Dear Mr. Romney:
Your welcoming letter to
President Obama felt a little sketchy to me. I remember, as I am certain
my fellow Ohioans remember, you supporting actions, or in many cases inaction,
which would have cost Ohioans their jobs, their homes and their rights.
You, Mr. Romney, made it clear
that you don't understand how average Ohioans live and support their
families. That is why you did not support the auto industry bail out and
in fact said "Let Detroit go bankrupt." Unlike you, President Obama understands
that the auto industry is the backbone of livable-wage jobs for Ohio's middle
class and without those jobs they could not feed their families or pay their
mortgages. That is why President Obama bet on the America worker and as a
result, 120,000 Ohioans now work in an auto-industry job, while another 848,000
Ohio jobs thrive because of the auto industry's influence. Mr. Romney,
what do you say to those nearly 1,000,000 people now working because of the
auto industry, do you tell them you do not support their jobs?
Mr. Romney, you also said
government needs to get out of the way and allow the foreclosure process to
"run its course and hit the bottom." Clearly you do not understand what
hitting bottom means. Bottom means families, children and elderly people
homeless. Ohioans without anywhere to go, people thrown into turmoil
without a way out. Does that sound responsible and reasonable to you?
President Obama didn't think that was responsible or reasonable, that is why he
enacted legislation to keep families in their homes. If you were president
would you encourage banks to throw hardworking Americans into the streets?
Mr. Romney, you also supported
Governor John Kasich's quest to pass Senate Bill 5 - which was unsafe, unfair
and would have hurt us all. Being a man of extreme privilege, there is no
way you can understand what is means to struggle financially or be worried
about harsh working conditions that could threaten your life. Supporting laws
that strip union rights from hardworking healthcare professionals, fire
fighters and police officers shows just how out-of-touch you are with Ohio's
middle class. President Obama supports workers and worker rights, it's
unfortunate that you want the person saving your life or protecting you to be
over worked and underpaid.
You are right about one point
Mr. Romney - we do need proper leadership. America needs a strong leader that
will wake up each day concerned about struggling middle-class families and
those that aspire to be in the middle class. President Obama is that leader -
you, Mr. Romney, are not.
Washington is
already full of politicians and special interest groups that rig the system
against average people. We certainly don't need one occupying the White House.
Sincerely,
Becky Williams
President
SEIU District 1199
Becky Williams is President of the Service Employees
International Union, District 1199 which represents 35,000 healthcare and
social service workers in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.
PAID
FOR BY SEIU DISTRICT 1199 PCE, BECKY WILLIAMS PRESIDENT, 1395 DUBLIN ROAD,
COLUMBUS, OHIO 43215
NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE COMMITTEE
Millionaire Mitt Romney paid a tax rate of only 13.9% in 2010-lower than many secretaries, nurses and firefighters. We need Congress to pass The Paying a Fair Share Act (aka the Buffett Rule), which stops millionaires from paying lower tax rates than working people.
Call your members of Congress at 866-816-5668 and tell them to support H.R. 3909 and S.2230, the Paying a Fair Share Act, and make millionaires pay their fair share.
"At a time when the rights of so many Ohioans are under constant attack, Chris Redfern has always stood up and spoken out against the efforts of others to take away workers' rights, women's rights, and voting rights," said Becky Williams, President of the Service Employees International Union, District 1199. "We say with the deepest of conviction that Chairman Redfern has always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with SEIU and our fight for social and economic justice for all."
"As our state and our nation heals from a national recession, we call upon all political leaders to work together across party lines to answer the call of our time through cooperation and unity, yielding good jobs and shared prosperity for the middle class."
SEIU District 1199 represents nearly 35,000 health care and social service workers across West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. The Union is a part of the Service Employees International Union, whose 2.1 million members make it the largest union in the country, as well as the largest health care union in the nation.
###
Kasich's Budget Fix: More of the Same
Less than a year after crippling cuts to our communities, Working Families demand that Ohio needs more revenue, not an income-tax cut.
COLUMBUS, OH - At a time when Ohio communities are struggling to make ends meet due to the cuts-only state budget from last year, Governor Kasich and his tax-cutting posse appears to be at it again, trying to find ways to reward their wealthy campaign contributors at cost of good jobs and public safety.
