We congratulate our brother and friend, David McCall, on the end of his tenure as international president of the United Steelworkers (USW), and thank him for his service on the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO.
McCall, who began his career as a member of USW Local 6787 working as a millwright at Bethlehem Steel’s Burns Harbor Works, leaves a nearly six-decade legacy of activism and advocacy on behalf of working families.
From his earliest days in northwest Indiana to his time leading USW from Pittsburgh, McCall fought tirelessly for members’ jobs and communities in the face of industry consolidation, unfair trade and rampant corporate greed.
Over the course of his career, he became one of the USW’s most accomplished negotiators in steel, tire, paper, oil, glass, and other major industries, building strength and solidarity from the grassroots level as members worked to secure strong contracts.
His steady, innovative leadership preserved thousands of jobs during the steel import crisis, and he led the fight for the fair trade policies, infrastructure upgrades and capital investments in facilities needed to ensure America’s workers could compete on a level playing field.
McCall served on the AFL-CIO Executive Council as the chair of the Committee on Legislation/Policy, and was a valued member of the Executive Committee and the Energy Committee.
On behalf of the nearly 15 million working people of the AFL-CIO, the Executive Council thanks David McCall for his service and solidarity, and we look forward to his continued advocacy on behalf of America’s workers.