From the fall 2008 issue of the IBEW Journal

What Do the Folks Back Home Think?

Before we go shopping for a car or a new TV, it makes sense to speak to someone who owns the same model that we are considering. That same good sense can be applied in deciding who to vote for in November’s presidential election.

The Journal asked some of the folks who know Barack Obama the best – the men and women back home in Illinois – to tell us about him and his record.

Illinois Leaders Discuss Barack Obama

I’ve met Barack Obama personally a couple times. We’re pretty excited about his chances. As a legislator in Illinois, he was always pro-labor. It’s so rewarding, after eight years of George Bush, to finally have a candidate for president who is as articulate as Obama. We’ll be in good hands if he wins because he truly believes that a rising tide raises all boats in our economy. I like it when a guy looks in your eye and doesn’t look over your shoulder to see who else is in the room when he shakes your hand.

David Burns
Business Manager
Springfield, Ill., Local 193

Here in Illinois, we have known for many years that Barack Obama is a true friend to working families. His record with labor while he was in the Illinois Senate was excellent.  He fought for equal pay, the minimum wage increase, prevailing wage improvements, card check and unemployment for locked-out workers.

Now the nation knows what we do – that Barack Obama comes from a working-class family, with working-class values. He stands up for working people and he will turn our economy around so that all Americans will benefit from fair trade, affordable health care, pension protections and the right to join a union. 

The Illinois AFL-CIO is totally committed to a statewide education program for our members so that we all understand the distinct difference between Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s records where working families are concerned.

Michael Carrigan
Illinois AFL-CIO president
Former Business Manager, Decatur, Ill., Local 146

I look very favorably on Barack Obama. For the working class and union members, he’s exactly what we need. I generally judge people by their actions and not their words. In Illinois, Barack Obama has a 98 percent voting record as tallied by AFL-CIO.

If you talk to Barack Obama, you know that he understands his blue-collar, working-class roots. Union members should know that in 2002 and 2003 he was one of the strongest proponents of increasing the minimum wage in Illinois. He took a very, very powerful stance on this. If he wins the presidency, I think you will see not just the minimum wage rise, but wages across the country on the upswing. 

Even though most IBEW members have good union health care plans, we will benefit if Barack Obama establishes universal health care insurance. A universal plan will drive costs down because everyone would be paying in. Obama’s record on health care in the Illinois legislature is strong. He was a major supporter of the Healthcare Justice Act—a study in how to implement universal health care statewide.

Darrin Golden
Business Manager
Rockford, Ill., Local 364

Barack Obama was always helpful and cordial as our state senator, helping us on electrical licensing and other issues. Whenever I sent my card in to him during the senate session, he would come and talk to me at the rail. He made the time to talk even if he didn’t agree with us on a particular issue.

Rosetta Shinn
Executive Director of Legislative and Political Affairs
Downers Grove, Ill., Local 21

Where do I start talking about Barack Obama?  I have been politically active for 40 years and I’ve rarely seen a more pro-labor state legislator. I hated to lose Barack Obama when he left the Illinois State Senate—his record on our issues was over 90 percent—but I knew that he would take the same commitment to working families to the U.S. Senate. Let me list just some of the improvements to state law that Sen. Obama helped the IBEW and our allies win:

• Adding the costs of apprenticeship training to prevailing wage calculations
• Mandating that the state of Illinois buy American-made products
• Expanding the federal WARN Act in Illinois to aid workers facing layoffs and plant shutdowns
• Enforcing equal pay for equal work
• Making it illegal for the state to hire strikebreakers
• Expanding project labor agreements and prevailing wages to cover ethanol plants that receive public funding
• Requiring out-of-state contractors to honor Illinois’ workers compensation statute

Any working person who votes against a candidate with a record like Barack Obama’s is making a huge mistake!

Steve Magruder
Assistant Business Manager
Joliet, Ill., Local 176

Barack Obama has always been there for us. From 1996, when he was first elected to the Illinois Senate until 2003, when he left to run for U.S. Senate, the Republicans controlled the legislature. But Obama was still able to push through some important legislation—sponsoring tax credits for low-income workers, ethics reform and health care improvements.  Barack Obama’s agenda mirrors the agenda of the IBEW and organized labor.

Paul Noble
Business Manager
West Frankfort, Ill., Local 702

We couldn’t get a better person in the presidency than Barack Obama. I remember attending a meeting—long before the meltdown of the mortgage market—where State Sen. Obama said that something must be done about predatory payday loans and unscrupulous mortgage investors, so he went into action. Barack Obama understands what unions are asking for and what working families need and he respects and listens to the IBEW.

Jose Caez
Business Manager
Chicago Local 1031