Women of Steel Build Power in District 9

Sisters in District 9 came together at multiple locations throughout the district attending the Women of Steel Leadership Development Course.  District Director Connie Entrekin offered WOS training in 3 locations, Nashville, TN, Birmingham, AL and Concord, SC in support of women’s committees and councils throughout the district requesting the training.

To meet the need for qualified local union facilitators to present the programs other USW Districts provided the services of their facilitators so that the courses could run.  District 9 facilitator Vonda Mc Daniels anchored the training in two sessions with Gigi Baker from District 7 and Assistant to the International President, Sharon Stiller and local union sister Keli Vereb from District 10 worked with the participants in South Carolina.  It was the true spirit of what WOS is all about – sisters mentoring sisters into the union mainstream and leadership opportunities.

One of the high points in the week’s classes was a field trip to a local public theater arranged by Entrekin for participants to see the movie “North Country” documenting in a fictional story the struggles of union women in the northern mine fields to stop sexual harassment on the job.  Their actions provided the basis of a landmark court case that set the standards and penalties for companies supporting or non-supporting actions to stop sexual harassment incidents in their facilities.  Following the film class participants spent several hours, well into the night, discussing past and present issues around these issues as well as other forms of discrimination.  The women planned strategies to build networks and educational venues to reach women and support those that need assistance in these and other situations especially those that make working class women feel isolated and vulnerable. 

Considerable discussion, in each class, developed around how to sponsor programs and activities through their local union women’s committees to include the union’s larger solidarity family of sisters --- women in union households and unorganized women.  Outreach and inclusion of all women helps build the power and influence of the union.

These training sessions are being followed up by each District 9 Women’s Regional Coordinator contacting local unions not currently sponsoring a women’s committee helping them establish a committee and come into compliance with the International Constitution.