Best Steelworkers’ Stories Podcasts (2025)

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Born To Be A Paramedic - With Arnie Keeton 40:42

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1d ago40:42

40:42

This guy is one of kind in all the best ways. Meet Arnie Keeton—US Steel member of Local 1013, mentor, paramedic, and living proof that it’s never too late to chase your passion. When you listen to his story you realize Arnie’s life has come full circle in the most inspiring way. But he didn’t do it alone. In this episode, Arnie opens up about the …

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Episode for September 26, 2025: How dirty is the Mon? 29:31

4d ago29:31

29:31

We’re in the midst of our Fall Member Drive. We’re asking our listeners to become members with a donation of any size. Your membership will help us keep the lights on and the environmental news flowing. We’re independent and non-profit, and we don’t get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for sup…

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Talking Archives with AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride 31:11

5d ago31:11

31:11

In celebration of the Reuther Library’s 50th anniversary, AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride reflects on the role the union’s history and archives play in current and future labor actions and organizing campaigns. Related Resources: AFSCME History Related Collections: AFSCME collections at the Reuther Library Episode Credits Interviewee: Eli…

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Built to Last: K.J. Jones on Steel’s Muscle in Modern Performance Cars 30:37

6d ago30:37

30:37

In this episode of Steel Stories, Hot Rod Magazine’s Senior Editor K.J. Jones joins guest host Rebecca Lindland for a high-octane conversation about the evolution of steel in performance cars. From classic ’60s muscle to today’s EVs and Hellcats, K.J. shares decades of insight into why steel remains the heart of automotive culture. Hear how lightwe…

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Episode for September 19, 2025: The Mighty Mon(ongahela River) 29:25

11d ago29:25

29:25

We’re in the midst of our Fall Member Drive. We’re asking our listeners to become members with a donation of any size. Your membership will help us keep the lights on and the environmental news flowing. We’re independent and non-profit, and we don’t get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for sup…

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Episode for September 12, 2025: Food waste solutions 29:33

18d ago29:33

29:33

Sign up for our newsletter! Get our newsletter every Tuesday morning so you'll never miss an environmental story. Food waste is a big climate problem. In Pittsburgh, you can drop off your food waste for composting at city-run farmers’ markets. A startup is helping restaurants, schools and hospitals manage their food waste with a digester that fits …

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Coach of Champions: D.L. Holmes and the Making of Detroit’s Track Stars 53:04

19d ago53:04

53:04

Dr. Keith Wunderlich shares the life and legacy of D.L. Holmes, athletic director of what is now Wayne State University from 1917 though 1958. With a meager budget and outdated equipment, Coach Holmes nurtured a generation of track and field Olympians and world record holders in Detroit, regardless of race, ethnicity, or religious background. Wunde…

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Drawing the Future: Steel, AI and the Next Generation of Automotive Design (Part 2) 28:21

20d ago28:21

28:21

In Part 2 of our conversation with Paul Snyder, Chair of Transportation Design at the College for Creative Studies, we look ahead at the forces shaping the future of mobility. Snyder reflects on the influence of visionary designer Syd Mead, whose collaboration with U. S. Steel in the 1960s continues to inspire automotive designers today. The discus…

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September 5, 2025 Episode: Health improved after coke plant closure; glass recycling and a cool tourist attraction 29:20

25d ago29:20

29:20

Sign up for our newsletter! Get our newsletter every Tuesday morning so you'll never miss an environmental story. This week on The Allegheny Front, we talk to a researcher who found that health improved for residents after the closure of a coke plant that processed coal for the steel industry. He said, "There was like a healing going on in the comm…

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Episode 27: From Steelworker to Civil Rights Lawyer - Veteran Litigator Mark L. Thomsen's Unique Journey 1:10:43

29d ago1:10:43

1:10:43

Mark L. Thomsen's path to law is unlike any other story. In this episode of the Bottom Up podcast, host Emil Obviagele dives deep with Mark, a veteran Milwaukee-based litigator and partner at Gingras Thomsen & Wachs LLP. The episode explores Mark's unique upbringing in Nigeria, his return to America, and the cultural shocks he experienced. They dis…

