Pennsylvania ATU Members Spread Word About Obama’s Working Family Policies

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/07/09/pennsylvania-atu-members-spread-word-about-obamas-working-family-policies/

Frank Snyder, AFL-CIO state director in Pennsylvania, reports on the presidential race.

Early yesterday, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 85 Recording Secretary Mike Harms and shop steward Ted Kielur stood outside the West Mifflin Port Authority Bus Garage near Pittsburgh and distributed worksite leaflets to members as they came into work between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m.

Harms says:

We are leafleting to educate our members about Sen. Barack Obama’s policies that support working families. Working people need to elect someone who will focus on issues that are relevant to them—and Barack Obama is that candidate.


At the West Mifflin Port Authority Garage, ATU Local 85 shop steward Ted Kielur talks with ATU Local 85 members Ron Kachmer and Betty Cunningham about Sen. Barack Obama’s working-family policies.


It is especially important that transportation workers understand that Sen. John McCain supports the contracting-out of public-sector jobs even though it often means a loss in wages and benefits for workers. Obama, on the other hand, supports public-sector work and workers.

Harms and Kielur agree that the member-to-member contact involved in worksite leafleting is crucial to educating union members about issues. By standing out here and passing out the worksite leaflets, “we bring the discussion right to the members,” Kielur says.

When they see the union supporting a candidate, our members will then take the time to understand why. Our members trust the union and they trust other union members and that is why it is our job to make sure all union members understand how important it is to elect Barack Obama.

FULL story at link.

Paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, www.aflcio.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.