|
Dear Ohio Labor Leaders:
A doorstep is usually pretty plain, just a place for your welcome mat, or sometimes a ceramic goose wearing an apron. But sometimes it can be much, much more. This Thursday, you can make doorsteps across Ohio more than just doorsteps -- you can make them thresholds into a better future for working families. That's because on Thursday, you can join other union members around Ohio and the nation as we walk to educate friends, neighbors, and fellow union workers about John McCain and how damaging a McCain presidency would be to the already-struggling American middle class. Please check the list below to find a site near you where you can volunteer this Thursday evening! Also, please note that the walk location for Cincinnati has been corrected. The correct location is NALC Branch 43, at 4100 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45223. Please check the list below, as there have been several other corrections since yesterday.
 |
| Signing the Employee Free Choice Act petition at a Labor Day festival |
Over the Labor Day weekend, we honored the people that make the world, well, work. We also gathered signatures supporting the Employee Free Choice Act to honor them – this legislation would make the benefits of union membership much more broadly available, and America’s workers would risk much less in their pursuit of those benefits. We are proud to say that across the state, people are working to promote this crucial act – but we still must do more. If you haven’t signed the petition yet, please do so now at http://www.freechoiceact.org/page/s/aflcio!
Also this week, we are proud to recognize Don Opatka, a UWUA leader, as Labor Leader of the Week, and Nathan Grant, APWU, as release staff of the week!
Finally, check out our blog at http://labor2008.typepad.com/oh – this weekend we posted a very cool video of Sen. Sherrod Brown talking about the Employee Free Choice Act!
In solidarity,
Ben Waxman, National AFL-CIO Labor 2008 Ohio Director
Jeanette Mauk, Ohio AFL-CIO Field Director
- Program Report Card: Walks, Phonebanks, and Worksite Flyers
- Labor Leader of the Week: Don Opatka, UWUA
- Release Staff of the Week: Nathan Grant, APWU
- News from Around the Buckeye State: ALF Updates
- Union Jobs
- News Clips
1. Program Report Card
This Thursday -- September 4 Walks: Why Are YOU Walking?
Around the state, union activists are walking Thursday evening to talk to fellow members about John McCain and the issues our friends, our neighbors, and our movement are facing in this election, and what we stand to gain and to lose. As Joe Rugola, President of the Ohio AFL-CIO, said, “All over Ohio on Thursday labor activists are going door-to-door to telling our members about the real John McCain record. His policies favor the super rich and have lost tens of thousands of good Ohio jobs. No working person can afford to ignore McCain's career long allegiance to the same failed policies of the Bush Administration- policies which have led us to the edge of economic ruin.” A complete and updated list of walk locations is below. Check out what some of Ohio’s other labor leaders have said about the walks:
Harriet Applegate, President, North Coast CLC
“Members need to know the truth about what John McCain stands for, and the night of his nomination it’s really important for unions to be very vocal about how serious a threat John McCain is to everything we stand for. They also need to hear that we are a thousand percent behind Barack Obama.”
Randy Feemster, President, USW 1123
“The contracts that we sign are short-lived documents – maybe three, four, five years. But all those rights can be taken away by a legislative stroke of the pen. It’s important to have people in place that are going to protect workers’ rights and protect the middle class, whether they’re union or not.”
John Kilbane, President, LIUNA 310
“Obviously not only is support of all kinds is essential for victory in November, in all neighborhoods. But especially in neighborhoods where there is a high concentration of union voters, union visibility is very important. Vocal support is great, monetary support is great, but high labor movement visibility with members – putting a face to all these efforts – is equally important. People need to see that it’s people just like them doing the work, doing the advocacy, and doing the outreach.”
Dave McElfresh, President, IAFF 109
“I’m walking because I support the Labor Movement and what it stands for. Here in Licking County and my city in particular we keep losing jobs – I’m walking to support labor and the people that support workers, and right now Sen. Obama is supporting workers and McCain is not.”
Bill Sams, President, Southeast ALF
“I believe that it is essential that we get out and talk to our membership one on one to let them know that John McCain – although we honor his service – has voted against veterans’ issues, he campaigned actively against increasing the G.I. bill for our veterans. People need to know that his policies are catastrophic. It’s up to us to actively advise fellow members that it would be just a continuation of the George W. Bush presidency to have McCain in the Whitehouse.”
