Ohio AFL-CIO

OH AFL-CIO Pres. Tim Burga: Should Ohio become a right-to-work state? | No

2012-03-01T09:34:00.000-05:00

Tim Burga

When Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected State Issue 2, the referendum on Senate Bill 5, last year, they sent a clear message that they will not tolerate any attack on Ohio’s middle class. They rejected the idea that our economic problems are the result of the workers’ rights to collectively bargain and they rejected that extreme political agenda and opted instead to support governance with basic fairness.

Now, despite the voters’ wholesale rejection of attacks on collective-bargaining rights, extreme right-wing groups with the backing of out-of-state corporate interests are pushing a constitutional amendment that again will try to divide workers in Ohio.

“Right-to-work” laws are deceptively named. This effort, and all right-to-work laws, are not about rebuilding our state. It’s not about work, and it’s not about rights. This is about politics, plain and simple. I am confident that when Ohioans find out that this is just a rehash of Senate Bill 5, they will shut it down, just like they did last November.

The preponderance of evidence gathered from extensive independent research shows that so-called right-to-work policies are, in fact, damaging to local economies, as they lower wages and often create an environment that is conducive to job flight instead of fulfilling the promises of their proponents.

An examination of states that have passed these laws points this out very clearly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker in a right-to-work state makes about $5,333 a year less than workers in other states ($35,500 compared with $30,167). Weekly wages are $72 greater in free-bargaining states than in right-to-work states ($621 versus $549). Right-to-work laws also have been shown to lower the likelihood that employees get health care or pensions through their jobs — again, for both union and nonunion employees — and the laws have no impact whatsoever on job growth.

Working families in states without right-to-work laws have higher wages and benefit from healthier tax bases that improve their quality of life. Moreover, looking at the past four quarters, seven of the 10 states with the highest unemployment rates are states with right-to-work laws.

Even Gov. John Kasich and the GOP establishment in Ohio have not embraced this misguided effort, and with good reason. The AFL-CIO commissioned Peter D. Hart Research Associates to conduct an independent survey of Ohio voters on Election Night last year to understand exactly how they voted and why. That survey found that just 25 percent of Ohio voters felt that Senate Bill 5 represented the kind of change voters were looking for in 2010. It also found that, overall, two-thirds (66 percent) of those voting say they favor collective bargaining, including a 60 percent majority of independents and even a significant minority (43 percent) of Republicans.

Unfortunately, this anti-worker law represents the same old politics of division that will further erode our middle class and accelerate the “race to the bottom” where all workers lose. If proponents continue to pursue this misguided measure, Ohio voters will see the effort for what it is: a purely political attack that is dividing Ohioans and preventing any real progress on economic recovery.

Our focus needs to be on real solutions to create good jobs and restore balance to our economy, and not on these political games. Indeed, that is exactly what Ohioans voted for last year in striking down the last attempt at such a misguided policy.

USW 207L & Cooper Tire Reach Tentative Agreement, Events Cancelled

2012-02-23T17:15:00.000-05:00

"We want to thank all the unions and activists that stood with Local 207L members during this tough lockout. Just like the fight to save collective bargaining in 2011, labor showed once again when we stand together, all of the middle class and those who aspire to be there become stronger," said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga.

Today is a great day for America's and Ohio's middle class and those who aspire to get there. Cooper Tire, who locked out over 1,000 United Steelworker Local 207L members finally agreed to be civil to those who create their profits by bringing a proposal to the table that is fair to the workers and the community of Findlay.

According to USW District 1 Director Dave McCall, a tentative agreement was reached late this afternoon which could end the lockout. Members will get to vote on the proposal Monday, Feb. 27, 2012.

Because of this great news, the events at local NTB stores scheduled for this Saturday, Feb. 25 and the Journey for Justice tour scheduled for Monday, Feb. 27 have been cancelled.

"We are so glad this Cooper Tire lockout has an end in sight and the 1000-plus workers can get back to work and providing for their families. But we cannot forget this new strategy of the greedy 1% and their corporations," said Burga. "Machinists in Sandusky, Ohio have suffered through this union-busting strategy and we know we will see more of these in the future. But when we stand together as one, in solidarity, we will continue to win for all of the 99%! Thank you again for all your support in this effort and in working to win for Ohio's 99%."

You can stay informed of the situation at the USW Local 207L website here.

Be sure to like us on facebook here and join our text alert program by texting OHAFLCIO to 313131

Don't Let Them Get Away With It!

2012-02-22T15:31:00.000-05:00

Across the nation, greedy corporate CEOs and the 1% are using new strategies to bust unions. That is because the only line of defense between an America with a strong middle class where everyone has the chance at the American Dream and one that only favors the greedy 1% is the strength of the nation's labor movement.

Cooper Tire and other corporations are now using the locking out of union workers as the new union-busting method and we all need to stand together to say enough is enough!

Learn more of the Cooper Lockout and sign the petition here.

This Saturday, Feb.25, several protests at select NTB locations will take place and we hope you can join us at one! Let's send a strong message to Cooper Tire that as consumers, we expect them to settle a fair contract with the workers who create the profits for the company. See below for the locations and times.

Also taking place is a joint effort of Steelworkers and Bakers as they will caravan from Fargo, North Dakota where workers who are locked out at American Crystal Sugar will join with Cooper Tire members to travel across the Midwest to tell the story of this new union-busting tactic. The caravan will be in Findlay, Ohio on Monday, Feb. 27 where supporters of our middle class will form a human chain around the Cooper Tire plant. Learn more about this day of action here.

Join us at an NTB to protest Cooper Tire and other corporations who look to bust unions and reap record profits while doing it:

NTB
6565 Winford Ave.
Fairfield, Ohio 45011
10 am

NTB
3117 West Market Street
Akron, Ohio 44333
9 am

207L Hall
1130 Summit Street,
Findlay, OH 45840
8:45 am

St. Clairsville Mall NTB
67601 Mall Road
St. Clairsville, OH
9am

NTB
1128 Boardman Poland Road,
Poland, Ohio 44514
10 am

NTB
2195 BALTIMORE REYNOLDSBURG RD
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
10am

NTB
5840 Scarborough Blvd
Columbus, OH 43232
10 am

Keep Our Post Offices Open, It's Our Constitutional Right!

