Canada
March 1, 2026
USW swears in Roxanne Brown as new international president
Written by Michael Cowden
The United Steelworkers union swore in Roxanne Brown as its new international president on Sunday.
The USW elected Brown last fall. She succeeds David McCall, who had served as the USW’s international president since September 2023.
Brown’s responsibilities will include negotiating new labor contracts with U.S. Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs. The USW’s contracts with the steelmakers expire on Sept. 1. Those four-year pacts, negotiated in 2022, included significant wage and benefit gains.
Workers at a “crossroads”
More than 1,000 steelworkers and guests attended Brown’s swearing in at the Sheraton Hotel in Pittsburgh’s Station Square, the USW said.
“Working people are at a crossroads in this country,” Brown told the crowd. “Too many families keep working harder but are forced to settle for less because of the greed and indifference of Wall Street, corporate America, and the politicians who do their bidding.”
Brown is the first woman and first person of color to lead the USW. She was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in White Plains, NY, the union said.
McCall offered his full support of Brown. “I couldn’t be more proud or more excited to see Roxanne Brown take the helm of this great union,” he said. “She brings integrity, skill, knowledge, toughness and empathy to the job. She will represent the members of this union well.”
The USW also swore in Amber Miller as international vice president alongside Brown. Miller has led USW grassroots education and legislative programs since 2019, the union said.
The McCall era
McCall, who did not seek re-election, had served as the USW’s international president since former international president Tom Conway died in September 2023 at 71. Conway had led the union since 2019. For the prior 18 years, Leo Gerard, who died last fall, headed the USW. Gerard was the longest-tenured president in the union’s history.
McCall navigated the USW through a turbulent period that included the battle between Nippon Steel and Cleveland-Cliffs over ownership of U.S. Steel.
The matter became a hot-button issue in the 2024 presidential election. USW leadership vocally backed Cliffs and hammered U.S. Steel, U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt, and Nippon Steel.
Nippon Steel ultimately prevailed in June 2025 with a nearly $15 billion offer initially made December 2023. The bad blood between the parties sparked lawsuits that were ultimately dropped in September of last year.
McCall has been a member of the USW since he was 18, the union said.