Ivan Stithem, President, Mid-Ohio CLC
“It’s important that we all get involved – we need that change. The labor movement should be out in the front of everything right now, we should be at the head of everything. It’s our future we’re talking about. How are we going to help ourselves if we don’t get out and make sure that we’re involved with it all? How are we going to help Ted Strickland attain his goals if we don’t give him someone above him that can help him out? He needs that partnership we always talk about.”
Walk Locations:
Come out to a walk near you on September 4. NOTE: Please check your location carefully, as we have made several corrections since yesterday. The first location is where volunteers will walk; the street address is where you will meet before going out on the walk.
Niles, USW Local 2155, 1265 N. Main St., Niles, Contact: Janet Bernard, 330-233-6367
Austintown, AFSCME Council 8, 150 S. Four Mile Run Rd., Austintown, Contact: Janet Bernard, 330-233-6367
Salem, USW 1538, 547 Prospect St., Salem, Contact: Janet Bernard, 330-233-6367
Lucas County, AFSCME Council 8, 420 S. Reynolds Rd., Toledo, Contact: Laura Harrison, 419-206-5070
Sandusky, LIUNA 480, 1205 W. Perkins Ave., Sandusky, Contact: Lynda Mobley, 419-217-7013
Lima, UAW, 1440 Bellefontaine, Lima, Contact: Bev Spetz, 419-309-5913
Montgomery County, Dayton/Miami Valley CLC, 4127 E 2nd Ave., Dayton, Contact: Kyle Johnson, 707-694-7104
Cuyahoga County, North Shore AFL-CIO, 3250 Euclid Ave. S250, Cleveland, Contact: Harriet Applegate, 216-881-7200
Parma, North Shore AFL-CIO, 3250 Euclid Ave. S250, Cleveland, Contact: Les Wiley, 216-502-0907
Hamilton County, NALC BRANCH 43, 4100 Colerain Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45223, Contact: Maggie Priebe, 330-416-1940
Avon, Lorain CLC, 2089 Ridge Rd. E, Lorain, Contact: Pete Pappas, 440-785-6189
Akron, LIUNA 894, 720 Wolf Ledges Pkwy, Akron, Contact: John Wagner, 330-472-0112
Canton, USW 1123, 1234 Harrison Ave., Canton, Contact: Nanette Folsom, 330-933-8651
Medina, LIUNA 894, 720 Wolf Ledges Pkwy, Akron, Contact: Nanette Folsom, 330-933-8651
New Philadelphia, USW 2737, 146 1st Dr. SE, New Philadelphia, Contact: Melissa Campbell, 330-407-1169
Steubenville, IBEW 246, 626 North 4th St., Steubenville, Contact: Bryon Bell, 330-979-0017
Franklin County, CWA 4320, 4140 E Broad St., Columbus, Contact: Glen Skeen, 614-270-0433
Franklin County, UA 189, 1250 Kinnear Rd., Columbus, Contact: Glen Skeen, 614-270-0433
Newark, Licking-Knox CLC, 2100 James Pkwy, Heath, Contact: Gary Sites, 740-973-7113
Athens, AFSCME Council 8, 36 S Plains Rd., The Plains
Contact: Kathleen Green, 740-797-9708
Cambridge, AFSCME Council 8, 36 S Plains Rd., The Plains
Contact: Kathleen Green, 740-797-9708
Zanesville, AFSCME Council 8, 36 S Plains Rd., The Plains, Contact: Kathleen Green, 740-797-9708
Coshocton, AFSCME Council 8, 36 S Plains Rd., The Plains, Contact: Kathleen Green, 740-797-9708
Marietta , IBEW 972, 50 Sand Hill Rd., Reno, Contact: Troy Ferrell, 740-350-4617
100,000 Conversations: The Amazing Portable Predictive Dialer
On August 26, USW and AFGE members shared a phone bank in Columbus, organized by Dana Dupler (USW) and Bob Mechan (AFGE). On Thursday, August 28, USW’s Dan Seybert held a phone bank in Niles, and CWA 4320 and 4310 will made calls out of the Ohio AFL-CIO headquarters, organized jointly by the two locals’ political committees.
