Study Group with Ambassador Katherine Tai: A Trade Policy That Works for Workers

For decades, even as they fought U.S. trade policies, American worker organizations have insisted that they are not against trade but are for trade that does right by America's workers.

Hear what "worker centered trade" means to Roxanne Brown, the United Steelworkers' (USW) current International Vice President At Large overseeing the union's public policy and legislative agenda as well as its political work. As of March 1, 2026, she will also be the USW's 10th International President leading the union's 850,000 members.

GUEST: Roxanne D. Brown, International Vice President At Large at United Steelworkers (USW), incoming USW International President

About Roxanne D. Brown

Roxanne Brown is the USW’s International Vice President at Large. Brown oversees the union’s public policy and legislative agenda as well as its political work. She has spent more than two decades working with members and allies to advance policies on Capitol Hill and with regulatory agencies on behalf of USW members. She has extensive experience in manufacturing, environmental and energy policy.

Brown has testified at hearings on behalf of USW members at the International Trade Commission (ITC), on Capitol Hill, before state legislatures, and has represented the USW with global policymakers, including at the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Brown serves as a vice president on the AFL-CIO executive council, was a founding steering committee member of the BlueGreen Alliance and is a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. She serves on the boards of the Center for Community Change, League of Conservation Voters and the National Endowment for Democracy. In 2023, Brown was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most innovative leaders driving climate action.

AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address. 

OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.