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N.C. House Candidate Davis Says ‘Door is Open’ to Union Needs
Teamsters in North Carolina’s 11th congressional district, which includes the western-most portion of the state, have not had a representative that cares about them in the past. The district was most recently represented by now White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
But a court-ordered redrawing of the state’s partisan gerrymandered districts has made it more friendly turf in 2020 for a candidate like retired Air Force Colonel Moe Davis, who is facing off against an inexperienced conservative ideologue in the November election. Davis understands what matters to Teamsters and what our families need in our representative. He told Teamsters during a virtual town hall meeting last weekend that western North Carolina residents are worried about their jobs and their health during the coronavirus pandemic.
“For too long, we’ve taken care of the folks at the top,” said Davis, who is also a retired administrative law judge with the U.S. Department of Labor. “We’ve heard about trickle down [economics]. I think folks are realizing they’ve gotten trickled on.”
To change that, there needs to be a greater focus on issues that matter to working North Carolinians. And that especially means pension security, said Teamsters Local 61 Vice President Tommy Pintacuda. “Pensions, when we poll our members, is always one of the top issues that matters to them,” he told the candidate. In response, Davis assured members that he “would definitely support the Butch Lewis Act.”
But he knows there are other key concerns that union members and workers are worried about and plans to prioritize those as well. That includes expanding collective bargaining rights and supporting infrastructure investment that will improve the quality of life for all.
Infrastructure, in particular, should be a no-brainer to pass, Davis said. “It ought to be a non-partisan issue,” he said. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize our infrastructure is crumbling, especially in western North Carolina.’
In closing, Davis told union members he would be there for the when they need him. “My door is open,” he said. “You’ll have an ally in Congress.”