The AO Smith corporation of Milwaukee began producing bicycle and auto parts at the turn of the 20th century. D.A.L.U. 19806 - the Smith Steelworkers - first organized in 1937. Their efforts ensured that for generations, a job at AO Smith meant a ticket to the middle class.

But times are changing. International trade agreements - and NAFTA in particular - are decimating unionized manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin and across the US. The Smith Steelworkers, once 6500 strong, have been reduced to about 700 active workers. And Tower Automotive, AO Smith's successor, is looking to move even more work out of Milwaukee.

On January 22, a national holiday remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Smith Steelworkers rallied at the gates of Tower Automotive and demanded jobs and justice.

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