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It Takes a Village and the Union is Mine with Jonathan Stroud 38:57

1M ago38:57

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Meet Jonathan Stroud of USW Local 884L - Russellville, Arkansas – a leader who sees possibility, growth, and potential in every person and every opportunity. As both the Local Union President and the ICD Coordinator, Jonathan is driven by a deep commitment to his Union family. His passion fuels his mission to make every program the best it can be. …

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Drawing the Future: Steel, AI and the Next Generation of Automotive Design (Part 1) 31:34

1M ago31:34

31:34

What will cars of the future look like and what role will steel play in shaping them? In this 2-part episode of Steel Stories, host David Kirkpatrick sits down with Paul Snyder, Chair of Transportation Design at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and a veteran designer with Ford and Honda. In this Part 1 episode, Paul shares how autonomy, …

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Episode for August 29, 2025: PA farmers, steelworkers and elk 29:22

1M ago29:22

29:22

Sign up for our newsletter! Farmers at an agricultural summit voiced concerns over how new tariffs might affect their customers who buy locally. With air monitors, an environmental group is publishing real-time pollution data for people who live near the ethane cracker and other industries in Beaver County. A Pittsburgh-based environmental group ha…

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Episode for August 22, 2025 29:50

1M ago29:50

29:50

Sign up for our newsletter! A computer scientist wanted to build a watch using a living organism. What ended up working was slime mold. An environmental history book about Pennsylvania aims to include multiple perspectives. A new study says schools across Pennsylvania aren't addressing environmental hazards in their buildings. The campgrounds at Ra…

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Para Power: How Paraprofessional Labor Changed Education 59:13

1M ago59:13

59:13

Dr. Nick Juravich discusses the experiences of the first-generation of paraprofessional educators in New York City in the 1960s-1980s and their impact on the city’s educational system, community relations, and public sector unions. Juravich is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Boston and author of Para Power: How …

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Episode for August 15, 2025: Deadly explosion at U.S. Steel coke plant 29:42

2M ago29:42

29:42

Sign up for our newsletter! An explosion at a U.S. Steel coke plant outside of Pittsburgh killed two workers and sent 10 to the hospital. We'll hear a worker's first-hand account of the incident and what nearby residents in the Mon River valley are saying. The plant has a history of maintenance problems, explosions, and environmental violations. Cl…

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Episode for August 8, 2025: Air pollution relief on hold 29:30

2M ago29:30

29:30

Sign up for our newsletter! The Trump administration has paused new rules that would have reduced air pollution from steel mills drifting into surrounding communities. What advocates and residents who live near U.S. Steel plants are saying. Wildfire smoke from Canada is contributing to home-grown air pollution, and what we can do about it. A Pittsb…

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Steelers, Steel Mills, and the Steel Curtain: Gerry Dulac at Camp 18:31

2M ago18:31

18:31

Steel Stories podcast guest host U. S. Steel's Ben Trotter chats with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports writing legend and Steelers Radio Network's Gerry Dulac for a deep dive into Steelers lore, Steel Curtain glory, and family ties to U. S. Steel's Mon Valley mills. From the heyday of McKeesport to Aaron Rodgers’ open-door dorm room policy, Gerry sha…

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Episode for August 1, 2025: Throwing out the Endangerment Finding 29:28

2M ago29:28

29:28

Sign up for our newsletter! Electricity prices are rising, and many are pointing the finger at the new energy demand created by data centers. An energy expert on where this is all heading. The Trump administration is moving to overturn the scientific finding that greenhouse gases are bad for public health. A Washington County gas company is facing …

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Forged in the Plant: A Story of Leadership and Learning with Kyle Lamppa 38:42

