Colorado Union Members Get the Word Out on McCain

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/04/18/colorado-union-members-get-the-word-out-on-mccain/

Mike Cerbo, executive director of the Colorado AFL-CIO, reports on worksite leafleting held last week in Denver.

Rain nor sleet nor snow could stop up us from our appointed rounds this morning. We began the day at 5:30 a.m., leafleting members of Sheet Metal Workers (SMWIA) Local 9, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters (UA) Local 208 and Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 68, who were refurbishing the Denver Health Facility. John Fleck, the president of the Denver Area Labor Federation, and Neal Hal, president of the Colorado Building and Construction Trades, were joined by SMWIA Business Agents Eric DeBey and Jason Wardrip and SMWIA Local 9 President Scott Jourgensen. UA Business Agent Bradley Bloom, IBEW Local 68 release staff Tom Rutherford and Jeffery Clark, Union Plus mortgage coordinator, rounded out our crew.



The skilled craftspeople asked us what we were doing out in this weather. We let them know that the issues and economic stances espoused by the candidates in this campaign necessitated immediate action. The members agreed with the urgency to define Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) regressive economic positions and his lock step votes with President Bush (95 percent in 2007), but were nonetheless surprised and amused with the leadership showing up so early in such inclement weather.

They weren’t so amused with what they learned about McCain, however. They were incensed to hear that, if McCain had his way, their employer’s contribution to their health and welfare fund would be taxed as income. One fitter commented:

I respect McCain’s service to our country, but I am a veteran, too. I fought to keep this country the land of opportunity, and four more years of “McBush” economic policies that reward the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us, and that promote the agenda of insurance companies and multinational corporations instead of an agenda to preserve the middle class…that leaves no opportunity for our children.

FULL story at link.

[Joanne98]

1. K&R!