Tag Archives: Ohio

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Labor: The Original Social Network


For too long, our political process has been dominated by too much money and too much power concentrated in the hands of too few.That’s why Workers’ Voice was created: to build an independent voice for the working and middle class. That voice will be fighting for the 99%—working people joining together to recognize the value of hard work and call for good jobs, a fair economy and to build a strong middle class.

As megamillionaires like Mitt Romney, the Koch brothers and large corporations plan to try and buy the 2012 elections, Workers’ Voice—powered by cutting-edge technology and old-fashioned energy—will activate and energize networks of working families, both online and offline, to come together to organize their friends, family, co-workers and neighbors, and make their voices heard.

As Theresa Brown, a worker from Cooper Tire in Ohio, said this morning at a press conference to launch Workers’ Voice, “It doesn’t matter if you’re in a union or not because we’re all fighting corporate greed and it’s time that we stood up and took this country back because we’re tired of it.”

Susan Baskett, who is from Michigan and unemployed, said, “Politicians aren’t paying attention to, or doing enough, to put people like me back to work. Workers’ Voice will let us connect with other people in similar situations so we can work together to organize our neighborhoods and communities.”

Check out Workers’ Voice and sign up here.

Workers’ Voice represents and fights for all working families—union and nonunion—around political campaigns, legislative issues and holding elected officials accountable. And we hope you’ll be a part of it.

Thanks for all the work you do.

In Solidarity,

Manny Herrmann
Online Mobilization Coordinator, AFL-CIO
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Josh Mandel won’t tell you where he stands … Ohio – Support Sherrod Brown !


 

Our opponent, Josh Mandel, recently sat down for an interview with the Atlantic Monthly1. And he made a remark that really stood out.

 Defending his habit of dodging questions about his positions, he said:

“We don’t pretend to cast votes on all these different pieces of legislation going through Washington. You know, we leave that to Sherrod Brown and the other career politicians.”
But here’s the thing. You don’t have to be an elected official to know that it’s wrong to call a woman a “slut” just because she disagrees with you. You don’t have to be an elected official to know that President Obama did the right thing when he saved the auto industry and hundreds of thousands of Ohio jobs.

 Josh Mandel won’t say what he thinks about those — and many other — issues. Even worse, when the reporter asked whether Ohioans deserve to know where he stands, he said that “when I’m a U.S. Senator…they’ll know exactly what my position is.”

I know that you’re not an elected official — but I bet you have opinions on these issues. And if you want a Senator who isn’t afraid to tell you where he stands, it’s clear that there’s only one choice in this election. Stand with Sherrod by contributing $5 today!

 Frankly, Josh has it backwards. After all, in his current elected position, he has skipped every single meeting of an important state panel he was supposed to chair. In Josh’s world, you don’t have to tell people what you think until you’re elected — and then you don’t have to show up for work.

 That’s not how Sherrod treats his job. Sherrod’s always been proud to tell people where he stands — on the side of workers, on the side of women, on the side of Ohio’s manufacturers and small businesses. And whenever there’s a fight over the future of the middle class, Sherrod shows up to work hard for Ohio families.

I think Ohio can do better than Josh Mandel — someone who, according to the article, “quickly turns evasive or just blank on unfamiliar ground.” And if you agree, we need your support — will you give $5 or more now?

 You don’t have to be a “career politician” to know where you stand. And you don’t have to read between the lines to know where Sherrod stands.

 Thank you for helping us hold Josh Mandel accountable.

 Sarah Benzing
 Campaign Manager
 Friends of Sherrod Brown

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Help me help Sherrod Brown … Al Franken


Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota

I’ve noticed something about the right-wing attack machine: Great progressives drive them absolutely nuts.

Sure, they’ll attack anyone who doesn’t agree that corporations are people, Social Security is a Ponzi scheme, and global warming is a hoax (that every legitimate scientist is in on).  But they really lose their minds when they encounter a true progressive who gets results for working families.
And they have gone positively crackers in their negative campaign against my friend Sherrod Brown, throwing everything they can at him — to the tune of more than $3.5 million in attack ads on Ohio T.V. already.
I’m helping Sherrod fight back — and you should, too.  His campaign has to raise $200,000 by the end of the month.  Can you knock $20 off that goal by clicking here right now?
I work with Sherrod a lot — and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more forceful advocate for the middle class.  Less raspy?  Maybe.  But more forceful?  No way.
That’s why the right-wing attack machine has zeroed in on Sherrod.  They can’t stand the idea that a guy who wears his progressive values on his sleeve not only gets to serve in the U.S. Senate, but gets things done there.  Sherrod’s won fights on behalf of working people his whole career — and if we want to win these fights in the future, we’d better make sure he keeps his seat in November.
Every right-wing special interest group in Washington has Ohio’s Senate race at the top of their wish lists in 2012.  Sherrod really drives them berserk.  It’s one of my favorite things about him.
And the only thing that would drive these radicals crazier would be if we helped him overcome their attacks and win.
Thanks for helping me help Sherrod keep driving the far right around the bend.
Al
P.S.: I have it on good authority that another thing that makes the right-wing attack machine flip out is when I include an extra “ask” in the P.S. of a fundraising email.  Seriously, they’re reading this right now and just freaking out — pounding on their desks, tearing out their hair, the whole deal.  And if you want to get them completely unglued, you could click here and prove that the “extra ask in the P.S.” trick works by donating $10 or more to Sherrod’s campaign right now!
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AFL – CIO … Classic Corporate Greed