2M ago38:42

38:42

We’re joined by Kyle Lamppa from Cleveland Cliffs, USW Local 6115. Kyle’s story is one of growth, grit, and purpose. He entered the plant with no prior experience, no union background, and no real expectations—but what he found was a calling. As he moved through different roles, a passion for union work, problem-solving, and supporting his coworker…

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Pages, Pucks, and Purpose: The Story Behind Reading Champions 30:05

2M ago30:05

30:05

In this episode of Steel Stories, we shine a spotlight on Reading Champions, a powerful partnership between U. S. Steel, the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, and local school districts that is built around a simple idea: that reading just 20 minutes a day (the length of a hockey period) can change a child’s future. Reading Champions motivates third …

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Oil Can Eddie and the Battle for the Steelworkers’ Union 35:22

2M ago35:22

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Roger Biles and Mark Rose discuss the legacy of Eddie Sadlowski, a charismatic and progressive Chicago steelworker who, unhappy with the United Steelworker of America’s closed-rank authoritarian leadership and tepid support for rank-and-file members, led a highly visible yet unsuccessful dissident campaign in the contentious election for the USWA’s…

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Episode for July 25, 2025: What happens to solar now? 29:30

2M ago29:30

29:30

Sign up for our newsletter! Solar installations on homes have been booming because of tax breaks from the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, those incentives are going away. Pennsylvania could also lose $156 million meant to help low-income people reduce their energy bills through solar power. But seventy acres of a former steel slag heap is almost clea…

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Episode for July 18, 2025: Energy for data centers 29:21

3M ago29:21

29:21

Sign up for our newsletter! President Trump was in Pittsburgh whipping up support for building data centers and the gas infrastructure to power them. But many worry that electricity ratepayers will get stuck with higher bills as demand for energy grows. A new online tool helps people who live near industrial facilities learn more about the chemical…

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Episode for July 11, 2025: AI's carbon footprint 29:21

3M ago29:21

29:21

Sign up for our newsletter! Business and industry leaders are talking a lot about the possibilities of AI, but the technology also comes with environmental costs. A longtime critic of the natural gas industry is leaving his post at an environmental nonprofit and recommends changing laws or making new ones. A book that asks what we can learn from go…

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Episode for July 4, 2025: Swimmer's itch & fracking report anniversary 29:32

3M ago29:32

29:32

Sign up for our newsletter! Swimmer's itch is a rash you can get from swimming in lakes, so researchers working in the Great Lakes have tried to eradicate it by treating ducks that carry the parasite that causes it. Nothing has worked, and people have started thinking about the problem of swimmer's itch differently. It has been five years since a P…

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Seeking “Self-Determination” in Detroit: Housing, Race, and the Activism of the West Central Organization, 1964-1971 46:43

3M ago46:43

46:43

Dr. Anna E. Lindner discusses the rise and subsequent downfall of the West Central Organization in Detroit, a coalition of civil rights organizations, community groups, and church congregations that sought to bring attention to housing inequality and other social issues in the 1960s. Although founded with good intent, the group’s aggressive lobbyin…

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Tubular Technology, Trends and Torque 26:42

3M ago26:42

26:42

This summer episode of Steel Stories brings you a series of fast-paced, thought-provoking conversations recorded live at the 2025 U. S. Steel Tubular Seminar in Fairfield, Alabama. From industry veterans to emerging leaders, we hear how technology, partnerships, and precision manufacturing are shaping the future of the tubular steel industry. Guest…

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Episode 26: Building a Family Law Practice - Insights from Max T. Stephenson 47:47

3M ago47:47

47:47

Are you a family law attorney or want to learn more about family law as a practice area? In this episode of the Bottom Up Podcast, produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, attorney Max T. Stephenson describes his experiences as a family law attorney with Gimbel Reilly Guerin & Brown LLP for more than a decade. Starting as a new lawyer with no family…

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Episode for June 27, 2025: More energy, faster 29:22