On September 3-4, USW members are making calls at a phone bank in Cleveland organized by Sandy Kowalski. September 6, the dialer will be in Canton, organized by Nanette Folsom (OAPSE), and on September 13, it will be in Norwalk, organized by Lynda Mobley (OAPSE). Contact Sarah Smith (614-441-6162) or Jason Perlman (614-302-4542) to learn about scheduling the phone bank in your area!
Worksite Flyers:
In the past week, the following affiliates ordered 27,237 customized worksite flyers:
AFSCME Council 8, BCTGM, CWA, IBEW, LIUNA, OAPSE/AFSCME, OCSEA/AFSCME, NALC, SMWIA, TWU, USW, UWUA
This brings us to a statewide total so far this year of 1,540,273 worksite flyers!
2. Labor Leader of the Week: Don Opatka, UWUA
 |
| Don Opatka |
Donald Opatka is Region III Director for Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) and a member of the Ohio AFL-CIO Executive Board. About 8,000 UWUA members work in Region III, which includes Ohio, Indiana, western Pennsylvania, western West Virginia. UWUA members are mainly electric, gas, and water company workers; some smaller units also do roadwork.
Dir. Opatka began his career at Illuminating Company in Cleveland. He was active in his local from 1973 through 1995, as a steward, board member, and officer. In 1995 he became Staff Representative, then Director. In his current position, he works “at the service of locals, to assist with negotiations, work on arbitration cases, present grievances at locals’ request,” among other duties.
“UWUA members are aware of what the issues are, and the consequences of this election,” says Dir. Opatka. Top concerns for members include building energy independence, partly through developing clean coal technology, which could mean good union jobs for many Ohioans. They’re also concerned about health care – “Our share of the premium has consistently gone up, and the benefits have consistently dropped,” he says. So UWUA members are getting involved in the election, participating in labor walks, member-to-member phone banks, and other activities. “I really believe that if we don’t make a change this time and turn things around, it’s going to be very difficult for working people, definitely for the next four years – and who knows after that,” he says. UWUA locals have been stepping it up across the state to get the word out to members – ordering worksite flyers, and participating in walks and phone banks.
As an organizer, Dir. Opatka is also very enthusiastic about the Employee Free Choice Act, and he’s working to make sure UWUA members sign petition cards in support of the legislation. “It will take all of the intimidation, all of the harassment, all of the anti-union consultants, and all that sort of thing right out of the picture, and at the end of the day, you’d have a contract.”
3. Release Staff of the Week: Nathan Grant, APWU
 |
| Nathan Grant at a worksite flyering in Dayton. |
Nathan Grant, a member and officer of APWU Local 252 in Dayton, was released to work with the Labor 2008 program in Dayton at the beginning of August. In his union, he has served as steward, legislative director, and vice president. He was also release staff for Labor 2006.
Now, he’s working with Labor 2008 staff on outreach to local unions, data management, helping local unions with local union mail and worksite flyers, and getting ready for a Get Out the Vote effort. In short, he says, he is doing “anything I can do to get Sen. Obama elected.”
He first became politically involved in his union by reading union publications and learning about the labor movement’s political aspect. His top issues are job security and privatization (he’s concerned that parts of the postal service could be privatized under the administration of someone like Sen. McCain, who is a strong supporter of privatizing public facilities and public jobs).
Grant believes that Sen. Obama is a “once-in-a-lifetime leader?I’m just glad to be able to witness this campaign in my lifetime.” When we spoke to him last Thursday, he was looking forward to watching and talking about Sen. Obama’s acceptance speech with his thirteen-year-old son.
