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Opening Doors

November 2005 IBEW Journal

I would like to have seen the expressions on the faces of lawyers for the Argosy Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, during their first meeting with Mayor Bill Cunningham, an IBEW member, and his city council, several of whom have union backgrounds. Who better to negotiate agreements holding corporations accountable to their neighboring communities than men and women who have spent their lives bargaining for workers?

As illustrated in our new series “IBEW in Public Office,” which begins on page 10 of this issue, when union members grab the opportunity to run for public office, we improve our communities, bolster our organizing and gain allies for future battles.

Lawrenceburg is far away from Washington, D.C., where sharp-edged issues divide our nation. There, along the Ohio River, citizens representing both sides of the national political divide often end up voting for the same candidates. They are primarily concerned with one question. Who can get things done? We can.

Michael Smart, a member of Boston Local 103, is vice president of the Weymouth (Massachusetts) City Council. Soon after being elected in 2002, he joined a council majority that passed Weymouth’s “Responsible Employer Ordinance,” requiring contractors to pay prevailing wages and pension and health care benefits.

In Suffolk County, Long Island, former Local 25 Business Manager Bill Lindsay has been serving in the legislature for four years. Bob Dow, another former Local 25 business manager, is currently the county’s labor commissioner. On September 27, the Suffolk County legislature, by a vote of 17-1, became the first county in the United States to pass a bill requiring large retail companies like Wal-Mart to provide health care to low wage retail workers.

Frank Weddig, a retired member of Denver Local 68 is another one of our stars. In public office for 24 years, today he is a county commissioner for Arapahoe County serving a population of 515,000 people. Frank was instrumental in passing legislation authorizing the building of Denver International Airport, creating thousands of building trades jobs. Labor owes a debt of gratitude to Frank and Local 68’s John Soper, who serves in the Colorado Legislature, for helping to shut the door on right-to-work legislation in the state.

Tom George, president of St. Louis, Local 1, a four-term Missouri House representative has carried our banner in that state’s battle over right-to-work laws. Tim Green, another Local 1 member, has just been elected state senator.

These are just a few of our members who have taken the initiative to change their communities for the better by running for public office.

While some in the labor movement see political campaigns as a distraction from the urgent necessity to organize new members, the IBEW considers these two activities to be complementary.

Our members in public office who have helped prevent right-to-work legislation have blocked an important obstacle to organizing. Political efforts like the Suffolk County health care initiative not only project a positive image for our organization, but seek to measurably improve the lives of working families. They help open doors to our organizers and raise living standards for everyone.

Our members in public office stress the importance of seizing opportunities to enter the political process where openings exist, from zoning boards to school boards to scaling the walls of the U.S. Congress, like our esteemed member, Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.). Each level is a building block to the next and a way to reach out to broad numbers of citizens on the important relationship between local and national political developments.

Jon F. Walters

International Secretary-Treasurer