* In 1996, Leo Gerard recruited future Obama “manufacturing czar” Ron Bloom away from Wall Street, to USW.
* Viewing unionization as a global venture, Gerard, in his role as USW president, has signed strategical alliances pledging mutual support with unions in Australia, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.
* In May 2007 the Chicago DSA honored Gerard with its annual Debs – Thomas – Harrington award for his “lifetime of service to [his] union and its members”; his “leadership in building working class solidarity across borders”; his “advocacy of fair trade over free trade”; and his “commitment to finding a better way to run the economy for working people everywhere.” The award was named after the famed American socialists Eugene Debs, Norman Thomas, and Michael Harrington.