4. News from Around the Buckeye State: ALF Updates
Northeast ALF
Pres. Deborha Bindas
 |
| OAPSE members on strike in Parma |
CWA 4302 and USW 1123 had watch parties to watch Sen. Obama’s acceptance speech and both were well attended. Members of the press were at the USW party and an article was published in the Canton Repository the following day. The Tri-County CLC (Exec. Sec’y John Wagner, Pres. William Crooks) hosted a walk August 27 (Wednesday) at 5 pm. Members of AFM, AFSCME, IBEW, and USW came out to participate in the walk. OAPSE members at Kent State went out on strike Monday, August 25. John Wagner (Secretary Treasurer, Tri-County CLC) and Randy Feemster (President, USW 1123) spoke to strikers. Call Nanette Folsom for more information. We are looking forward to a rally for John Boccieri, organized and hosted by USW 1123. All are welcome at 1234 Harrison Ave. in Canton at 10:00 am September 6. Boccieri will be a great ally to working families as Congressman. Activists are also continuing to collect Employee Free Choice Act petition cards – the Northeast gathered 170 in the last two weeks.
 |
| Click here to see Sen. Sherrod Brown at the Lorain Labor Day festival talking about the Employee Free Choice Act! |
North Coast ALF
Pres. Pat Gallagher
IAFF 93 (President Chester Ashton), IUPAT 707, NATCA CLE (President Bob Kerr), TWU 2019 (President Fred Fink), UFCW 880 (Jim Carusso, Business Representative), UWUA G555 (Mike Coleman, Business Representative) are sending local union mail this week. Release staff in Cleveland are walking on a regular basis to get the word out about Barack Obama. LIUNA 310 is sending local union mail every week. Union members joined in Labor Day festivities in Lorain on August 31 and Cleveland on September 1. Richard Trumka, Executive Secretary of the AFL-CIO, spoke in Lorain, and a variety of elected officials spoke at the events. Now, they are gearing up for walks on September 4 in Cleveland. In the Ashtabula area, Ray Gruber (President, Ashtabula County CLC) is working on several resolutions supporting the Employee Free Choice Act. Thirteen members of AFGE, BAC, and IBEW walked in Mentor on Saturday, August 23, and on August 26 four IUPAT members walked.
Southwest ALF
Pres. Wesley Wells
 |
| Rock Miller (NATCA), Bill Kelly (IRON 372), Fred Hubbard (BAC 18), Doug Sizemore (Exec. Sec'y Treas, Cincinnati AFL-CIO), Keith Harrison (NATCA), Larry Oberding (IRON 44), and Barry Rohrmeier (AWIU 8) sending local union mail in Cincinnati |
Activists did another local union mail event in Cincinnati on Monday. USW organized a worksite blitz across southern Ohio to educate USW members on Barack Obama and why he will be a good ally to working families as President. Sen. Sherrod Brown, Cincinnati AFL-CIO Executive Secretary Treasurer Doug Sizemore and a variety of local elected officials spoke at the Cincinnati Labor Day picnic. The Labor Day events garnered some good media attention, and over 15,000 union members attended with their families. Labor 2008 worked at the Cincinnati Labor Day picnic to get voter registrations, early vote applications, and Employee Free Choice Act signature cards, and they also distributed McCain-Obama educational flyers. In Dayton, IBT Local 957 (President Barney Richmond) held a pre-Labor Day event on Friday where labor activists did voter registration and education and got Employee Free Choice Act petition cards. Also on Friday, union members demonstrated at John McCain’s event at Wright State University where he announced his running mate. Members of APWU, CWA, CWA-TNG, IRON, IUE-CWA, NATCA, OAPSE, SEIU, UFCW, USW and others attended the demonstration, with over 200 people attending in all. On Tuesday, activists rallied outside the Dayton Daily News to support CWA-TNG members there, who are still working on getting a good contract. Local union mail is still a priority in the southwest, and activists are stepping it up to ensure that the message gets out to union members in time.
Central ALF
Pres. Billy Boyce
 |
| Dwain Kelly (USW 9110), Amy Atkins (USW 730), and Sandy Yates (USW 730) at a watch party for Sen. Obama's acceptance speech at USW 2342's hall in Columbus |
The Licking-Knox CLC (President Gary Sites) handed out educational literature on the election at a Labor Day parade in Newark. Zone staff collected Employee Free Choice Act Petition cards. Last week, AFGE volunteers walked on Tuesday in Columbus, and IUPAT members walked Wednesday in Grove City. BCTGM 57 (Pres. Vester Newsome), CWA 4501 (Pres. Rich Murray), CWA 4310 (Pres. Grace Rogers), GMP 244 (Pres. Jerry West, Political Coordinator Jeremy Saling), IAFF 67 (Pres. Jack Reall), and SMWIA 24 (Pres. Mark Funk) distributed worksite flyers last week. SMWIA 24 (Pres. Mark Funk) also returned 200 signed Employee Free Choice Act petition cards. The next Zone 8 steering committee meeting is September 8, at 6:00 pm on the second floor of the Ohio AFL-CIO headquarters in Columbus. Right now, the priorities in central Ohio are getting ready for the September 4 walks, and planning phonebanks and walks every week for the rest of September.