2012-02-08T15:46:00.002-05:00

Postal reform is a hot topic in Congress as the Senate prepares to vote on the 21st Century Postal Service Act, and APWU President Cliff Guffey and NALC President Fredric V. Rolando are urging everyone to contact their Senators and let them know: Senate Bill 1789 is unacceptable in its current form. Take action NOW to help keep rural post offices and urban distribution centers open.

Click here to send a letter to your Senator to let them know you care about our Constitutional right to post offices.

As lawmakers review the bill, Guffey is asking the 99% to let their Senators know that S. 1789 must be amended. “Supporters of the bill are also weighing in on the legislation, so it is crucial that we get our point across,” he said.

NALC President Fredric Rolando said, “yet another front in the war on the middle class being pursued by the right-wing faction that now dominates the national Republican party."

Click here to send a letter to your Senator to let them know you care about our Constitutional right to post offices.

In its current form, the bill would give the USPS some short-term financial relief, but also would inflict long-term damage to the nation’s mail system, Guffey said. “The bill would force the Postal Service to close hundreds of mail processing centers, shut thousands of post offices, and cause massive delays in mail delivery,” Guffey said. “By failing to give more substantial financial relief, the bill would weaken the Postal Service, kill jobs, and drive customers away,” he added.

Yet while many radicals are looking to gut the postal service and take away even more middle-class jobs and the services they provide to all 100%, not just the 1%, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown has stood tall for the 99% in protecting our Constitutional right to a strong, public post office.

Click here to learn what Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown has proposed to keep our postal services strong and vibrant.

As an alternative to S. 1789 and it's destructive nature, we believe S. 1853 and H.R. 3591, both titled “The Postal Service Protection Act,” are the only pieces of legislation that include all the key provisions necessary to return the Postal Service to financial health in both the short and long terms, while preserving its vital networks, high-quality service standards and solid middle-class jobs.

Ohio AFL-CIO, Allies Release Report on ALEC Influence in State

2012-02-06T15:04:00.000-05:00

Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga speakson ALEC.

A new report released today by People For the American Way Foundation, Common Cause, the Center for Media and Democracy and Progress Ohio reveals the deep ties between the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and Ohio’s legislature. A press conference arranged to coincide with the release of the report featured a number of organizations with a stake in the legislation put forth by ALEC, including the Ohio AFL-CIO.

At the press conference, Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga explained ALEC’s influence over a number of legislative initiatives including SB 5. “When Ohioans overwhelmingly rejected SB 5 last year, they sent a clear message that they will not tolerate attacks on Ohio’s middle class,” said Burga. “They rejected the idea that our economic problems are the result of the workers’ rights to collectively bargain. They fully rejected that extreme political agenda and opted instead to support governance with basic fairness,” he said.

All of the statements offered at the event emphasized the economic and societal harm that ALEC sponsored legislation will do to all Ohioans. “It is clear that Ohio’s working families have no appetite for such politically motivated attacks that do nothing to improve the state’s economy or create jobs,” said Burga. “Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the continued push for such laws is coming from out-of-state, corporate funded groups that seek to impose an extreme agenda on Ohioans by trying to divide working families. Make no mistake; there is nothing grass roots about the organizations that are funding these initiatives,” he said.

Burga called for legislators to cut their ties with ALEC and align themselves more closely with the interests of those they were elected to represent. “What is needed is an agenda that focuses on doing the most good for the most Ohioans rather than legislating for the narrow benefit of so few,” he said.

President Burga was joined by several other individuals from organizations impacted by ALEC sponsored legislation with regard to prison privatization, education policy and funding and voter suppression issues.

The report, ALEC in Ohio: The Corporate Special Interests that Help Write Ohio’s Laws, is available here.

Ohio Attorney General Okays Right To Work (For Less) Petition

2012-02-01T15:57:00.002-05:00

It seems like today is a bad day for the middle class and those who aspire to get there.

In Indiana, the legislature has rammed through a Right To Work (For Less) bill that will make Indiana the 23rd state with this anti-worker, pro-corporate legislation. And not soon after that, Hannah News reported Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine approved the language for a petition to make Right To Work (For Less) a constitutional amendment here in Ohio. But where some see despair for the 99%, we see hope.

Around the country, average Americans are learning that their votes have meaning, and their non-vote has consequences. In 2010, many voters were so fed-up and frustrated, that they showed their displeasure for what is happening in our country by not going to the polls. In turn, Gov. John Kasich was elected and the Republicans won back the State House. And even though there are many Republicans who are open to honest debate and compromise, their voices were drowned out by the big-corporate politicians that do not care about the average Ohioan, but about their own self interest and the interest of big business.

Today is just yet another wake-up call that the 99% can no longer afford to be divided on fringe issues, but we must unite on the core principles of what made America and Ohio great. We showed what can happen during the repeal of Senate Bill 5/Issue 2 when we all put aside our differences and embrace our similarities in wanting an Ohio and America that works for everyone.

We all should be more optimistic than ever that although we may have taken a blow today, we will ultimately win for the 99% tomorrow. We encourage everyone to vote between now and March 6 for candidates who will stand with us on our core issues. For our children's and our grand children's sake, we must stand united. It can no longer matter what party affiliation, what race, what religion, what sexual orientation or where one comes from. What matters is that all of the 99% agree that what makes America great is the ability for anyone to become part of its middle class. And we need to elect those who still believe that is the core principal of this country. And that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Early Vote Starts Today!

2012-01-31T16:42:00.000-05:00

Only a few short months ago we were all casting our ballots to defeat the unfair, unsafe, and unjust legislation known as Senate Bill 5. However, early voting starts TODAY- to begin the political cycle here in Ohio.

"We learned a valuable lesson in 2011. Who we elect really does matter and by staying at home and not voting for those that stand for the 99% can have the same consequences as voting those who only have the interest of the 1% in mind to office," said Ohio AFL-CIO Tim Burga. "I urge everyone to vote between January 31 and Primary Election Day, March 6. Your voice is your vote and Ohio's future needs to be all our voices, joining together in a symphony that enables everyone to have a chance at the American Dream."

Today is the start of early voting for the March 6th Primary. There are several contested primaries with great candidates plus new Congressional and Statehouse lines so be sure to do your homework before casting your ballot.

To learn what you need to vote, what district you are in, where you're to vote, the voting hours, and who's running, check out the directory of all Ohio’s 88 Boards of Elections here.

This election cycle will be very important for the working men and women of Ohio. We have a chance to change the course of Ohio at the ballot box. We must take advantage and hold anti-middle class candidates accountable! Remember vote early so you can avoid the headache and lines on Election day!

