Steel Appeal

    While photographing a political rally in Pennsylvania, I noticed a girl with a steel worker union shirt. Behind her stood a woman. This event happened inside a union hall.
    When that woman was growing up, jobs were plentiful in the steel industry. Maybe her father worked in a mill. Chances are, union wages still support the family of this woman and girl. They are fortunate.
    Not all steel workers—or former steel workers—are fortunate. I’ve driven through several communities in Pennsylvania where steel jobs have declined. Many of those places appear rundown. They’ve had trouble bouncing back.
    Other former steel communities, like Pittsburgh, have fared better. They diversified their economies.
    It’s all about adapting to change. Some places—and people—handle  change better than others.
    Robert Kennedy once said, “Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator. And change has its enemies.”