Southeast ALF
Pres. Bill Sams
Walks continue with OAPSE release staff in Athens, and we are gearing up for the September 4 national walks. The Labor Day parade was held in Marietta on Saturday, August 30. The Southeast Area Labor Federation provided breakfast for union members at the parade this year, which was attended by about 500 members of IBEW, IRON, LIUNA, UA, and others. Labor 2008 activists handed out flyers about the election. We are excited to welcome Adam Banig, UMWA release staff in zone 9, who is just beginning his work with Labor 2008 this week. Last Thursday, the USW held its worksite blitz at worksites across southern Ohio to educate members on Barack Obama.
Northwest ALF
Pres. George Tucker
 |
| AFSCME members march in Toledo's Labor Day Parade |
Northwest Ohio activists are preparing for the September 4 Labor Walks in Mansfield, Sandusky, and Norwalk from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The Labor Walks coincide with John McCain’s speech accepting his party’s nomination. Members will walk “Labor to Labor” with the facts. Union activists will also walk Saturday, September 20, out of Norwalk and Sandusky (at the same sites hosting the walks this Thursday), times 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Activists who wish to walk on weekdays on their own can request them from Lynda Mobley, 419-217-7013. Another walk is
 |
| Getting Employee Free Choice Act petitions signed at the Lima Labor Day Parade |
scheduled for the week of the 22nd of September from Laborers 1216 Hall; then on that Saturday there will be an organized walk from 10 am to 3 pm. Again, contact Lynda for your own walk packet. Phone banks will also run all week from the Laborers hall, from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Friday, as well as Saturday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Union members and friends of labor gathered Thursday in Lima to watch Sen. Obama’s acceptance speech projected onto an outside wall; there was also a watch party at USW Local 3210’s hall (Pres. Roger Schrader) in Minster. Activists participated in the Lima Labor Day parade and gathered Employee Free Choice Act petition cards. The Toledo Labor Day event Monday was packed!
5. Union Jobs
Working America is hiring canvassers and office managers – go to http://www.workingamerica.org/about/jobs.cfm for more information or to apply.
The Cincinnati Labor Council is hiring an administrative assistant – go to http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/ofc/683333850.html for more information.
CNA/NNOC is hiring a staff person – go to http://www.unionjobs.com/staff/cna/cna101_multi.html for more information. Posted August 1, 2008.
6. News Clips
Are YOU walking Sept. 4?, AFL-CIO Now
Union members are ready for labor walks Sept. 4, the night Sen. John McCain accepts his nomination for the presidency. Many of these activists in Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin and around the nation will knock on doors, while McCain is giving his speech, to let our union brothers and sisters know that McCain will tax our health care benefits, take educational opportunities away from our veterans and privatize our Social Security.
http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/09/01/are-you-walking-sept-4
Retired Timken Steelworker says Obama ‘knocked it out of the park,’ Canton Repository
Whether Barack Obama's convention speech Thursday night wins him the presidential election is still in question, but in Stark County, it got him the support of at least two female Hillary Clinton supporters who had been indifferent about the Democratic nominee's candidacy.
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=428392&Category=23&fromSearch=yes&subCategoryID=32
Labor Day: Obama returns to union heartlands, The Nation
The 2008 Democratic nominee says in his Labor Day message that, "It's time you had a president who honors organized labor, who has walked on picket lines, who doesn't choke on the word ‘union,' who let's our unions do what they do best and organize our workers and who will finally make the Employee Free Choice Act (legislation that would remove barriers to organizing) the law of the land."
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/352114/labor_day_obama_returns_to_union_heartlands
|
Tell-a-friend!