3M ago29:22

29:22

Sign up for our newsletter! Pennsylvania leaders say the state needs more energy, so there’s a plan to create a board to streamline the siting of new power projects. Environmental groups and others are split on the idea. Environmental groups in Western Pennsylvania want to meet with officials from Nippon Steel to discuss how it plans to clean up it…

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Resilience in Action – The Journey Through Education and Impact with Theresa Hemphill 42:36

3M ago42:36

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In this episode, we sit down with Theresa Hemphill from Cleveland-Cliffs – USW Local 1010, whose story is a powerful testament to perseverance and purpose. Through the support of the ICD program, Theresa earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees—an accomplishment that reflects her unwavering determination and strength. Theresa opens up about …

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Episode for June 20, 2025: Future of EVs and a plan for the Ohio River 28:58

3M ago28:58

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Sign up for our newsletter! The Ohio River Basin provides millions of people with water, but it's one of the most polluted river systems in America. A plan to clean up the Ohio River goes public. Are President Trump and congressional Republicans going to tank America's EV industry before it can get off the ground? An effort to make buildings in Pit…

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Episode for June 13, 2025: Coal mine expansion, cuts to mine safety, cicadas 29:01

4M ago29:01

29:01

Sign up for our newsletter! This week, the approval of a coal mine expansion in Western Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands has residents worried. Also, more than 100 mine researchers and engineers at a federal office in Allegheny County are slated for termination. We talk with Pittsburgh journalists who were asked by Australians to report about Alcoa’…

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Episode for June 5, 2025: Circumnavigating the Great Lakes 29:01

4M ago29:01

29:01

Sign up for our newsletter so you never miss a story! After Traci Lynn Martin’s mom died, she knew she couldn’t keep putting off her dream: becoming the first person to kayak around the Great Lakes in one year. So she quit her job as a nurse, cashed out part of her retirement savings, and set out to accomplish her goal. We have the story of her jou…

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Episode for May 30, 2025: River otters and mental health in ag 29:40

4M ago29:40

29:40

Sign up for our newsletter! River otters have made a comeback in Pennsylvania. Veterans are building a sunflower garden for a community, but also helping each other adjust to non-military life in the process. A former dairy farmer turned musician uses his story to get others in agriculture to talk about their feelings and find healing. Plus, Pittsb…

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Schools and the Rise of Mass Incarceration in a Post-Brown World 50:55

4M ago50:55

50:55

Dr. Matt Kautz explores how evolving school disciplinary practices, changes in crime reporting, and political pressure in the decades following school desegregation led to the rise of student suspensions, expulsions, dropouts, and the school-to-prison pipeline in Detroit and other cities. Kautz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Leaders…

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Steel Strength, Safer Roads: Innovations Driving Modern Mobility 29:55

4M ago29:55

29:55

In this episode of Steel Stories by U. S. Steel, automotive industry expert Rebecca Lindland joins host David Kirkpatrick for a high-energy conversation about the future of mobility. From the rise of electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies to the evolving expectations of car buyers, Lindland shares expert insights on how innovation is…

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Episode for May 23, 2025: Hitting the trail 29:43

4M ago29:43

29:43

Sign up for our newsletter! A new outdoor recreation area in a Pittsburgh park is meant to include people of all abilities. When hikers make it to the halfway point on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, there’s a tradition of eating a half gallon of ice cream. An environmental reporter shifts his perspective by leaning into the landscape. A net…

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Using Education to Make the Best Union with Zack Mainhart 37:50

4M ago37:50

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Zack Mainhart is a man with boundless energy, a passion for education, and a deep love for his union. He first began using his ICD benefit driven by a desire to truly understand how his union operates—and he hasn’t looked back since. With an unwavering commitment to learning and leadership, Zack is using his ICD benefit not just for personal growth…

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Episode for May 16, 2025: Reforesting mineland and environmental legislation 29:49

5M ago29:49

29:49

Sign up for our newsletter! A nonprofit hopes to help landowners reclaim mineland in Appalachia by planting trees and selling carbon credits. Their first partner is the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. A bill in the Pennsylvania legislature would withhold funding from communities that try to restrict shale gas drilling because of pollution and dis…