Ohio Senate Democrats Change Leadership

2012-01-26T14:55:00.000-05:00

This week, Ohio Senate Democrats announced a revamped Caucus in order to get ready for the November 2012 elections. Senator Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) decided to step down from the post to spend more time and to focus on issues in her District.

Senator Cafaro spent the last 3 years as minority leader. During her time as leader, Senator Cafaro has worked tirelessly to advocate for the needs of Ohio’s working families. With her leadership, the Senate Democrats passed more democratic legislation and raised more money than any Senate Caucus leader in the past decade.

"Senator Cafaro did not just work hard for her constituents in the Mahoning Valley as a Senator, she was a champion that defended Ohio's middle class and working families as Senate Minority Leader. Whether is was our victory to defeat Senate Bill 5 this past November or working to protect prevailing wage and project labor agreements for building and construction workers, Senator Cafaro was always on the side of the 99%," said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga. "While she will be missed, we look forward to working with the new leadership team of the Senate Democrats."

Soon after the announcement, President Burga called Senator Cafaro to thank her for her years of advocacy for the working men and women in Ohio. Will you call Senator Cafaro and let her know you appreciate her service? You can reach her Columbus office at: (614) 466–7182.

The Caucus voted on a new slate of leadership after Senator Cafaro’s announcement. The newly elected team and their contact information is as follows:

Senator Eric Kearney (Cincinnati)- Minority Leader

Phone: (614) 466- 5980

Senator Joe Schiavoni (Canfield) - Assistant Minority Leader

Phone: (614) 466-8285

Senator Nina Turner (Cleveland)- Minority Whip

Phone: (614) 466- 4583

Senator Edna Brown (Toledo)- Assistant Minority Whip

Phone: (614) 466- 5204

Please take time to call these Senators and congratulate them on their new roles and to thank them for their continued support of Ohio’s working families.

Ohioans Protest Right To Work (For Less) at Indiana Statehouse

2012-01-24T12:13:00.013-05:00

Amy Thorpe, Dayton-area APWU member.

At 6am this morning, union members from around Ohio started getting in cars and hopping on a bus from Columbus (that stopped in Dayton) to join Hoosiers in their protest against Right To Work (For Less).

"I am proud that Ohioans are standing up with our Hoosier neighbors in this fight, just like so many of our sisters and brothers from around the country stood with us during Senate Bill 5/Issue 2," said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga. "We need to stand together as one to keep politicians from these overreaching bills that don't create jobs, but just hurt working families."

Even though Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels was quoted at a Teamster event in 2006 saying he would never want to bring this anti-worker legislation to Indiana, big-money CEOs and corporations have gotten to him just like they got to many Ohio politicians during our Senate Bill 5/Issue 2 campaign.

Joe Crytser of the District 6 Painters union (IUPAT) feels the need to support workers in Indiana. "This is too close to Ohio! Just today the Tea Party resubmitted to put Right To Work (For Less) in Ohio's ballot. We cannot allow a precedent to be set in Indiana. This isn't a union issue, this is an assault on all of us in the 99% who are trying to just work hard, play by the rules and raise our families with dignity."

Right To Work (For Less) has come under much scrutiny from those who care about what is left of America's middle class, and those who are trying to revitalize it, including the National Football League Players Association.

"NFL players know what it means to fight for workers' rights, better pensions and health and safety in the workplace," the National Football League Players Association said in a statement. The right-to-work bill, the statement went on, is "not about jobs or rights, and it's the wrong priority for Indiana."

With Daniels being in his last term, it is not too surprising he will take the lead from the 1% and not stand by his word, as too many politicians are doing just that across this country. But Ohioan and American Postal Worker Union (APWU) member Amy Thorpe says of why she headed to Indiana this morning, the people have not given in to corporate greed.

"An injury to one is an injury to all. We have to stop these assaults on the working middle class," said Thorpe, from the Dayton area. "We will keep fighting these battles until every American, not just the 1%, has a chance for the American Dream."

Get On The Bus To Stop Right To Work (For Less)!!!

2012-01-21T17:32:00.000-05:00

At a time when so many hardworking families are struggling, our elected leaders are playing the same old partisan games that do nothing to put people back to work or fix our economy.

Corporate CEOs spent billions to put some politicians in office. In return, they want laws that let them get away with lowering working standards. And because unions are a check on corporate power, some of these wealthy CEOs and politicians want to eliminate them.

We stopped these attacks in Ohio by repealing Senate Bill 5, but our sisters and brothers are facing the attack or Right To Work (For Less) and they need our help.

Can you get on a bus in Columbus, OH Tuesday morning at 6:30am to rally at the Indiana Statehouse? The rally will be from 10am-2pm and only 40 seats are available.

To RSVP for a spot on the bus, email Sarah Smith here. It has been amazing what the Indiana workers and legislators have done so far to hold off Right To Work (For Less), but they need our help to ensure Hoosiers can have good, middle-class jobs.

If Indiana can hold out 11 more days, we can be victorious so join us on the trip to save America's Middle Class!

Email us if you can attend the rally by getting on the bus from Columbus, OH at 6:30am at the Ohio AFL-CIO building located at 395 E. Broad St.

If you cannot make the bus trip from Columbus, you can volunteer at a phone bank in your area. You can also use the following contacts below to learn of carpooling opportunities to Indiana as well. But either way, we hope you will join us in this fight for the 99%!

Toledo
Contact: George Shafer
Northwest ALF/567-208-3453
Thursdays/ 9-5

Columbus
Ohio AFL-CIO
Contact: Tonya Ellison
614-397-2426
Jason Perlman/ 614-302-4542
Everyday/ 9-5

Dayton
Contact: Kenny Woolum
Southwest ALF/ 937-823-5717
Tues.or Thurs. 9-5

Akron/Youngstown
Contact Kathleen Kelly/330-612-5573
Northeast ALF
Canton: 9-5
Youngstown: 9-5

Cleveland
Contact Les Wiley
Northcoast ALF
216-502-0907
Thursdays 9-5

In Solidarity,

Tim Burga,
President, Ohio AFL-CIO

Ohio Members Coming Out To Support Indiana's Middle Class

2012-01-18T14:31:00.003-05:00

IBEW's BA Mario Ciardelli & Pres.Dennis Nicodemus

After hundreds of union members came from around the country to help defeat Senate Bill 5/Issue 2 in Ohio this past year, Ohio’s members and leaders have not forgotten. With Indiana now in a battle for worker rights as Governor Mitch Daniels tries to force through “Right To Work (For Less),” Ohio’s workers are coming out to support their Hoosier Sisters and Brothers.

