IUPAT and IAM Bus Tour Stops in Columbus, OH

Painters, Machinist Bus Tour Rallies Workers in Columbus: It was all about a four-letter word, jobs, in Columbus outside the Statehouse on Tuesday when the "It's About Jobs" Bus Tour rolled into town to rally workers in support of Ohio labor-endorsed canidates. Union members from IUPAT, IAM, AFSCME, TWU, CWA, AFT/OFT, UFCW and SEIU along with members of Working America chanted "What do we want? Jobs. When do we want them? Now!" and cheered on candidates who promised to fight for working family issues.

Chris Sloan, IUPAT Director of Government Affaris, told the story of Maria, an IUPAT member who lost her job to outsourcing. She went on unemployment benefits to support her and her two sons but because of Republican inaction on extending unemployment benefits, lost her home and was forced to send her sons to live with her mother in South America. "Maria's back working because of politicians like Ted Strickland," who have fought for working families, said Sloan. "We cannot let Maria's story continue."

Labor-endorsed candidates Mary Jo Kilroy, Paula Brooks and Yvette McGhee Brown and Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfren also spoke at the rally. "We have a Governor who has put the priorities of the middle-class first" and his opponent, John Kasich, who spent years "peddling papers for Lehman Brothers," said Redfren. Congressmember Mary Jo Kilroy told workers she is angry at the current economic situation, created by Wall Street and bad trade deals, and the pain it has caused for Ohio families. We need to be committed "to elect people who will stand up for working people in this state and country," said Kilroy.

Yvette McGhee Brown, running for Lt. Governor, talked her childhood and being raised by her mother, who worked two jobs to make ends meet. "I understand what hard work means," said Brown. She also noted Governor Strickland's hard work in keeping Ohio moving forward. He has kept "this state moving steady in the worst recession that has hit this country since the Great Depression," Brown said.

This tour is a way to "advocate, educate and motivate union members," said IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Warren Mart. "You have a decision to make when you going into that voting booth...we have a choice in this election to drive forward or put it in reverse and go backwards."

The tour -- sponsored by the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and joined by the IAM "Fighting For Your Future" bus -- also stopped in Cincinnati earlier in the week. It will continue to cities in Pennsylvania and New York before wrapping up on next week. For more info on the tour, click here (http://www.iupat.org/tour/).

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• IUPAT
• IAM
• Labor 2010
• Elections
• Ohio

[rnattxs]

Si tu escoges ignorar esta carta lo contrario del deseo te sucedera, o esto no sucedera jamas.............. Que tus días estén llenos de logros y tus noches de sueños copia y pega esto en 15 o + temas más

[rnattxs]

Si tu escoges ignorar esta carta lo contrario del deseo te sucedera, o esto no sucedera jamas.............. Que tus días estén llenos de logros y tus noches de sueños copia y pega esto en 15 o + temas más