(Source: International Brotherhood of Teamsters press release, October 13, 2012)
CLEVELAND — Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa called on hundreds of members of the Teamsters to get out the vote on Nov. 6 and do their part to protect the middle class during a rally today at Teamsters Local 436 in Valley View, Ohio.
Hoffa urged the crowd to take action and vote for candidates that support working families in Ohio and support Issue 2 – an amendment on the November ballot that creates a set of common sense redistricting rules that require fair representation by both parties while making sure the average citizen’s voice is heard.
“I have traveled across this state these last few days meeting with workers on the job and at rallies just like this one and there is one thing I feel confident saying – I feel like Ohio is going blue on November 6,” Hoffa said. “But it’s going to take each and every one of you, your families and your friends to make that happen. We’ve got to mobilize to keep good, pro-labor candidates like Sen. Sherrod Brown in office.”
Hoffa also voiced his support for President Barack Obama in his bid for reelection.
“Pres. Obama is the candidate that has the back of working families and union members in Ohio and across the country,” Hoffa said. “He has led us back from the brink – unemployment is down to 7.8 percent, the stock market is up and the auto industry is thriving. We have to make sure we stay on the track to economic recovery.”
Al Mixon, International Vice President and President of Teamsters Local 507 in Cleveland, Ohio, voiced his intention to vote ‘Yes on Issue 2’ on Nov. 6.
“There are certain career politicians that are gaming the system, using the current redistricting system to make sure they keep their jobs by suppressing our voice at the ballot box,” Mixon said. “We can’t let the happen any longer. Voting for Issue 2 will reform a broken system and stop politicians from rigging the system in their favor.”
Gary Tiboni, President of Teamsters Local 436, believes that there is too much at stake for Ohioans to not make their voice heard on Nov. 6.
“Getting out the vote for ‘Yes on Issue 2’ is one the most important challenges we face right now. They stacked the deck against us and we lost a great representative in Dennis Kucinich – we can’t let that happen again,” Tiboni said. “Everyone is watching Ohio right now and we must do our best through grassroots efforts to make sure this state goes blue again.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.
Click here for more information about the Teamsters Union’s quest to stop the war on workers:
http://www.teamster.org/content/stopthewaronworkers