He may be a candidate for the Montana Senate, but Local 190 member Eric Johnson doesn’t view himself any different than the UPS feeder drivers and mechanics he represents as shop steward. And that is part of the 29-year Teamster’s appeal.
“I’m not a politician at all,” he said. “I’m just a blue-collar guy who has answers to questions bureaucrats make too complicated.”
Thomas Jefferson Davis, a locomotive engineer for the past 23 years, said he is tired of seeing the middle class under constant fire in Ohio. He is running to represent District 90 in the Ohio House of Representatives.
“We’ve seen attacks on the middle class, from voting rights restrictions to the Homestead Exemption Act revision to tax changes that have hurt struggling families,” said Davis, who is President of Division 511 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET).
Ohio has cut income taxes, but in turn raised the sales tax by a half-percent.
Ross Canen knows how to tackle crime. The undersheriff for the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office in Montana has spent 21 years in law enforcement, and is now running for the sheriff’s position.
A longtime member of Local 190 in Billings, Mont., Canen says the primary responsibility of the sheriff is to protect the citizens of Dawson County. Canen is ready to take on the challenges of the position, which includes managing a budget of $5.3 million and 62 employees.
Beau Byrtus knows quite a bit about Farmingdale, N.J. A former town councilman and Board of Education member, he’s fought to make his hometown a better place. But the Democrat and 12-year member of Local 469 knows there is more to do.
Bob Burns, a 34-year Teamster who retired after a career as a beer truck driver and was a longtime member of Local 600 in St. Louis, vows to continue to fight the anti-worker forces rearing their ugly heads in Missouri.
“We defeated right-to-work-for-less and we also defeated paycheck deception, but the proponents will be back which is why this election is so important,” said Burns, a Democrat, who is seeking re-election to the Missouri House of Representatives, District 93.
Broward County, Florida, is the 15th largest county in the country, encompassing 31 different cities. Mark Bogen, a member of GCC Local 508M, knows he is up for the task of representing workers.
“I wanted to run for office so that I could make a difference in people’s lives,” said Bogen. “I’m from Chicago and I worked for various Democratic political campaigns there. For the past 30 years I have been a full-time attorney, too, representing workers, seniors and consumers.”
Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President, visited rank and file Teamsters in Atlanta this past weekend to encourage early voting in the November 4 elections.
Lawmakers need to hear the voice of the people, not just those of the powerful. And that begins by curbing corporate welfare.
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