Former Steel Workers Local President Dies

Peter M. De Pietro, a former president of the Steel Workers local union and a well-known community activist who was involved with many causes, died on Wednesday. He was 69 years old.

A Freemansburg resident for his whole life, De Pietro was a graduate of Liberty High School and a U.S. Navy veteran, according to this obituary on the Connell Funeral Home website.

After military service, De Pietro got a job with Bethlehem Steel and became active with the United Steel Workers union, ultimately becoming president of Local 2600. He fought for better safety conditions for workers and served on the grievance committee.

In the 1990s, De Pietro was president of the Lehigh Valley Labor Council and became one of the driving forces behind the Lehigh Valley Workers’ Memorial, which is located in the Bethlehem Rose Garden and remembers local workers who died because of work-related injuries.

When he died, he was president of the Lehigh Valley chapter of the Pennsylvania Federation of Injured Workers and the State of Pennsylvania Federation of Injured Workers’ Division.

He was a founding member of the Bethlehem Steel Workers’ Archives, which can be seen at www.steelworkersarchives.com.

De Pietro also devoted his time to causes unrelated to labor, serving as a member of Freemansburg Borough Council and regularly volunteering at the Bethlehem Live Christmas Pageant, Musikfest, Celtic Classic and Chriskindlmarkt.

An obituary in The Morning Call also noted that he organized trolley tours of Bethlehem Steel and, on hot summer days, would take water to stray dogs.

He is survived by his wife, Stephanie; daughters Christina Hirschman, Danielle DePietro; son, Derek DePietro; brothers, Tony, Philip and James; three grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Viewing hours will be from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8:30 p.m. Saturday at Connell Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at 8:30 p.m. Burial will be private.

Contributions can be sent to the Bethlehem Steel Workers Archives, Inc., 77 Sands Blvd. Room 215, Bethlehem, PA 18015, contributions@steelworkersarchives.com or Live Bethlehem Christmas Pageant, 3271 Garrett Circle, Bethlehem, PA 18017.