AFL-CIO, Utility Workers host tele-town hall meeting

Last night Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga joined Don Opatka, Region 3 Director for the Utility Workers Union of America for a tele-town hall meeting to discuss voting no on Issue 2 to repeal SB 5 on November 8.

Hundreds of utility workers from across the state joined the call, participating in the conversation about how Issue 2 is unfair, unsafe and brings down Ohio’s middle class.

“When police, fire, teachers, nurses and others lose their rights to bargain effectively, we all lose. Their unions bargain not only for their wages and benefits – they bargain over issues that benefit us all: safety equipment for police and fire, staffing requirements, class size, patient to nurse ratios. These issues are important to everyone,” Opatka said.

Burga called Issue 2 an “unprecedented attack on public employees and the middle class.”

“This is Labor’s time to send a message to politicians and extremists that we will not stand for attacks on workers who deliver public services and make our communities work,” he said.

Opatka added that the assault on public worker rights “has united the labor movement as never before.”

“The Utility Workers Union stands proudly with our brothers and sisters in the public and private sector unions because we know an attack on one is an attack on all,” he said.

Burga and Opatka concluded the call by urging participants to volunteer by visiting www.ohaflcio.org and vote no on Issue 2 to repeal SB 5.

Click here to listen to Thursday’s tele-town hall meeting with Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga and UWUA Region 3 Director Don Opatka.