Union Members Empower Peers to Organize

Workers who have benefited from union contracts pay it forward to help others form unions

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Anna Bueker, a United Steelworkers (USW) member at BFGoodrich in Indiana, used her personal experience of how her union contract helped her through difficult times as a single mother to motivate and support workers at a nearby Canpack plant in their successful union drive. Bueker and other USW activists across the country are stepping up to empower more workers to join unions and gain the benefits of collective bargaining.

Why it matters

As union membership has declined in recent decades, many workers have struggled to achieve decent wages, benefits, and working conditions. However, a growing number of union members, grateful for the life-changing impact their contracts have had, are now using their own stories and solidarity to inspire and assist other workers in organizing unions at their workplaces.

The details

After navigating divorce and single parenthood with the support of her USW contract, Anna Bueker volunteered to help workers at the nearby Canpack plant in their union drive. Bueker and other USW activists across the country, including members at Bobcat, Graphic Packaging, and Newport News shipyard, have been drawing on their personal experiences and union connections to guide and empower their peers to form unions and win better working conditions.

  • Bueker began working at the BFGoodrich plant in her early 20s.
  • Bueker volunteered to help workers at the Canpack plant in Muncie, Indiana in their union drive in 2025.

The players

Anna Bueker

A materials handler and tire builder at BFGoodrich in Fort Wayne, Indiana and a steward with USW Local 715L. Bueker used her personal experience of how her union contract helped her through difficult times as a single mother to motivate and support workers at the nearby Canpack plant in their successful union drive.

USW Local 715L

The United Steelworkers local union that represents workers at the BFGoodrich plant where Bueker is employed.

Canpack

An aluminum beverage can manufacturing plant in Muncie, Indiana where workers successfully organized a union with the support of USW activists like Bueker.

Rick Hines

A worker at the Canpack plant in Muncie, Indiana who was involved in the successful union drive, inspired by the support and guidance of USW representatives.

United Steelworkers (USW)

A labor union representing workers in the steel, manufacturing, energy, and other industries, whose members have been actively supporting union drives at other workplaces.

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What they’re saying

“Being part of a union and having a good union job put me on a path that I don't think a lot of single women have available to them.”

— Anna Bueker, Materials Handler and Tire Builder, BFGoodrich (CounterPunch)

“I could help other workers? Man, that sounds awesome.”

— Anna Bueker, Materials Handler and Tire Builder, BFGoodrich (CounterPunch)

“Everyone wants fairness across the board.”

— Rick Hines, Canpack Worker (CounterPunch)

“This is the family I want to be around.”

— Rick Hines, Canpack Worker (CounterPunch)

What’s next

Bueker plans to continue supporting other workers in their efforts to organize unions, drawing on her personal experiences and connections within the USW.

The takeaway

Union members who have benefited from the life-changing impact of their collective bargaining agreements are increasingly stepping up to empower their peers at other workplaces to organize unions and gain the same advantages, demonstrating the power of worker solidarity and the ripple effects of unionization.