Union Sportsmen's Alliance Accepts First Members
Union Hunters and Anglers
WASHINGTON - After months of anticipation, the AFL-CIO-endorsed Union Sportsmen's Alliance (USA), a hunting and fishing club delivering entertaining, informative and money-saving benefits exclusively to union members and their families, formally opened its doors in early July.
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and its 21 AFL-CIO affiliated trade union partners collaborated to provide more than 3.2 million union workers across the United States and Canada who hunt, fish and recreate in the outdoors with their own dues-based, union dedicated sportsman's club. USA is a program of the TRCP, and apart from providing union sportsmen with their own club, it allows the TRCP to reach millions of union members who can lend their voices to TRCP's efforts to guarantee everyone quality places to hunt and fish.
Inspired by the conservation legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing. "Millions of union members love to hunt and fish, and they are some of the most active conservationists found anywhere in the country," said TRCP President and CEO George Cooper.
"But most of them are not affiliated with hunting, fishing or conservation organizations. USA gives them a unique affiliation opportunity and will bring them into our fight to insure policymakers are better addressing the priorities of our nation's sportsmen-conservationists," Cooper added.
"An independent opinion survey revealed that a majority of our members hold a deep-rooted passion for the outdoors. Hunting and fishing is often a part of their very lifestyle," said USW International President Leo Gerard. "We're thrilled to offer these dedicated men a women their very own club to enhance their time spent off the job."
Whether it's fins, feathers or fur that get their heart pumping, the USA will help union members plan trips, learn tips, swap stories and save a bundle on hunting and fishing gear for an annual membership fee of $25 or a charter membership fee of $40. Plus, their USA membership will support the TRCP's efforts to protect and maintain access to quality places to hunt and fish in America. According to Richard Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, "When union workers get on a job, they get it done right, so bringing them together in this new way promises to dramatically advance the effort to better conserve our natural resources while extending union member benefits to the woods and water."
The newly launched USA website,
UnionSportsmen.org, will create a sense
of community among USA members residing across the United States and Canada. Designed to be highly
dynamic, it will continually change with each visitor's interaction as they post photos, share
stories and tips, trade hunts, buy and sell gear and connect with their union brothers and sisters
who hold the same passion for hunting, fishing and the great outdoors. It will also give members
the opportunity to join TRCP's efforts to raise the voices of America's sportsmen in support of
better policies for natural resource conservation and the hunting and fishing way of life we
cherish so deeply in this country.
