(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – Free haircuts for Veterans and breakfast for the needy.  Helping build a Habitat for Humanity home.  Sending its Members into schools to teach kids the true meaning of Labor Unions and to provide needed education on the contributions made by African Americans to the Labor Movement.  Sponsoring a card of youth boxing at a local church.  And marching in one of the largest and oldest Juneteenth Parades across the entire United States.

These were just some of the many events and initiatives that those in the United Steelworkers local (USW) District 4 Office, its Staff Representatives and Local Union Members took part in last week during the USW’s first Black Labor Week ever held in Buffalo.

The overall goal of the actions - which began on Tuesday (June 12th) and ended on Saturday (June 23rd) - was to provide those in the Buffalo community with an education on the contributions made by African Americans to the U.S. Labor Movement, which were highlighted by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - who was assassinated after standing up and speaking out for Striking Sanitation Workers in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968.

“I think it was ‘phenomenal,’” Brigitte Womer, a USW District 4 Staff Representative and Chair of the local USW District 4 Black Labor Week Committee, told WNYLaborToday.com after the nearly week-long event ended. 

“We ‘got into so many areas (of high poverty and job loss) that needed help and it also gave us the chance to provide them with an education on the Labor Movement and it being so connected to the African-American Community.’  They said “it was great’ to have us there and now our Members ‘want to go out more frequently in the community because we ran past the goals we’d set this year,’” she said.

About 25 USW Members from the Buffalo area took part in the USW’s first annual Black Labor Week, said Womer, who added: “It was a ‘much-needed program and we were able to get people interested in Labor Unions and what we offer.’  ‘I think we had a positive impact and that it lifted up the communities (they targeted).’”

USW Sub-District Director Jim Briggs, who also serves as President of the Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, told Your On-Line Labor Newspaper that Black History Week “needed to happen” here in Buffalo; “It was needed because even some of our Members ‘don’t realize how much our Union is committed to the fair treatment of all people.’  The events we were involved in and the number of our people who participated ‘was a huge step to demonstrate such a high level of Social Justice in our Union.’  It shows our Union ‘is going in the right direction.’  And I was ‘really surprised by the number of scheduled events.’  ‘All went off so well, better than anyone hoped for.’”

Cindy Marlow, who chairs the USW District 4 Women of Steel (WOS)/Western New York Regional Council and who’s Members took part in several actions during the week, praised Womer for putting together such a great series of events. 

“Brigitte ‘helped bring it to Buffalo and it was excellent, especially teaching the kids about the Labor Movement and the role African Americans have and are playing in it.’  ‘This was so needed’ because Labor History ‘isn’t taught in our classrooms and who else are they going to get it from?’  ‘Everyone who participated felt so good and all agreed that we have to do this more often,’” she told WNYLaborToday.com.

During Black History Month in 2012, USW Member Ephrin Jenkins - known to his friends as E.J., who for 20 years or more has worked in Pit Utility at US Steel’s Gary Works in Gary, Indiana, thought it would be an excellent idea to create a week-long event for his Union to annually observe.  As such, E.J. started what he called Black Labor Week - a time for USW Members of his Local Union 1014 in USW District 7 to connect with the community through activities that helped retirees, veterans, seniors, the homeless and children.

“Black Labor Week is a week where we, as Steelworkers, ‘have a chance to give everything we have back to a community that really needs it,’” said E.J. (who traveled to Buffalo last week to take part in the local Black Labor Week events), who added the event also helps educate everyone about the often overlooked contributions of Black Leaders in the Labor Movement.  “I want to create ‘more’ activists.  ‘I want people to be a part of something they can be proud of.’   I’m looking to ‘pass this event on to other young activists who really believe in this event the same way I do.’”

Black Labor Week began with E.J. and six other volunteers, but it had grown to involving more than 100 participants in 2017.  Due to independent donations, support from the USW District and other USW Locals' involvement, E.J. anticipated 2018 to be another successful year.

Here’s what transpired in Buffalo last week during the first Black Labor Week, a compilation of USW postings and photos via the Social Network Facebook:

The One Stop Veteran Center opened its doors to USW District 4 as Black Labor Week got started with USW Members cooking a free hot breakfast, giving away book bags filled with items, and providing free haircuts to local Veterans to thank them for their service.

USW District 4’s Women of Steel (WOS)/Western New York Regional Council Members, family and Staff helped build a Habitat For Humanity home on Buffalo’s East side.  Members from USW Locals 2058, 13833, 593 and 8823 worked at the site. “We loved doing it,” WOS/WNY Chairwoman Marlow told WNYLaborToday.com.  “We all ‘actually learned something’ while working next to the woman the house was being built for.”

USW District 4 Buffalo’s Black Labor Week women's and men's panels conducted a conversation at the Harvey Austin School 29. Kelsey Loveland from USW Local 593 moderated the Women's Panel that included Angela Blue of the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation and Emily Jefferson from the USW International Offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dave Wasuria from the USW Buffalo Sub-District Office moderated the men's Panel that included: Jaden Rowe, the son of USW Staff Rep Womer; Mike Fisher, USW Sub-District Director from the Union’s New Jersey Office; EJ from USW Local 1014; Lowell Alexander from the USW Sub-District Massachusetts Office: and Earkiel Eaton, Jr. from USW Local 593.

USW District 4 Black Labor Week events continued at Buffalo’s Harvey Austin School 97 as Union Members met with 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th Graders to discuss Black Labor History and the Labor Movement.  Later in the day USW Members volunteered for the Student's Field Day event, helping with their various outdoor activities - which included a bag race, tug a rope, sponge water toss, parachuting, and much more.  In the evening a 12-match boxing card was offered at St. John Baptist Church on Michigan Avenue called Uniting Youth Through Boxing. USW District 4 sponsored the youth boxing match as part of Black Labor Week with the Buffalo Police Athletic League (PAL), which allowed area youth to showcase their hard work and dedication to the sport.  The PAL Program offers a safe space for neighborhood youth to engage in learning discipline and provides an array of positive role models, confidence building, sportsmanship and mentoring. 

Saturday was such a great way to end a terrific week!  Together as one in the largest Juneteenth parade in the country on Buffalo’s East Side.

USW District 4 also held an Awards Dinner during Black Labor Week in Buffalo.  Several individuals who were involved in making it a reality were presented with awards, including USW District 4 Director John Shinn, pictured below on the right.  Making the presentation is Lowell Alexander, a USW District 4 Staff Rep, on the left.