 


Fight back against Cooper Tire’s flat-out greed!

Description: Cooper Tire Lockout

Tell Cooper to end the lockout!
 

A classic tale of corporate greed is unfolding in Ohio, and we need your help to put a stop to it.

In 2008, when Cooper Tire & Rubber Company was losing money, workers at its Findlay, Ohio plant gave up $31 million in pay and benefits to help the company stay afloat.

Thanks to the workers’ sacrifices and productivity, Cooper has made more than $300 million in profits since 2009. Cooper paid its executives millions of dollars in bonuses and bought a new corporate jet. What did its employees get? Locked out on Thanksgiving weekend.

Despite soaring profits, Cooper pushed a new contract on its employees with higher healthcare premiums and undisclosed wage terms. Do you think CEOs would accept a contract if they didn’t know if they were getting a raise or a pay cut? Not a chance.

Still, Cooper’s employees were more than willing to keep working through negotiations to reach a fair deal after their contract expired last fall. But Cooper refused to budge—leaving 1,050 workers out in the cold since November 28.

The workers in Findlay, Ohio are counting on you! Email Cooper Tire NOW!

Cooper can easily afford to set things straight and still turn a profit. Cooper CEO Roy Armes received $4.7 million in compensation in 2010.3 And the company has purchased a plant in Serbia for $17.3 million!4

Cooper wants to cry broke, but greed—not need—is driving this lockout. As Chico Ramirez, who’s logged 25 years with the company, explains, “The thing that bothers us is that we gave them concessions to help them get back on their feet, and they are paying out bonuses instead of paying back the backbone of the company.”

Around the country, people are fighting back against corporate greed and standing up for the 99%. Will you stand up and fight for Cooper’s workers too?

Tell Cooper Tire that its bullying and greed must end now.

Thanks for all that you do for workers everywhere.

In solidarity,

Manny Herrmann
AFL-CIO Working Families e-Activist Network

1. http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/01/02/U-S-senator-drops-in-to-cheer-up-locked-out-Findlay-tire-workers.html
2. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204319004577084441182793280.html
3. http://people.forbes.com/profile/roy-v-armes/22977
4. http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/01/19/Cooper-closes-on-deal-to-buy-Serbia-tire-plant.html

 

To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at www.aflcio.org.

Click here to unsubscribe.

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Worst-case scenario … Sherrod Brown


We know that Karl Rove and his special interest friends are going to lie about me and my record in this campaign. And we know they’re going to spend a ton of money doing it.

Now, I’m not afraid to stand on my progressive values – and I’m always proud to defend my record of standing up for Ohio’s working families. What I do worry about is this: Will we be able to respond?

After all, telling the truth is free – but rapid response in a campaign costs money. And the worst-case scenario for this campaign is that the truth will be on our side – but that, because of Citizens United, the numbers will be on the side of the other guys…and the money won’t be there when we need to fight back.

That’s why we need to hit our fundraising goals – and why I hope you’ll click here to help make sure we have the resources we need to respond to Karl Rove’s smears.

There’s nothing worse than having to sit by, unable to right a wrong. When one of my colleagues says that cutting taxes on the wealthiest one percent will reduce the deficit, I want to tell him why he’s wrong. When I see an Ohio homeowner struggling to avoid foreclosure, I want to help.

And when I see an ad on Ohio’s airwaves lying about me, I want to set the record straight – online and offline, on the doors and on the phones.

But if we don’t hit our goals – like the $120,000 one we’re up against right now – we might be unable to do that. That’s Karl Rove’s game plan: Wear us down and drown us out.

We must raise $20 from 6,000 people by the end of February to keep on pace – and to make sure we can respond when we’re attacked. Please click here to give now.

There’s going to come a day – maybe soon – when I ask Sarah whether we have enough resources to respond to something ugly Karl Rove put on our airwaves. And when I do, her answer will depend on whether supporters like you have done the hard work it takes to meet goals like this one.

I know you’ll come through – just like you always have.

Thank you for helping us be ready,

Sherrod