The United Steelworkers Union, which represents the workers at the St. Paul Gerdau Ameristeel (formerly North Star Steel) mill, is convening a Unity Conference consisting of union leaders from all of Gerdau's North American unionized facilities.
The conference will be held Monday and Tuesday at the South St. Paul VFW Post.
The union leaders, who come from both the United States and Canada, will be joined by two Brazilian union leaders who have experience dealing with Gerdau Ameristeel's parent company, Gerdau SA of Brazil.
Fernando Lopes is the General Secretary of the CNM/CUT, Brazil's national confederation of metalworkers affiliated with the CUT Labor Center. He will be joined by Nair Goulart of the CNTM, the national confederation of metalworkers affiliated with the Forca Sindical Labor Center, who sits on the Administrative Council of the International Labor Organization.
The Unity Conference will focus on the current bargaining situation with Gerdau Ameristeel. The St. Paul plant has been operating with an extended contract since July 31. The Wilton, Iowa, workers are working without an agreement as their contract expired in September. The Steelworkers in Beaumont, Texas, were locked out in May and forced back to work under unilaterally implemented disputed terms and conditions, the union said.
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The United Steelworkers Union, which represents the workers at the St. Paul Gerdau Ameristeel (formerly North Star Steel) mill, is convening a Unity Conference consisting of union leaders from all of Gerdau’s North American unionized facilities.
The conference will be held Monday and Tuesday at the South St. Paul VFW Post.
The union leaders, who come from both the United States and Canada, will be joined by two Brazilian union leaders who have experience dealing with Gerdau Ameristeel’s parent company, Gerdau SA of Brazil.
Fernando Lopes is the General Secretary of the CNM/CUT, Brazil’s national confederation of metalworkers affiliated with the CUT Labor Center. He will be joined by Nair Goulart of the CNTM, the national confederation of metalworkers affiliated with the Forca Sindical Labor Center, who sits on the Administrative Council of the International Labor Organization.
The Unity Conference will focus on the current bargaining situation with Gerdau Ameristeel. The St. Paul plant has been operating with an extended contract since July 31. The Wilton, Iowa, workers are working without an agreement as their contract expired in September. The Steelworkers in Beaumont, Texas, were locked out in May and forced back to work under unilaterally implemented disputed terms and conditions, the union said.