now Navistar – foundry in Waukesha, Wis., as a member of Local 3740. He served many roles, including trustee, local union steward, vice president and president.
As local president, Bob helped develop the Navistar Education Center, the first employee education center in Wisconsin. He then went on to help develop other education centers as a state AFL-CIO coordinator.
Bob moved to Concord, Calif., in 1993 and then to Oklahoma in 1998 as a USW International staff rep. He became District 12 Director in 2009.
As director, Bob was a fierce advocate for American industry and jobs, chairing contract negotiations with EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel, Kaiser Aluminum, ASARCO, and Kennecott Utah Copper, as well as heading the USW Cement Council.
He was also profoundly dedicated to cross-border solidarity, working closely with our union brothers and sisters at Los Mineros in Mexico, fighting so that all workers could have a better life.
We are still gathering details and will send more information as we receive it.
Bob was good friend who touched many lives. He will be sorely missed.
In solidarity,
Tom
Welcome to our new sisters and brothers from Proterra!
Welcome to our new sisters and brothers from Proterra! They are building the future of transportation and USW 675 is proud to welcome them into the family. Let’s show them some Steelworker love and solidarity as they begin bargaining their first contract soon!
Blue Collar Revolution
We are putting our collective resources together with the Teamsters and the Building Trades to educate the democratic party on the work we do, what we stand for and the principles we support. We need to let them know that we work collectively every day to raise the standard of living not only for our members but the industries in which they work. Please sign up for a shift at the convention to let the Democratic Party know that we don't want them to take away our jobs and hand us slushies!
6th Annual Thanksgiving Food Distribution
Join us on Tuesday, November 26th as we come together to serve our community. We will be handing out over 300 turkeys and food bags at the United Steelworkers Local 675 Maywood hall. For more information or if you want to sign up to volunteer please contact Diana: 310-522-2277 or Xochitl: 310-522-2284.
Thank you to our sponsors for stepping up and making this year bigger than last!
Where: 4735 E Slauson Ave. Maywood, CA. 90270
Time: 10AM - the last bag of food is given away