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Episode for May 9, 2025: The rollercoaster of federal environmental grants 30:27

5M ago30:27

30:27

Sign up for our newsletter! Last year, workforce development organizations in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were awarded a $15 million EPA grant to train people in landscaping and tree pruning, and to expand their services. But the federal government just terminated the grant. A new map shows there have been important federal investments in clean ene…

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Episode for May 2, 2025: Endangered species, black bears and solar at the airport 29:54

5M ago29:54

29:54

Sign up for our newsletter! The future of the Endangered Species Act is in question. A bill to amend it was recently introduced in Congress, and environmentalists are taking issue with it. Attacks by black bears are exceedingly rare, but they do happen. How proximity to humans and our pets could be pushing some species, like black bears, to act err…

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ICD Throughout the Years With Debbie Bohling 32:31

5M ago32:31

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Debbie Bohling: The OG of ICD Debbie Bohling became a coordinator 28 years ago at Gary Works in Gary, Indiana — and she’s seen it all. Join us as she shares her journey with ICD, including how she managed four locals at once, stayed ahead of educational trends, and her take on the most important aspects of this incredible benefit.…

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Episode for April 25, 2025: Cement's impact on climate, sustainable fashion and student gardeners 30:14

5M ago30:14

30:14

Sign up for our newsletter! Cement is the glue that keeps concrete together, and it has a big carbon footprint. That's a problem for a warming planet. A Johnstown-based mining company has gotten the go-ahead to expand an underground coal mine in Westmoreland County. The site of a demolished coal-fired power plant is being redeveloped to build a mas…

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Episode for April 18, 2025: Executive orders and environmental rollbacks 29:31

6M ago29:31

29:31

Sign up for our newsletter! President Trump gives coal power plants an extension on complying with new mercury pollution standards. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is looking to roll back many other climate and environmental regulations faster than the normal process of appealing these rules allows. Invasive plant species like thorny multiflora…

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The Worthy Wages Movement for Childcare Workers 53:02

6M ago53:02

53:02

Dr. Justine Modica discusses the Worthy Wages movement centered in Seattle from the 1980s through the 2000s. Affiliated with SEIU, daycare directors and childcare workers in childcare centers and home-based daycares joined together to raise public awareness of the underfunding of daycare and lobby for increased state childcare subsidies, hoping to …

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Keeping Things New and Fresh with Tammie Klym and Tony Urankar 39:58

6M ago39:58

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Tammie Klym and Tony Urankar are a dynamic duo, to say the least. As a coordinator and LJC member, they’ve been working together for several years to develop an ICD program tailored to the unique needs of their center. Their collaboration highlights the importance of cooperation, open communication, and establishing clear standards that are consist…

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Episode for April 11, 2025: From coal power plant to data center 29:40

6M ago29:40

29:40

Sign up for our newsletter! The site of a recently retired coal plant in Indiana County is getting a new life as a data center. Plans have been scrapped for a controversial plastic recycling plant in Erie. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to boost coal production, but it may not do much to reverse the industry’s fortunes. A new book…

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Episode for April 4, 2025: Pipelines, data centers and rooftop solar 29:50

6M ago29:50

29:50

Sign up for our newsletter! Solar advocates fear a rider attached to a low-income solar bill in the PA House will upend roof-top solar. The former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, responds to the Trump administration's plans to mine public lands for more energy resources. The owners of a recently demolished coal-fired power plant in Hom…

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The Future of Steel: From Carbon to Clean Energy (Part 1) 29:12

6M ago29:12

29:12

Steel is the backbone of modern civilization, but it comes at a cost—accounting for nearly 9% of global CO2 emissions. In Part 1, host David Kirkpatrick sits down with Jeff Becker, sustainability engineer at U. S. Steel, to break down how steel is made, why traditional steelmaking is such a major contributor to emissions, and the current innovation…