“This is just plain bad legislation. It is bad for workers, bad for Indiana’s middle class and bad for the entire country,” said International Brother of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 683 President Dennis Nicodemus after phone banking into Indiana from the Ohio AFL-CIO Call Center. “We proved in Ohio that folks want to work a good, middle-class job and have basic rights at the workplace. Ohioans are no different than Hoosiers in wanting to preserve basic worker rights and the Governor of Indiana is overreaching just like Ohio’s Governor John Kasich.”

UFCW's Allie Petonic

The IBEW was joined by members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 1059 as well in Columbus today to make calls into Indiana. But unions and middle-class advocates from around the state have made thousands of calls into Indiana.

Gov. Daniels made it a point in his State of the State to talk about the importance of making Indiana “Right to Work (For Less),” but hundreds of protesters were outside the statehouse with the nearly 40 Democratic legislators that boycotted Daniel’s speech.

Ray Haggard, 48, of Greenfield, was among the protesters outside the House floor. A member of Teamsters Local 135, he voted for Daniels in the 2008 election. But Tuesday, he showed his anger by shouting chants along with other union members such as "No right to work" and "Mitch is a liar."

Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga has been outspoken against radical, right-wing overreaching policies as Ohio saw in 2011.

“Indiana workers are both wise and just to fervently voice their opposition to these attacks and politicians in the Indiana Statehouse would be wise to listen to their concerns.,” said Burga. “The preponderance of evidence gathered from extensive independent research shows that the so called “right to work for less” policies are in fact damaging to local economies as they lower wages and often create an environment that is conducive to job flight instead of fulfilling the promises of their proponents.”

Ohio Experience as a Guide for Indiana Attack on Workers

2012-01-17T16:09:00.000-05:00

By Tim Burga

In early 2011 as the Ohio legislature was considering a measure that would have stripped collective bargaining rights for public employees, thousands of outraged citizens protested at the statehouse in Columbus, voicing their objection to this unprecedented attack on Ohio’s middle class. Through a number of unscrupulous legislative maneuvers and attempts to silent dissenting voices by locking the statehouse doors, proponents of the bill were able to pass it by a single vote margin, which ignited a firestorm of opposition and a united front against the attack on workers’ rights. Ultimately, the bill was put up for referendum in the fall of 2011 and Ohio voters from all walks of life and every region of the state soundly rejected the bill by more than a 20 point margin.

While the first part of this story might sound all too familiar to Hoosiers given the present circumstances surrounding the Indiana legislature’s consideration of another attack on collective bargaining (aka the inaccurately titled “right to work” bill), all Indiana legislators should take heed. Ohioans, and I presume Hoosiers, are looking for is bipartisan cooperation and focus from politicians on creating jobs and getting the economy moving. Unfortunately, the Ohio and now the Indiana anti-worker legislation represent the same old politics of division that will further erode our middle class and accelerate the “race to the bottom” where all workers lose.

Indiana workers are both wise and just to fervently voice their opposition to these attacks and politicians in the Indiana Statehouse would be wise to listen to their concerns. The preponderance of evidence gathered from extensive independent research shows that the so called “right to work for less” policies are in fact damaging to local economies as they lower wages and often create an environment that is conducive to job flight instead of fulfilling the promises of their proponents. An examination of states that have passed these laws points this out very clearly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker in a right to work state makes about $5,333 a year less than workers in other states ($35,500 compared with $30,167). Weekly wages are $72 greater in free-bargaining states than in right to work states ($621 versus $549). Working families in states without right to work laws have higher wages and benefit from healthier tax bases that improve their quality of life and, looking at the past four quarters, seven of the ten states with the highest unemployment rates are states with "right to work" laws.

If proponents continue to pursue this misguided measure, Indiana voters will likely see the effort for what it is-- a purely political attack that is dividing Hoosiers and preventing any real progress on economic recovery. Don’t take my word for it though. Just ask Governor Kasich who in the aftermath of a resounding defeat of the issue openly acknowledged that taking away collective bargaining rights was the wrong move and that "when people speak like this in a campaign referendum, you have to listen if you're a public servant". As a result of the middle class backlash, Kasich’s approval ratings dropped to the lowest in the country. It would be wise for Indiana’s politicians to take warning from the Ohio experience and they should follow more closely their promises to improve the economy and support policies that will create good jobs instead of pursuing attacks on workers with a policy that will not create one single job.

Mr. Burga is President of the Ohio AFL-CIO.

Help Locked-Out Cooper Tire Workers!

2012-01-12T10:50:00.008-05:00

About 1,050 of our USW brothers and sisters have been unfairly locked out of their jobs at Cooper Tire's Findlay, Ohio plant since Nov. 28, 2011, when the company refused Local 207L's good faith offer to keep working while negotiations for a new contract proceeded -- despite raking-in over $300 million in profits from 2009-2011.

Since then, the company has tried to keep production going with salaried personnel and temporary scab replacement workers while management continues to demand millions in unreasonable concessions from workers and their families.

Help us send a message to Cooper Tire's corporate executives by joining in the USW's International Day of Action on Sat., Jan. 14, 2012.

Our goals are simply to educate the tire-buying-and-selling public about the lockout and to recruit store managers and/or owners to sign onto a letter asking CEO Roy Armes and North American President Chris Ostrander to end the lockout and return to the bargaining table to negotiate with us in good faith for a fair contract.

Below are the locations and contact information. We encourage you to join us at one and stand up for good, middle-class Ohio jobs. For more information, you can visit the USW website here and sign the petition to support locked out Cooper Tire workers.

