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.”

Johnson, who is a Democrat seeking the Billings-area District 27 seat, says there is a lot wrong with government. It starts with big business being seen as more important than regular workers. While corporations get tax breaks, lawmakers refuse to raise the minimum wage. And families are struggling.

If wages were raised, he noted, people would have more money to spend on goods and services, which in turn would be a boost to the economy. But instead, billions sit in the bank accounts of companies and the wealthy, which does the country no good.

“As rich as any one person can be, they can’t match the people who buy cars and build homes,” he said.

If elected, he would also push for companies to pay their fair share of infrastructure costs resulting from a boom in the oil industry that is now making its way into Montana.

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