Josh Hall, who was president of United Steelworkers Local 7150, started March 8 as the new workforce labor liaison at the Oregon AFL-CIO. Paid for by a federal grant, the liaison leads “rapid response” meetings to help dislocated union workers get unemployment and other benefits, and helps recruit union representatives to serve on the workforce boards that guide how federal training funds are spent.
Hall himself experienced layoff several times over his 27 years at ATI’s Albany, Oregon, titanium plant, also known as Oremet. A union safety coordinator at the plant, he was one of the last workers remaining after the plant’s closure in December.
Hall replaces Jon Irvine, who left to take a job as an organizer for Machinists District Lodge W24.