Sub-District 1:
AKRON AREA:
Autotech
1230 Newton Street
Akron, OH
Store Phone Number: 330-733-1500

Leipold Tire
1808 State Street
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Store Phone Number: 330-923-4450
Contact Person: Bill Conner (Cell Phone – 330-714-1671)

ASHTABULA AREA:
Superior Tire Company
3571 North Myers Road
Geneva, OH 44041
Store Phone Number:    440-466-8473
Contact Person:    Ray Gruber (Cell Phone – 440-812-1762)

CLEVELAND:
NTB
6100 Brecksville Road
Independence, OH 44131
Store Phone Number: 216-642-0778
(Parking is available at the Drug Mart lot and Rockside Plaza)
Contact Person:    Pat Gallagher (Cell Phone – 216-287-1664)

TOLEDO AREA:
Sear’s Auto Store
3725 Williston Road
Northwood, OH 43619
Store Phone Number: 567-202-0970
Contact Person:    Tim Buxton (Cell Phone – 440-759-2009)

WARREN AREA:
Sandy’s Tire
2380 State Route 5
Cortland, OH 44410
Store Phone Number: 330-772-5185
Contact Person:    Gary Steinbeck (Cell Phone – 330-603-0682)

Sub-District 2:

CANTON AREA:
Sears Automotive
Belden Village Mall 9:00 AM
North Canton, OH
330-966-3228
Contact: Dennis Brommer 330-936-9663 ,

Duane’s Auto Service
2229 Greensburg Road 9:00 AM
North Canton, OH
330-899-0326
Contact: Frank Buzaki 330-472-8641

B H Tire & Service Center
909 West State Street 9:00 AM
Salem, OH
330-332-8473
Contact: Joe Holcomb 330-206-1169

MARIETTA AREA:
Sterling Service Store
400 Second Street 9:00 AM
Marietta, OH
740-373-1701
Contact John Puskar 330-936-9662

BELMONT COUNTY AREA
Sears Automotive
Ohio Valley Mall
St. Clairsville, OH
740-695-7328
Contact Santo Santoro 740-579-6346 10AM 1/14/12

Sub-District 3:
LIMA AREA
Best One Tire & Service of Lima 10:00 AM
353 East North Street
Lima OH 45801
(419) 229-2380
Local 200 will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: Dwayne Krouskop (419) 647-4309

COLUMBUS AREA
Bob Sumerel Tire Co. 10:00 AM
6600 Perimeter Loop Road
Dublin, OH 43017
(614) 336-3200
Local 843 L will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: Turk Franks (937) 644-3224

Pep Boys 10:00 AM
2830 S. Hamilton Rd.
Columbus, OH 43232
(614)864-2092
Ken LeFever will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: (740) 503-2951

Bob Sumerel Tire Co. 10:00 AM
3646 E. Broad St.
Columbus, OH 43213
(614) 237-6325
Bruce Bostick will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: (614) 313-6145

Sears Auto 10:00 AM
2765 Eastland Mall
Columbus, OH 43232
614-868-7190
Billy Boyce will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: (614) 578-3107

SHELBY AREA
Modern Tire Mart 10:00 AM
67 North Gamble St.
Shelby, OH 44875
(419) 342-6186
Local 3057 will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: Rod Zellner (419) 565-9259

MANSFIELD AREA
Pep Boys 10:00 AM
490 N. Lexington-Springmill Rd.
Mansfield, OH 44906
(419) 529-9455
Local 169 will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: Brian Speelman, (419) 565-1757

Sub-District 4:
LORAIN AREA
Sears Auto Center 9:00 AM
4900 Midway Mall
Elyria, Ohio 44035
(Parking available at Midway Mall lot).
Contact Chris Martinez 419-554-1528

TOLEDO AREA
Sears Auto Center 11:00 AM
Northwood Mall
3725 Williston Rd.
Northwood, Ohio 43619
Contact Gary Thompson 615-585-0973

Suburban Auto 11:00 AM
1306 E. High Street
Bryan, Ohio 43506
Contact Jim Kerns 615-585-0979

Tireman Auto Center 10:30 AM
999 South Main Street
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
(parking will be available across the street in front of Aldi’s)
Contact Rick Vermillion 615-545-1747

FINDLAY AREA
7:00 am – 11:00 am for all locations: Contact Julie Barrett 419-348-9129
CarkoTire
10456 W SR 224
Findlay, Ohio

Cooper Service
2210 Tiffin Ave
Findlay, Ohio

Sears Auto
1800 Tiffin Ave
Findlay, Ohio

Best One Tire
616 N Blanchard St.
Findlay, Ohio

Tireman Auto
401 E Main Cross St.
Findlay, Ohio

Sub-District 5:
PORTSMOUTH AREA:
BOB & FLOYD’S TIRE – 10:00 a.m.
1201 Chillicothe Street
Portsmouth, OH 45662
CONTACT – Randy Basham 740-412-4674

BOB SUMEREL TIRE – 10:00 a.m.
3439 Pendleton Circle
Franklin, OH 45005
CONTACT – Ron Wardrup 513-518-3336

BOB SUMEREL TIRE – 10:00 a.m.
7889 Tylersville Road
West Chester, OH 45069
CONTACT – Tim Bray 513-720-6808

BUTEN INC. – 10:00 a.m.
4851 Wunnenberg Way
West Chester, OH 45069
CONTACT – Dave McLean 513-518-3335

BOB SUMEREL TIRE – 10:00 a.m.
4856 Wunnenberg Way
West Chester, OH 45069
CONTACT – Dave McLean 513-518-3335

NFL Players Association Publicly Against "Right To Work (For Less)"

2012-01-11T12:05:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON -- The union representing NFL players spoke out Friday against a controversial right-to-work bill on the table in Indiana, arguing that the legislation is merely a "political ploy" that would drive down workers' wages if it became law.

"NFL players know what it means to fight for workers' rights, better pensions and health and safety in the workplace," the National Football League Players Association said in a statement. The right-to-work bill, the statement went on, is "not about jobs or rights, and it's the wrong priority for Indiana."

The Ohio AFL-CIO has sent its predictive phone dialers to Indiana and have ramped up dialing in several cities across Ohio to help defeat this ant-worker legislation that just appears to be part of a national effort to destroy what is left of America's middle class in favor of the ultra-wealthy 1%.

"As I said throughout the Senate Bill 5/Issue 2 campaign in Ohio this past year, what we faced here in Ohio is just a part of a national agenda to destroy unions because we are the last barrier between an America with a strong middle class, or one that is a two-class system and I commend the NFL Players' Association standing with the workers of Indiana and around the country," said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga. "We in Ohio will fight with our Hoosier neighbors to defeat this anti-worker legislation and we will throw our hat in the ring anywhere in the country where politicians who have been paid for by corporate CEOs want to destroy our middle and working class with these overreaching policies."

Read the entire press release from the NFLPA here.

