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Season 6, Episode 43

Championing Diversity and Union Strength within the USW

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America's Work Force Union Podcast AWF United Steelworkers

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Guest Name:

Kevin Mapp

Guest Website:

United Steelworkers 

Guest Social Media:

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Supportive Documents:

Kevin Mapp, Vice President of Human Affairs at the United Steelworkers, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his upbringing in a union family, his role in promoting diversity in the union and his responsibilities overseeing Local 8888 at the Newport News shipyard.

Growing up in a union family in Detroit, Mapp was deeply influenced by his parents, both members of the Steelworkers. According to Mapp, this background instilled in him an appreciation for the benefits of union jobs, which provided stability and opportunities. His early career at Great Lakes Works, where he transitioned from production to a skilled apprenticeship career, was shaped by his father's encouragement and the barriers his father faced due to racial discrimination. This experience laid the foundation for Mapp's commitment to union advocacy and leadership.

As Vice President of Human Affairs, Mapp discussed the importance of maintaining the union's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, even as these principles face challenges in the broader societal context. He emphasized that diversity and inclusion are core to the Steelworkers' guiding principles, ensuring all members, regardless of race or background, are treated equitably. Mapp's involvement with the A. Philip Randolph Institute further underscores his dedication to social and economic justice, reflecting the union's historical commitment to these values.

Beyond his work maintaining the USW’s diversity efforts, Mapp also oversees Local 8888 at the Newport News shipyard, the largest Local in the U.S. This Local, with 10,000 members, is vital for producing nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy. Mapp's role involves ensuring effective representation and support for these members, highlighting the importance of strong union leadership in maintaining labor rights and benefits.

Listen to the full episode to gain deeper insights into Kevin Mapp's work and thoughts on the future of the USW.

America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.

America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.

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