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Leslie is rejoined on air by Roxanne Brown, the USW’s new International Vice President at Large. For 20 years, she has served USW members from the union’s Legislative Office in Washington, D.C., most recently as Legislative Director.  Brown continues to oversee the union’s public policy and legislative agenda as well as its political work.

The two discuss trade infrastructure for global competitiveness.  Here are some of the important questions that Roxanne answers during the interview:

- How has disinvestment in domestic shipbuilding, port development, and highway maintenance undercut the ability of the U.S. to compete globally?
- Is there anything that our government can do to help improve our country's trade infrastructure? -  How does not being able to build our own ships affect America's safety?
- What is the current status of our country's highways and bridges?
- What should our country prioritize when planning investments for our highways and bridges?
- Three U.S. House Committees studying this issue have put forth a robust infrastructure plan called, "The Moving Forward Framework."  What would that entail?

Throughout her career, Roxanne Brown has worked with members and allies to advance policies on Capitol Hill and with regulatory agencies to help workers. She has extensive experience in defense procurement policy, environmental regulation, energy, cement, specialty metals and biomass carbon neutrality.

She helped advance legislation to strengthen U.S. defense procurement laws, ensuring that the vehicles, planes and ships used by our military – and built by USW members in Newport News, Va. (Local 8888) and York, Pa. (Local 7687) – are made with USW-produced materials.

Brown also played a key role in shaping environmental policies with the potential to affect USW jobs, including the Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technologies (Boiler MACT) rule intended to reduce hazardous air pollutants from boilers. Brown worked with USW members and the EPA to achieve environmental, worker and community safety goals while avoiding a broad negative impact to USW members.

You can follow Roxanne on Twitter, where her handle is @BrownRox.  Follow the USW using the handle @steelworkers, and visit their website at USW.org.