What We Make
USW workplaces are found in nearly every sector of the North American economy, from metals, manufacturing, paper and forestry products, chemical industry, health care, pharmaceuticals to public services, mining and energy and utilities. These include:
Aluminum
Metal mining; primary production of aluminum; secondary smelting and refining; rolling, drawing and extruding; aluminum sheet, plate and foil; die castings.
Business services
Detective and armored car services; building maintenance; equipment rental and leasing; computer services; printing.
Chemical, petroleum and paper products
Industrial gases and inorganic chemicals; pharmaceutical preparations; paints; industrial organic chemicals and fertilizers; explosives; soap; petrochemicals; petroleum refining; asphalt refining; asphalt paving mixtures, felts and coatings; lubricating oils and greases; oil pipelines.
Construction
Highway and street construction; water, sewer and utility lines; bridges and tunnels; industrial buildings and warehouses; residential construction; single family housing; plumbing, heating and air conditioning; electrical work; plastering, drywall and insulation; concrete work; structural steel erection; wrecking and demolition; mobile homes.
Containers
Metal shipping barrels, drums and kegs; metal cans; paper and allied products; fiber cans, tubes and drums; fabricated metal products.
Copper and other nonferrous metals
Copper; bauxite; nickel; uranium; lead; zinc; gold and silver mining; smelting and refining; copper extruding; platinum group metals.
Education and social services
Elementary and secondary schools; colleges and universities; family services; job training; residential care; childcare workers; librarians.
Food processing
Corn milling; bean milling; soyabean processing; grain.
Foundries and forgings
Malleable iron, gray iron and steel foundries; aluminum castings; iron and steel forgings; brass, bronze and copper castings.
Glass, stone and clay products
Flat glass; pressed and blown glass; brick and structural clay tile; clay and other refractories; vitreous plumbing fixtures; concrete;kaolin; cement; lime; and gypsum.
Hardware
Electrical equipment; cutlery; hand tools; saw blades and handsaws; measuring instruments and medical equipment; valves and pipe fittings.
Health care
Hospitals; nursing homes and other skilled care facilities; doctors’ and dentists’ offices; outpatient clinics; home health services; drug, alcohol and physical rehabilitation centers; mental health centers; mail order pharmacies.
Industrial machinery
Construction; farm; mining; metalworking and textile machinery; machine tools, valves, fittings, pumps, compressors, engines and blowers; steam engines and hydraulic turbines; internal combustion engines; power transmission equipment; industrial trucks and tractors; restaurant equipment.
Lumber, wood products and furniture
Sawmills, millwork, hardwood veneer and plywood, pallets and skids, household furniture, mattresses and bedsprings, office furniture, partitions and fixtures.
Metal fabrication
Sheet and structural steel; bolts, nuts, rivets and washers; metal doors, sash and trim; fabricated plate work; prefabricated metal buildings; plating, polishing and coating.
Nuclear
Nuclear reseachers; nuclear remediations; nuclear waste handlers; nuclear materials; nuclear fuel; uranium mill.
Paper Products
Pulp and paper mills; paper converting operations (boxes, tissues, towels, napkins, etc.).
Public service
Law enforcement, courts and fire protection; air, water and solid waste management; housing, public health and social programs; children’s services; urban and community development; city and county workers.
Retail, wholesale and financial services
Grocery stores, department stores, restaurants, dairies, bakeries, banks and credit unions; pension, health and welfare funds; hospital and medical service plans; fire, marine and casualty insurance; food caterers; garment workers; crematory and cemetary workers; and brewery.
Rubber and Plastics
Vehicle tires and inner tubes; hose and belting; gaskets, packing and sealing devices; plastics and synthetic resins, rubber and plastic commercial and consumer products.
Basic Steel
Iron ore mining, blast furnaces, steel works and rolling mills, steel pipe and tubes, office and technical personnel.
Transportation equipment
Ship building and repair; railroad and light rail vehicles and equipment; aircraft parts; truck and bus bodies; truck trailers; travel trailers and campers; aircraft repair; motorcycles; automotive and truck parts, motorcoaches.
Travel and hospitality
Travel agencies, hotels, motels, resorts and restaurants.
Transportation services
Trucking and warehousing; railroads and trucking; local transit and taxicabs; school buses; water transportation, freight and ferries; flight attendants.
Utilities
Natural gas, water and electric utilities.
Other
Household and commercial appliances, salt mining, swimming pools.
