(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – What a week last week was for the organizers of the second annual United Steelworkers (USW) District 4 Black Labor Week, who tell WNYLaborToday.com they were “amazed” by the fact that their 2019 effort doubled in the amount of support and number of volunteers who made it happen.

From serving a free breakfast and providing haircuts for area Veterans to hosting a Struggles In Steel movie night, involving volunteers in several worthwhile community actions – including working on a Habitat for Humanity home site, conducting a Women’s Panel Discussion, taking the time to educate high school students on the many positives of the Labor Movement, to marching in Buffalo’s annual Juneteenth Parade and their participation in helping support an inner-city youth boxing match, it was an extremely busy week for all involved.

“We’re ‘seeing a lot of growth and progress, everything doubled – our donations exceed last year’s and we are seeing such tremendous growth in only its second year.’  We had thirty volunteers ‘consistently with us each day’ and another fifteen who rotated in and out.  ‘We had half that number last year.’  We’re ‘so optimistic’ (for future years),” Brigitte Womer, a USW District 4 Staff Representative and Chair of the local USW District 4 Black Labor Week Committee, told WNYLaborToday.com as the nearly week-long event was coming to an end. 

For example, so successful was the Struggles In Steel movie night (hosted at USW Local 135 (whose Members are employed by Sumitomo Rubber USA’s Tire Plant in nearby Tonawanda) that the room was literally packed with people who came out to watch.

“We ‘didn’t have enough’ seats and tables (to accommodate everyone).  The room (where the movie was shown in the Local 135 Union Hall) ‘was at full capacity,’” Womer said.

In addition to helping out and taking part in providing a number of needed services and help across Buffalo’s Black Community, Womer said the serious discussions that occurred on a number of hard things to talk about - but are nonetheless extremely important to discuss - would not have happened without the support of USW District 4, its Leadership, its Buffalo area Locals and those who volunteered.

“This is ‘so different that anything else we do’ in the USW.  ‘We has some very open and honest conversations with people regarding racial issues and social justice.’  And - we were involved in working within communities ‘that need the help.’  ‘We helped lift them up.’  For me, in terms of organizing it all, I can ‘honestly say that all the support we received’ - from USW District 4 Director John Shinn (who was recently elevated to the position of USW International Secretary-Treasurer), to Del Vitale - the Assistant to District Director Shinn (who will succeed Shinn as USW District 4 Director), ‘all together we made this possible,’” Womer said.

While the number of events were very similar to last year’s USW District 4 Black Labor Week, Womer said the opportunity to get in front of young people to make them aware of what the Labor Movement is, what it does for Workers and the many and tremendous career opportunities that exist within was one of the most rewarding pieces of those many week-long events. 

That opportunity came when a number of USW Members spent time at Buffalo’s Harvey Austin School 97, a City of Buffalo Public School located on Sycamore Street on Buffalo’s predominately African-American East Side.  There, Union Members met with a total of nearly 500 students in Grades 3 through 6, whose ages ranged from eight to 11.

“I ‘firmly believe this is so vital’ (to the USW and the Labor Movement),” Womer told Your On-Line Labor Newspaper.  “It’s the ‘most important work we do’ – Labor education, ‘letting them know what Unions are all about.’  ‘That there is a bright future (in Working Union) and that Unions provide multiple paths to become successful.’”

A representative from the USW Education Department also put on a presentation regarding mass incarceration for students in the 7th and 8th Grades, Womer said.

Asked what’s in the cards for the 2020 USW District 4 Black Labor Week in Buffalo, Womer answered: “It will be ‘bigger and better, with more activities and more people involved.’  We ‘want to (positively impact) even more people’s lives.’  And from the feedback we received, those we met with and helped ‘were so thankful and impressed.’  ‘In fact, some were ecstatic.’”

For More On The USW’s Black Labor Week, Read WNYLaborToday.com’s 2019 Labor News Report, Headlined: Making A Difference In The Community & Teaching Kids The ‘True Meaning’ Of Labor Unions - That’s Just Some Of What USW Members Did To Commemorate The First Black Labor Week Ever Held In Buffalo At www.wnylabortoday.com/news/2018/06/19/buffalo-and-western-new-york-labor-news/making-a-difference-in-the-community-teaching-kids-the-true-meaning-of-labor-unions-that-s-just-some-of-what-usw-members-did-to-commemorate-the-first-black-labor-week-ever-held-in-buffalo/

All Photos That Appear With This Labor News Report Are Courtesy Of Several Local USW Members Via The Social Network Facebook.