The NFLPA was recertified last year as the union for NFL players, and the group soon ratified a new contract with league owners and rejoined the AFL-CIO. The union's opposition to right-to-work legislation isn't its only stance endearing it to liberals these days: Its most recent collective bargaining agreement banned discrimination against players by management due to their sexual orientation.

Statement from Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga on Richard Cordray Appointment

2012-01-06T15:08:00.000-05:00

Just this week, President Barack Obama thwarted the stalwarts in Washington, D.C. who have been holding up the appointment of Richard Cordray as head of the new federal consumer-protection agency established in 2010 by Congress when it approved a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s banking regulations.

Here is the statement from Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga on Cordray's appointment.

Our country will be well served with Rich Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. As Ohio Attorney General, he fought and won for Ohio’s middle class families by standing up to some of the most powerful interests in the country. Rich Cordray has been a trusted champion for all middle class Ohioans and I am confident he will now deliver for all American working families. I commend President Obama in making this appointment and for addressing the serious problems that still exist in the enforcement of needed financial regulations that protect consumers’ rights.

Exposing the lies behind "Right to Work"

2012-01-04T10:52:00.000-05:00

In a must-read report issued by the Economic Policy Institute this morning, arguments made by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, American Legislative Exchange Council, National Right to Work Committee and other out-of-state and corporate special interest groups pushing for a so-called “right to work” law here in Indiana are taken to the woodshed. These groups have been playing fast and loose with the facts in an attempt to hide the political motivations behind "right to work" and distract our elected officials from working to create good jobs for Hoosier families.

According to the EPI's independent review, statements and materials distributed by interest groups to the Indiana General Assembly have supplied lawmakers with blatantly incomplete, outdated and twisted information.

Here are just a few of the tall-tales the being pushed by the anti-worker crowd that the EPI has dismantled:

•   “The National Right to Work Committee issued a “factsheet” stating that job growth over the past decade was slower in Indiana than in the “Midwest” RTW states (National Institute for Labor Relations Research 2011). The factsheet does not disclose that the higher “average” for these states is due entirely to North Dakota, whose growth was sped up by the discovery of oil, which has nothing to do with RTW.3 Without North Dakota, the rest of the states averaged a net job loss”

•   “If the National Right to Work Committee had focused on manufacturing instead of oil, it would have found that in the past two years Indiana added more than twice as many manufacturing jobs as all the Midwest RTW states combined. If businesses and workers are “voting with their feet,” they are voting for Indiana.”

•   “The National Right to Work Committee also produced a Powerpoint presentation, Indiana and Right to Work, that quotes an executive of Fantus, a site-location firm, warning that approximately 50 percent of our clients … do not want to consider locations unless they are in right-to-work states” (National Right to Work Committee 2011). The committee neglects to mention that the quote is based on a report from 1975, and that by 1986, the firm’s executive vice president reported that the figure had fallen to 10 percent (Warren 1986).”

•   “In its Rich States, Poor States report, the American Legislative Exchange Council promotes RTW by noting that RTW Texas has added more jobs in the past decade than any other state and declaring Texas “the state with the best policy to emulate” (Lafer et al. 2011, 13). What ALEC doesn’t tell readers is that for the last four years, the state’s job growth has come entirely through government jobs, while the private sector shrank—clearly a trend that cannot be credited to RTW (Fletcher 2011).”

•   “In January, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce published a report claiming that from 1977 to 2008, per capita income grew at a faster rate in RTW states than non-RTW states and concluding that if Indiana adopted an RTW law, Hoosiers would enjoy similar income growth. What the Chamber failed to disclose is that, while the overall average of the 22 RTW states was impressive—led by fast-growing states such as North Dakota and Virginia—the actual state-by state numbers showed no relationship whatsoever between RTW laws and income growth. Four of the five fastest-growing states in the country were non-RTW states, and Indiana’s growth was 25 percent greater than that of its nearest RTW neighbor, Iowa (Vedder et al. 2011; Lafer 2011).”

Click here to read the entire report.
It’s alarming that groups like this are allowed to knowingly and willfully mislead our elected leaders with false information. In Congress, providing false information would be considered a crime, but Indiana has no such laws – maybe we should.

The truth is that these forces of greed will lie, cheat and even lock Hoosiers out of their own Statehouse in order to jam this very unpopular law down our throats because even they know it won't do anything but lower workers' wages and increase corporate profits.

Senator Brown to visit Locked Out Cooper workers

2011-12-31T10:27:00.000-05:00

Rachel Nelson, Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rod Nelson

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, will visit with locked-out Cooper Tire workers at 2:30 p.m. Monday at the United Steelworkers Local 207 Hall, 1130 Summit St.

More than 1,000 unionized Findlay workers were locked out Nov. 28 after they turned down a proposed labor contract.

In November, following a phone call made to Cooper Tire Chairman Roy Armes, Brown urged the company to work with employees to reach a resolution.

In 2009, Brown testified before the International Trade Commission in support of tire workers in Findlay, who were being undermined by a flood of Chinese imports dumped in the U.S.

Following his testimony, the commission ruled on behalf of tire workers, and President Obama announced that he would enforce "Section 421" trade safeguards that protect American manufacturers from excessive imports.

After the ruling, Cooper Tire announced plans to add capacity at the Findlay plant. Brown visited with Cooper Tire workers last summer to celebrate the expansion.

Minimum Wage Workers Get Much Needed Raise to Ring In 2012

2011-12-31T07:46:00.000-05:00

On January 1, 2012, workers covered under Ohio’s minimum wage law will see a .30 cent increase in their hourly wage taking them to $7.70 an hour. In 2006, on behalf of Ohio’s lowest wage earners, the Ohio AFL-CIO and the coalition, “Ohioans for a Fair Minimum Wage” successfully placed the Constitutional Amendment on the ballot, which tied Ohio’s minimum wage rate to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI has increased over 4% from September 1st 2010 to September 31st 2011.

“After over a decade without a minimum wage increase, Ohioans overwhelmingly passed the amendment- taking rate increases out of the hands of politicians.” Tim Burga, President of the Ohio AFL-CIO stated.

Originally passed as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the purpose of the minimum wage was to prevent market forces from driving down the wages of our lowest earners in the labor force. Research shows that an increase in the minimum wage also spurs employers to increase wages for other low-wage workers.

