AY

WOMEN’S

ISSUES

mae FILE PHOTO USWA
= Pictured above in 2000 were Steelworker women at a rally in Ontario during that year's World March of Women.

Women of Steel are uniting

Tradition of women’s activism to be carried
forward in merger with the United Steelworkers

WOMEN IN THE USWA and IWA
Canada women have made a great deal
of progress in recent years and have
played increasing roles in their work-
places and their unions.

In 1995 the Steelworkers formed a
National Women’s Committee, which
set its own mandate a year later. At the
IWA Canada national convention in
2000, a National Women’s Committee
was also borne.

Many of Women in Steel’s mandate
items are virtually identical to the func-
tions and policies of the IWA Women’s
Committee: to raise awareness of

women in the union; to act as a clear-
ing house for information for
women; to build a database of women
activists; to promote local women’s
committee and networks; to reach out
to unorganized women; to provide
direction for national political action;
to provide leadership and guidance to
district and local women’s commit-
tees; to advise directors on policy mat-
ters affecting women; and to work
with the Steelworker Humanity Fund
on issues involving and effecting
women.

“When we look at Women in Steel’s

Mandate, there is a considerable overlap
between the USWA and the IWA’s
recent history,” says Brenda Wagg, chair
of the IWA National Women’s
Committee since 2001. “As members of
locals within the Steel, many of us are
looking forward to finding out more
about the Steelworkers’ programs for
Women.” As formentioned, Women in
Steel are active at the plant, local and dis-
trict levels. The USWA, in addition to
holding national conferences in Canada
and the United States, work throughout
their districts to share information and
educate.

sto) 1/42) MARTHA ULCH - LOCAL 1-1000

FILE PHOTO BY NORMAN GARCIA

Travelling from adversity to activism

EARLY IN HER LIFE Martha Ulchand
her family shared a life full of adversity.
Born in the small town of Cheb,
Czechoslovakia in 1948, Martha was
moved to Germany at the age of 1-1/2
when her mother fled the communist
nation. In their newly-adopted country, the
family survived with food stamp assis-
tance for bread, butter and sugar. In 1960
her stepfather, suffering from tuberculo-
sis, went to Canada, assisted by the
Department of Immigration where he

entered a Windsor sanitarium. The family
went with him. Martha’s mom was left to
support four kids on $26 a week. “We did-
n'tknow any better then, but we gotalong,
living in poverty. None of us spoke
English at first but we somehow made
ends meet,” reflects Martha. She raised
her younger siblings while mom worked.

Itwas perhaps that steely resistance that
would help her and husband Gordon,
who she has been married to for over 37
years, carve out a new life in north central

Ontario. After both worked at various low-

paying jobs in the Leamington
tomato/tobacco belt region, they migrated
to Rutherglen in 1968.

After raising the kids she joined
Gordon (who has always been her great-
est supporter) at the GW Martin veneer
plant in ‘83. After being active in an ‘89
strike, she was encouraged to become a
union representative. “I couldn’t keep
quiet,” she laughs. “So someone said I
should run for steward and I got elected.”
Today Martha has risen through the
ranks to become the second vice presi-
dent of Local 1-1000.

In ‘97 then local president Joe da
Costa encouraged Martha to become an
original member of the IWA National
Women’s Steering Committee, a small
group of activists who would push for
more involvement for women in a
male-dominated union. In 2000 the
National Women’s Committee and
Educational Conference was adopted by
convention action. “We took some baby
steps which became bigger steps,” she
says. “I’m amazed at what women in
the IWA have accomplished and we
have made more progress each year.”
Taking responsibility and helping oth-
ers: those are life’s lessons that have
help make Martha Ulch into one of the
union’s most respected sisters.

Next year’s activities to sync
with World March of Women

Since the United Steelworkers estab-
lished a National Women’s
Committee at a Policy Conference in
1995 there have been national confer-
ences held every 2-3 years. Planning
is underway to hold a national con-
ference in 2005 which will focus on
the World March of Women, which
begins on International Women’s Day
(March 8) and goes until October 15
(International Human Rights Day).
Steelworker representative Sue
Milling, who works out of the union’s
national office
in Toronto, says
that the union
may be devel-
oping and hold-
ing regional

| workshops in
conjunction

| with the
Steelworkers
Humanity Fund.
“We'd like to
work on building awareness, solidari-
ty and political action skills around
women’s issues at home and
abroad,” says Sister Milling.

In addition to working on events for
next year, Women of Steel are plan-
ning further educational workshops
with members in the union’s three
districts. Health and safety and col-
lective bargaining issues affecting
women are two areas of priority.
Since their inception, Women of

Steel have been very active in pro-
moting education and awareness on
Workplace Harassment Issues and
Conflict Resolution. Throughout the
country and over the years, the
Steelworkers have trained some
40,000 workers on anti-harassment
and discrimination issues. Sister
Marlene Gow from the national office
in Toronto coordinates this program
which is delivered, on paid work
time, by Steelworker facilitators. Both
union and non-union employees
receive training.

Sister Milling says other priority
areas have been organizing, activist
training and political action. During
the past couple of years, District 6
(Ontario and the Maritimes) has put
on educational seminars on how to
support organizing non-union
women through targeted campaigns.
In order to gear up for impending
elections in British Columbia and
Nova Scotia, Women in Steel will be
focussing on training activists in
those provinces. “We want to ensure
that our women are a vital part of the
election campaign pool,” says Sister
Milling.

She adds that it is important to iden-
tify women activists, at the local
union level, who would be eligible to
go through the Steelworkers’ formi-
dable Leadership Training Program at
Linden Hall in Pennsylvania. It is held
for one week a year over four years.

Sue Milling

14 | THE ALLIED WORKER SEPTEMBER 2004