Wheeling Pitt strikers vow: 'Never surrender'

by Lasker Smith & Denise Winebrenner

This article was reprinted from the March 22, 1997 issue of the People's Weekly World. For subscription information see below. All rights reserved - may be used with PWW credits.

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio - Solidarity with members of the United Steelworkers of America, on strike against Wheeling- Pittsburgh Steel Corp., continued to grow last week as union members from Detroit brought $40,000 and three tons of food to USWA Local 1190 here. In addition, the mayors of 47 communities in the Ohio-Monongahela valley called for federal intervention in an effort to bring the parties to the negotiating table.

"About 215 cars - and one motorcycle - left Detroit at 7 a.m. on March 15," Dick Clemens an assistant to Harry Lester, director of Steelworkers District 2, told the World. "It was a fantastic display of solidarity - steelworkers, autoworkers and members of Detroit newspaper unions, all driving some 270 miles each way and spending 12-14 hours doing it." And, he said, "the warmth of the strikers and the spaghetti dinner made it all worthwhile."

Clemens said he thought the motorcycle rider should be given special mention. "It was cold and we ran into a white-out on the freeway." The caravan was given a police escort in several municipalities.

Clemens said that after stopping at the union hall to rest and stretch, the Michigan contingent marched several blocks to the picket line. "We were wearing our camouflage outfits - and why not? If Wheeling Pitt wants a war, we'll give it to them."

Following the march, the group gathered in front of the Wheeling-Pitt gates where Harry Lester, District 2 USWA director, spoke. As the fire in the barrels greeted the crowd with what seemed a special amount of warmth, Lester warmed things up even more with his promise to keep coming back with more and more support until the heads of Wheeling-Pitt's owners "were shaven clean and their brains washed! We'll never surrender," he said to ear-splitting screams of "Never!"

After a stomach-warming meal of spaghetti and all the trimmings, the group heard again from Lester; Larry Mallas, president of Local 1190 USWA; Bob King, director of Region 1A UAW; Kate DeSmet, a Detroit newspaper striker, and Ed Scribner, president of the Metro-Detroit AFL-CIO Council.

Earlier last week the mayors of 47 towns in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania made it clear that corporate greed could kill their communities and demanded that Wheeling- Pitt resume negotiations with the union. As evidence, the Tri-State Mayors Coalition pointed to a study by the Cleveland-based Council of Economic Opportunities, showing that plant closings and layoffs had resulted in the loss of 47 percent of the regions jobs in heavy industry between 1979 and 1995.

The municipal leaders sent letters to President Clinton, Vice President Gore, the Department of Labor and the governors and congressional delegations of all three states calling for federal intervention to resume meaningful negotiations between the Steelworkers union and Wheeling- Pitt.

At a March 12 press conference in Steubenville, that city's mayor, Dominick Mucci Jr. told reporters, "All of our communities have been affected by the economic impact of this strike has had on the tri-state area. We want [our elected officials] to know that this means economic survival in the Ohio Valley. We hope that they will respond and at least get [Wheeling-Pitt and the union] talking."

The mayors also announced that all 47 communities would be holding a "tag day" March 22, with monies collected to be donated to the five striking local unions. Resolutions of support can be sent to: USWA-WP Local Unions Assistance Fund; 777 Dearborn Park Lane, Suite J; Columbus, OH 43085- 5716.