“We have had a problem with wage suppression in Ohio, and nationally for that matter, for far too long. If you are only making the minimum wage, you are essentially just surviving. After buying gas and groceries, too many Ohioans are broke until the next paycheck,” said Burga. “This increase will slow down the race to the bottom and help lift up those Ohioans struggling to make ends meet. These modest increases can generate revenue for our local economies- something we are in desperate need of here in Ohio.”

Brown Outlines Bill to Cut Taxes for the Middle Class and Help Small Businesses Create Jobs

2011-12-21T15:23:00.000-05:00

From Senator Sherrod Brown's Office:
Unless Congress Passes the Middle Class Tax Cut Act by the End of December, Average Ohioans Will See Tax Hike

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the deadline to maintain a tax cut for working Ohioans looming, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) outlined legislation he cosponsored which is being debated in the Senate this week that would stop a huge tax hike from hitting middle-class families. Unless Congress acts by the end of December, a two-percent payroll tax break will expire, increasing 98 percent of Americans’ taxes.

“At a time when many families and businesses are still struggling, we must extend and expand this important payroll tax cut,” Brown said. “Families will have more money to spend on necessities like gas and food, and their mortgages and rent. Businesses will be able to hire additional workers, boosting the economy. This bill gives tax cuts to people who need them – and will use them. America’s middle class can’t wait for them any longer.”

During a news conference call, Brown urged his colleagues to extend and expand the payroll tax cut, putting $1,430 into the pockets of the average Ohio family next year. Brown released a county-by-county analysis on Ohioans and small businesses that would benefit from the tax cut.

A broad sample of economists agrees that the payroll tax cut will help our economic recovery. Mark Zandi, who served as an economic advisor to John McCain, has said passing this legislation could create 750,000 jobs. He also said that our economy could fall back into a full blown recession if we do not extend this tax credit. Barclays analyst Michael Pond warned that letting the payroll tax cut expire at the end of this month could cause a drop in GDP of up to 1.5 percent.

Specifically, the Middle Class Tax Cut Act of 2011 would:

•    Provide a Tax Cut to 160 Million Workers by cutting the Social Security payroll taxes paid by employees and the self-employed on their wages and salary from 6.2 percent to 3.1 percent. Approximately 160 million workers would benefit from this tax cut, with the average Ohio family seeing $1,430 in additional take-home pay.

•    Slash the Payroll Tax for 98 percent of U.S. Businesses by cutting the employer-side Social Security payroll taxes from 6.2 percent to 3.1 percent for the first $5 million of payroll. This would benefit all businesses, but 98 percent of businesses would see their portion of the Social Security payroll tax cut in half. More than 200,000 small businesses in Ohio would stand to benefit.

•    Provide an Incentive for Businesses to Hire New Workers by eliminating the Social Security payroll tax paid by employers on the first $12.5 million of an employer’s increased taxable payroll for the 4th quarter of 2011 and $50 million in increased payroll for 2012.

•    Ask Millionaires to Pay Their Fair Share without Adding a Dime to the Deficit to create or save hundreds of thousands of jobs and prevent a tax hike for workers. The Senate bill would impose a 3.25 percent surtax on modified adjusted gross income in excess of $1 million for both single filers and married couples filing jointly beginning December 31, 2012.

•    Protects Social Security by requiring that the Social Security Trust Fund be made whole through transfers from the General Fund.

Hoosiers Need Our Help To Defeat Right To Work!

2011-12-14T14:39:00.000-05:00

First off, we want to thank everyone again who worked so hard throughout 2011 in collecting the record number of signatures, 1.3 million, to put the repeal of Senate Bill 5 on the ballot and then to deliver a resounding victory on November 8. This truly was a remarkable effort as all of labor joined together with the general public to prove to Governor John Kasich and other radical politicians that Ohioans still care about basic worker freedoms and rights.

Because of that victory, Governor John Kasich backed off from privatizing and revamping the Workers Compensation system to benefit big business. And the same politicians that voted FOR Senate Bill 5 are distancing themselves from the Right To Work (For Less) movement here in Ohio. But our sister state of Indiana is not so lucky.

Right now, politicians in Indiana are trying to move an agenda to benefit the 1% and are trying to ram through Right To Work (For Less) legislation by as early as February of 2012. Even though New Hampshire vetoed Right To Work (For Less) legislation, these overreaching politicians are receiving huge checks in the form of campaign contributions to carry out the mission of the ultra-wealthy and their corporate agenda.

Can you join us at a phone bank to call into Indiana to help defeat this legislation?

We would like to have the same call centers that we used to defeat Issue 2/SB5 to defeat Right To Work (For Less) in Indiana. The call centers will be in: Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, Youngstown and Toledo. If you want to help, but are not near one of those call centers, still sign up to volunteer and we will let you know how you can help! Calls should begin in early January, 2012.

Click here to sign up to volunteer today!

Sisters and brothers, American workers are under attack like we have never seen. With the Supreme Court siding with corporations over the American people with the Citizens United decision, it is clear it is up to us to ensure our children and grandchildren have a country that has a strong middle class with opportunities to succeed and raise a family of their own. That can only happen with your continued help to defeat any attempt to bring workers down while lifting corporations and CEOs up.

Can you help us defeat the assault on Indiana workers?

As working people of Ohio, we don’t ask for much. All we are trying to get is an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. And the direction many radical politicians want to take us is rewarding corporations and CEOs for shipping our jobs overseas and slashing our rights, our pay, our benefits and our chance at a middle-class living. We hope you can find the time to help us defeat this legislation in Indiana as folks from Indiana and around the country found the time to help us defeat Issue 2/SB5 here in Ohio.\

Join us and stand with the 99% by defeating Right To Work (for Less) in Indiana.

What Is Citizens United & How Are Corporations People?

2011-12-13T15:57:00.000-05:00

Throughout this past election as Gov. John Kasich and his big-money interest groups were looking to take away public employee collective bargaining, many can remember hearing from the Pro-Senate Bill 5 side that they do not need to disclose where their contributions were coming. This was due to what many now call the Citizens United decision. Watch the video to learn what it really means and sign the petition to put an end to big money ruling our politicians.

Click here to sign the petition to stop the big money interests!

Repeal of Voter Suppression Bill Makes the Ballot!

2011-12-13T09:11:00.000-05:00

Working families and Ohio’s middle class will once again have the opportunity to vote and reverse extreme policies set forth by the Republican majority at the Statehouse. Secretary of State Jon Husted announced on December 9^th that “Fair Elections Ohio”- the coalition fighting House Bill 194, had submitted enough valid signatures to place House Bill 194 on the Fall 2012 ballot.

