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Former Union Chief Santo Santoro Recalled As a ‘Fighter’

The name of Santo Santoro is forever linked to the letters “USW.”

Santoro, 69, of Follansbee, spent a lifetime representing the United Steelworkers union as an officer and as president of USW Local 1190, and as a district representative. He died Saturday after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

The building that was the headquarters of the former Local 1190 on South Third Street, Steubenville, is mostly dark and empty nowadays, but a few officials of the old local were gathered in the office Monday, sharing stories about Santoro.

“I lost a good buddy, I can tell you that,” said Frank Potenzini, sharing stories of tough times and fun about Santoro. “He took care of a lot of people and this was one of the strongest locals in Ohio. We were spoiled and we didn’t even know it.”

Carmen DeStefano, a longtime officer with the former United Steelworkers local, said, “If we had a flag, it would be at half staff today.”

The words “street fighter” came up a few times in talking about Santoro.

John Saunders is a staff representative in USW District 1 and worked with Santoro, who remained a district representative to the end. Saunders recalled working with Santoro since 1985, when the USW took the then-unprecedented step of striking against a bankrupt steelmaker, Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. in the Ohio and Monongahela valleys. He recalled Santoro providing help from Local 1190 to the union at Martins Ferry when an attempt was made to ship roofing product during the strike.

“People never realized, but Santo was the best street fighter I’ve ever been around. There was nobody like Santo. We spent a lot of good cop-bad cop time in negotiations over the years. He could be rough around the edges, but he fought for the right reasons,” Saunders said.

He and Santoro went on as union officials in tough years for the U.S. steel industry, facing challenges from imports and what the union often fought as a weak response to trade issues from the government.

“He was a strong family man. He had a lot of political clout, more than people ever realized. And he was a character,” Saunders said. Santoro understood workers and politicians.

Santoro became president of Local 1190 in 1979, said DeStefano.

“He kept everything together here. He had the members’ livelihood in his hands,” DeStefano said. He recalled Santoro’s political clout included the ability to call on members of Congress.

“He did all he could to keep us working,” DeStefano said.

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