United Steelworkers union head Tom Conway dies at 71

PITTSBURGH — Tom Conway, president of the United Steelworkers International (USW) since 2019, died Sept. 25. He was 71.

"From his earliest time making steel to his steady hand leading us through the darkest days of the pandemic, Tom followed two simple guiding principles: the dignity of work and the power of working people," David R. McCall, the USW's international vice president of administration, said.

The USW — which merged with the United Rubber Workers Union in 2000 — represents over 15,000 rubber workers at 19 tire plants throughout the U.S.

"Tom was never afraid of a fight, and thanks to his ingenuity and determination, generations of workers can enjoy better jobs and brighter futures."

The USW said Conway' was "known for his quick wit, formidable bargaining skills and unwavering devotion to workers and their families."

Media reports said Conway had been battling illness throughout the year. The union's executive board is due to meet later this week to name a successor, the USW said.

"Solidarity wasn't just a word to Tom; it was a way of life," USW International Secretary-Treasurer John Shinn said. "He understood that by working together, we will balance the scales against greedy corporations and the billionaire class."

Conway found his calling in the USW as an activist in 1978, specifically with USW Local 6787, which represented workers at the Burns Harbor Works of Bethlehem Steel.

"While working as a millwright in the coke plant, Conway served as a griever for plant-wide maintenance and was a member of the safety and contracting-out committees," according to the USW.

Conway joined the international staff of the USW in 1987 and was appointed as vice president of USW International in 2005.

His rise in the organization was directly related to his adept negotiating skills, especially as they concerned contracts in the steel, aluminum, oil and other major industries.

And he relished going "toe-to-toe" with big companies and billionaire owners, the USW release stated.

One of his more recent victories came in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, as a case filed against Goodyear on April 20 by an independent union alleging a denial of labor rights at the central Mexico passenger tire production facility was resolved.

The July 19 ruling came down in favor of the independent union, with several specified mandates for Goodyear moving forward in the matter.

"As the union representing Goodyear workers in the United States, the USW supported the Mexican workers' fight to win democratic representation over the past five years," Conway told Rubber News earlier this summer.

"All workers deserve to choose their union in a free and fair election. The USW thanks all the members of Congress who fought for strong labor rights enforcement in the USMCA and who supported the Goodyear workers and all Mexican workers who are fighting for democratic representation."

In August 2022, labor contract agreements covering nearly 12,000 workers across three major tire manufacturers in the U.S. were ratified by the United Steelworkers, due in large part to Conway's relentless CBA negotiating.

Collective bargaining pacts with Michelin/BFGoodrich (about 1,800 workers) and Bridgestone Americas (about 4,000 workers) were ratified Aug. 19, 2022, while a new CBA was ratified by union workers with Goodyear (about 6,000 workers) Aug. 24, 2022.

"The hard work of our negotiating committees and the solidarity of the membership throughout the industry have been rewarded with fair contracts for everyone," Conway said at the time. "We made it a priority to raise wages and retain cost-of-living adjustments without giving in to management's demands that we sacrifice quality, affordable health insurance options."

Conway's legacy at USW International includes initiatives to organize more workers into the labor movement, extending the benefits of union representation to employees in a variety of fields, from manufacturing to higher education.

Due to Conway's influence and leadership, USW members say they gained some of the movement's most significant organizing victories.

"Tom was an extraordinary leader, possessing the ideal combination of vision, commonsense, good nature and resolve," Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, said in a statement. "He always had the backs of his brothers and sisters at the USW and understood firsthand the struggles of America's working people.

"His values and ideas — putting workers first, scrapping flawed free trade deals, boosting manufacturing, investing in our nation — are now front and center in American politics. And it isn't an accident."

Conway relentlessly advocated for fair trade, demanding that the government enforce laws to prevent importation of illegally subsidized and dumped products that damage domestic industries and destroy good-paying jobs.

In March of this year, his advocacy was rewarded as Conway was named to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, a key White House trade board.

"I want to thank President Joe Biden for appointing me to this committee, which counsels his administration on matters affecting hundreds of millions of working people," Conway said in May. "USW members know firsthand the importance of enacting and enforcing trade policies that enable American workers to compete on a level playing field with their counterparts around the world."

The Sept. 25 USW statement notes that Conway worked to save jobs and create them, "finding new ways to engage both companies and elected officials to expand manufacturing, secure domestic supply chains and invest in healthy, flourishing communities."

"We will all miss Tom's passion, his integrity, his gift for strategy and not least of all, his sense of humor," said McCall. "His time as USW president was too short, but it's clear he will leave an indelible impact on our union and beyond."

The USW's International Executive Board is expected to meet some time Sept. 26 to appoint a successor, a spokesperson told Rubber News. Check back at rubbernews.com for updates.

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in the metals, mining, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, service, public, health care and higher education sectors.