After the resounding defeat of Issue 2 in November and now the collection of over 300,000 signatures to place HB 194 on the 2012 ballot, should send a clear message to statehouse politicians that Ohioans are not supportive of obviously partisan, extreme policies. House Bill 194 made national headlines earlier in 2011 when it was lumped in with several other voter suppression bills introduced in a handful of statehouses as part of a nation-wide voter suppression strategy heading into the 2012 Presidential Election.

Petition signing events in many Ohio Central Labor Councils (CLCs) happened even with all the work around the defeat of Issue 2/SB5. These events led by labor leaders along with the work of thousands of volunteers who care about our right to vote, regardless of race, creed or social status, ensured the 99% will have a voice yet again against these extreme politicians.

House Bill 194’s provisions will not go into effect until the people of Ohio have a chance to vote on the measure. The bill, if implemented would have drastically overhauled policies that have reduced long lines at the polls and make voting accessible to all eligible Ohioans. The bill would make it harder to vote, make it easier to throw out valid votes, and take away local control in the election process. The referendum on HB 194 would overturn provisions in the bill that would, among other things:

Reduce the time available for absentee voting, via mail or in-person, in advance of Election Day.

Ban in person absentee voting on Sundays, and cut off Saturday voting at noon.

Ban in person early voting during the last weekend before an election.

Make it more difficult for county election boards to open extra offices for early absentee voting.

Prohibit election boards from mailing unsolicited absentee ballot applications to all eligible voters.

Prohibit election boards from paying return postage on absentee ballots or requests for them.

Fair Elections Ohio will have to prepare language to be approved by the Ohio Ballot Board no later than 75 days prior to the November election. Read more are Progress Ohio.

Union Veterans Need To Stand Together

2011-12-12T12:37:00.001-05:00

On November 11, 2011 millions around the county celebrated Veterans Day and corporate CEOs had their business run millions of dollars of advertising promoting their support of our military veterans. Yet Bloomberg Businessweek ran a very sobering article: 30% of our young veterans are unemployed.

Read the article here.

While the CEOs and the 1% used marketing to tell us they support our current and retired military personel, reality is the ultra-wealthy are pocketing record profits while either cutting pay and benefits to our current working veterans or cutting their jobs altogether. And we all know they are not hiring as they can and should. That is why the Ohio AFL-CIO need veterans to stand together in the Union Veterans Council to ensure our politicians support those who defend the country, not the 1% who pocket our riches.

Click here to join our Union Veterans Council.

Sisters and brothers, we faced an assault on workers in the Senate Bill 5/Issue 2 campaign and we beat it back. But that does not mean we can breathe a sigh of relief. As we speak, Indiana is facing Right To Work and Michigan is facing the privatizing of public education. All this while our politicians are neglecting our unemployed by not supporting our President's American Jobs Act.

We need to stick together as veterans and join together to ensure our politicians stand with the 99%, not give more tax breaks to the 1% ultra-wealthy to pocket while they continue to ship our jobs overseas.

Click here to join our Union Veterans Council.

It's time we start electing politicians not because what party letter comes after their name, but because they want to restore America's and Ohio's middle class.

Cooper Tires Locks Out Findlay, Ohio Workers, Looks to Buy Foreign Plant

2011-12-10T10:22:00.001-05:00

As reported in Findlay, Ohio newspaper The Courier, days after it locked out USW workers, Cooper Tire was looking to spend millions to buy and renovate a plant in Krusevac, Serbia.

"(I) guess we know where the concessions (that Cooper sought from unionized workers in Findlay) were going to go," USW Local 207 L President Rod Nelson said to The Courier after hearing the news. He alleged that Findlay workers' wage and benefit concessions would help finance the purchase in Serbia.

"That's what the hurry was (for Findlay workers to approve Cooper's contract offer on Nov. 27). It wasn't that we weren't cooperating with those guys. It wasn't that we were going to line up with Texarkana (unionized workers in Arkansas in a power play of combined strikes), it was this," Nelson said. "This is it. This is a smoking gun."

The Courier also reported Workers and expert labor observers alike expect the strife to continue for weeks. Yet locked-out workers still have bills to pay and mouths to feed.

"Most of us older guys are probably all right. But it's the younger guys, they don't have things saved up. They don't really understand, I think, what's going on," said John Hudson, 62, of Findlay. "There's a lot of younger guys. They don't have the money, so they're the ones that are going to be hurting the worst."

The union is planning a "rally to support local workers" at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 at Dorney Plaza in downtown Findlay. Contact George Shafer if you can attend.

Also reported in the December 10 edition of The Courier, talks with a mediator will resume Tuesday, December 13.

"We want to get our people back to work. We want a fair contract," Nelson said. "The money (Cooper officials) are spending on these replacement workers and housing them ... it's a waste of money. They're turning their backs on loyal employees."

See the video of Congressman Dennis Kucinich supporting Cooper Tire workers.

Ohio AFL-CIO Marks 125th Anniversary of the AFL Federation Founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1886

2011-12-08T16:42:00.002-05:00

Courtesy Sue Taylor, President Ohio Federation of Teachers

Columbus, OH -- The American Federation of Labor (AFL) was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1886 by Samuel Gompers as a reorganization of its predecessor, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions. Gompers was the president of the AFL until his death in 1924.

“The AFL has a prominent place in American history and the AFL-CIO will continue to play a role in shaping her future,” said Tim Burga, President of the Ohio AFL-CIO. “Our mission is and will always be to improve the lives of working families—to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our nation. To accomplish this mission we will build and change the American labor movement,” said Burga.

“American working men and women built this country from the ground up and they continue to play a vital role in our national economy and our national pride,” said Dennis Duffey, President of the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council. “At a time when our country is in dire need of economic and infrastructure redevelopment, it is instructive to reflect on the economic successes of our national history,” said Duffey.

The AFL was the largest union grouping in the United States for the first half of the twentieth century, even after the creation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) by unions that left the AFL in 1938 over its opposition to organizing mass production industries. While the union was founded and dominated by craft unions throughout the first fifty years of its existence, many of its craft union affiliates turned to organizing on an industrial basis to meet the challenge from the CIO in the 1940s. The AFL-CIO was created in 1955 by the merger of the AFL and the CIO.