Ryan’s Senate Campaign Votes to Organize with IBEW
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan’s campaign for U.S. Senate said in a news release Tuesday morning it would organize with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1466.
Ryan’s Senate campaign will be the first in Ohio history to unionize and the first to be represented by Local 1466, according to the release.
“Tim Ryan’s record of fighting for Ohio workers is what drew us to this race, and we’re proud to share that his dedication to workers includes voluntary recognition for our union,” Ryan’s campaign staff said in a collective statement. “We’re fired up for the campaign ahead, because we know that a robust staff union will ensure that our team has the support we need to win this race and flip Ohio blue.”
The campaign said it would voluntary recognize the staff union after all bargaining-unit eligible employees signed union cards.
“This campaign is about cutting Ohio workers in on the deal, and that starts with how we treat our own staff,” Ryan, D-13 Ohio, said. “Every worker – whether you work in health care or manufacturing, practice a trade or staff a political campaign – deserves strong protections and a voice on the job, and one of the best ways to make that happen is by making it easier to join a union. I’m proud to be running a race that puts workers first, and I applaud our team for making history by becoming the first unionized Senate campaign in Ohio history.”
To guarantee neutrality throughout the process, Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga oversaw and certified the election.
“It’s no secret that campaigns are known for long hours and demanding work environments, which is why it’s so important that staff are treated fairly and with the dignity that comes from joining a union,” Burga said. “Ohioans know that Tim Ryan has always stood on the side of workers, and we are pleased to see that this commitment extends to the people powering his campaign for the United States Senate.”
Ryan’s campaign will be better off for its “early action to organize and build collective power,” Jason Wright, IBEW Local 1466 president and business manager, said.
“All workers are better off when they have a strong union advocating for fair wages, benefits, and working conditions – and campaign workers are no exception,” he said. “I commend Tim Ryan for his leadership in honoring his team’s right to organize and setting the standard for pro-worker campaigns all across Ohio over the next fourteen months.”
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
