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Food service workers and support staff at Portage (Ind.) Township Schools have voted by a two-to-one margin to become part of the USW. The workers voted on Sept. 22, 2005.
The newly organized Steelworkers become part of Local Union 70, which originally began with |
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the bus drivers and attendants at Portage Township Schools. It has grown to be comprised of five amalgamated units that include more than 400 members. Custodians, bus drivers, food service employees, media clerks, computer coordinators and classroom assistants are included in the local.
“The strength of our union is that we stick together,” said Jan Cook, unit chairperson for the newly-formed workers. A 12-year employee at Portage, Cook believes the union’s presence has helped correct an inconsistent pay scale and has established a system that honors seniority.
“When the Union came in I was all for it,” Cook said. “Having a contract along with the support of the Steelworkers has helped us create fairness for our people at Portage.”
Local Union President Wanda Mazur welcomed the new members into a healthy and growing local union.
“We started as one unit with about 100 drivers and today we are more than 400 public sector workers united under the union banner!” said Mazur, a 20-year veteran bus driver.
Since its inception in 1999, the local has remained active in the NW Indiana community. “Wherever there’s a rally, or a Union function Local 70 is there. We know where we came from and how we got here,” said Mazur. “I don’t hesitate to let people know that being union is just better.”
Local Union 70 is part of USW District 7 where Jim Robinson is Director. The Steelworkers, with more than 850,000 active members in a wide variety of occupations and workplaces, is North America’s largest industrial union.
For more information, contact the USW at (877) 511-8792
For an Organizing Contact Request Form, click HERE
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ORGANIZING NEWS
