Steelworker Rick Yanak, Mercer, stood behind a table filled with potted petunias, colorful pansies, geraniums and marigolds.

Dark sunglasses shaded his eyes from the sun, but they couldn't hide his determination to see striking Wheatland Tube Co. workers get what they deserve.

"For what the company's offering, I would not walk back in that gate," he said.

Yanak, who has worked at Wheatland Tube for 15 years, listened intently as local and national union representatives spoke about the strike's impact on the Shenango Valley.

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