USW 3M Council Focuses on Organizing and Workplace Safety

Members of the USW 3M Council met in Minneapolis on April 28-29 to address shifting trends in the chemical sector, organizing efforts, health and safety standards, and bargaining strategies.

USW International Secretary-Treasurer Myles Sullivan, who co-chairs the council alongside Vice President at Large Amber Miller, kicked off the meeting by emphasizing the sector’s and its workforce’s critical role.

“The chemical sector is vital to the USW,” Sullivan said. “It’s facing a lot of pressure, with instability due to tariffs, and the landscape is changing drastically.”

Miller, recently appointed to the council, said she is honored to support a council that is deeply committed to one another and to the work they do.

“Every day, our members take on challenging and often dangerous work to keep this industry moving,” said Miller. “I’m looking forward to being a resource that helps strengthen our voice.”

The global chemical sector has been hit by major closures, particularly in Europe, due to high energy prices, unfair trade, and weak demand. Despite these challenges, the USW successfully organized a new 3M chemical facility at Springfield, Mo., adding 380 members. Additionally, workers in Texas and Wisconsin have reached out to the union to organize their facilities.

“Our new members at Springfield picked the USW for a reason,” Sullivan said. “They saw our strength and solidarity, and I want to thank everyone here who had a role in organizing them.”

The council meeting began on Workers’ Memorial Day, an international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, or injured by their work. USW District 11 Director Cathy Drummond, who welcomed the council to her home state of Minnesota, led a moment of silence to honor those who have passed and to remind activists to fight for the living.

“This day showcases just how meaningful this work is, and how health and safety must remain at the heart of everything we do,” Drummond said.

Kayla Flowers, of the USW Health, Safety, and Environment department, reminded attendees that 380 workers die each day from workplace injuries or occupational diseases in the United States.

Flowers warned that many chemical exposure limits are based on outdated science and noted that no chemicals are currently on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) agenda for review.

“OSHA is not coming to save us,” said Flowers. “We can save ourselves through collective bargaining and organizing.”

Trish Creech, from the USW Tony Mazzocchi Center, discussed educational opportunities available to members and management to prevent work-related injury, illness and death, and the release of hazardous substances. She highlighted the Triangle of Prevention (TOP) program, which is structured around three elements: union leadership; the USW Systems of Safety approach to incident investigation, and the rigorous tracking of incidents and near-misses. 

Local 9-675, which represents 285 members at the 3M chemical plant in Guin, Ala., stands as a strong example of the program’s effectiveness. They have been implementing the TOP program since 2003, and their OSHA recordable rate is currently 0.85. They are ranked third among 113 3M manufacturing facilities for safety.

Jay Zyduck, president of Local 2-0666 in Wausau, Wisc., shared that his local’s Health and Safety Committee had been dormant for years until a visit from the TMC inspired members to get involved.

“It’s up to us because management is getting directions from corporate, but the glove doesn’t fit the same at every facility,” said Zyduck. “We have to be the voice in the workplace.”

To conclude the two-day meeting, council members created signs explaining why a strong contract is essential, offering support to the Springfield workers currently negotiating their first agreement with 3M.

“Solidarity is this council’s strength,” Sullivan concluded. “We have the power to act as a collective across all organized 3M facilities, learning from each other’s struggles to win the wages and conditions all workers deserve.”

The council will reconvene later this year to strategize against 3M’s plan to freeze pensions starting in 2029 and to build on recent organizing successes.

The USW currently represents approximately 19,000 workers in the chemical sector across 293 units in 10 districts.