"Governor Kasich is needlessly being self-destructive to our local communities by over-reacting to a budget deficit that doesn't exist," said Becky Williams, President of the Service Employees International Union District 1199. "Kasich actions are best described as 'cutting off the nose to spite the face' because it seems the more he cuts, the deeper the wounds are for our schools, vital community services and good jobs in our state."
"We've tried the cut-and-see approach and it has not made Ohio's economy stronger compared to other states, and it is unlikely that any further reduction in revenue will have a different outcome," continued Williams, whose Union advocates for increased revenue to restore the services slashed by Kasich's current budget bill HB 153. "Governor Kasich should take further revenue cuts off the table and propose a more robust severance tax on our state's natural resources to help communities prepare and respond to the challenges brought on by both our rapidly developing energy sector and simultaneous budget cuts to local government and education services."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
CONTACT:
Anthony A. Caldwell, Media Relations Liaison
Phone: (330)651-2042 | acaldwell@seiu1199.org
###
SEIU District 1199 is pleased to announce that our very own President Becky Williams has been elected to serve as a Vice President for SEIU International and will continue to serve as the top leader of SEIU District 1199.
President Williams will expand the voice of our Local, working with SEIU President Mary Kay Henry and the International Executive Board to improve the lives of working people and their families and to achieve greater social and economic justice.
In addition to this new role, President Williams continues to serve as a national leader on the SEIU International Executive Board (IEB) and is a member of IEB Health Care Council, the Midwest Area Leadership Council, and the International Member Strength Committee.
When it comes to issues that affect working people, where do the candidates stand? See where President Barack Obama stands on issues that affect workers compared to his potential opponents in the 2012 Presidential Election.
Barack Obama vs. Michelle Backman
Cincinnati Hear Our Voices Day of Voting
10:00 am to Noon
Word of Deliverance Ministries
693 Fresno Rd,
Cincinnati 45240
Breakfast and Ride to Board of Elections
Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship
2324 May St.,
Cincinnati 45206
Details
Columbus "Souls to the Polls"
1 pm to 5 pm
Bethel AME Church
2012 Cleveland Ave.
Columbus OH 43211
Union Grove Baptist
266 N. Champion Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43203
Shiloh Baptist Church
720 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43203
Family Baptist Church
966 Oakwood Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43206
Lincoln Park Community Baptist Church
675 E. Markison Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43207
St Paul AME Church
639 East Long Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Travel to the BOE and then return to St. Paul AME for lunch/dinner
Details and Signup
Cleveland Hear Our Voices Day of Voting
1 PM - 5 PM
Pick up Locations
Abyssina Baptist Church
1161 East 105th Street
Cleveland, OH 44108
Church of God and Christ
2940 Martin Luther King Drive
Cleveland, OH 44104
Lunch will be provided
Details and Signup
Toledo Hear Our Voices Day of Voting
Noon - 4 PM
3rd Baptist Church
402 Pinewood Ave
Toledo OH 43604
Lunch will be provided.
Details and Signup
Boo on 2
Rally against Issue 2 with Safe Halloween Family Event Afterwards
First Grace United Church of Christ
350 South Portage Path
Akron, OH 44320
Details and Signup
SEIU members joined firefighters and residents of the community at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 67 in Columbus to rally against Senate Bill 5 and urge Ohioans to vote NO on Issue 2.
Labor leaders addressed an enthusiastic crowd and emphasized the negative effects Senate Bill 5 will have on Ohio communities. SEIU District 1199 President, Becky Williams, was on hand to voice her opposition to Issue 2 and tell the crowd Senate Bill 5 is bad for Ohio.
"Senate Bill 5 is an attack on all of us," says Williams. "We need to talk to our friends, our neighbors, and everyone we meet and let them know they need to vote no on Issue 2 to protect their communities."
Senate Bill 5 puts every Ohioan's safety at risk by making it illegal for public employees to negotiate for adequate staffing levels and nearly impossible to bargain for safety equipment. By voting NO on Issue 2, Ohioans can repeal Senate Bill 5, which will allow workers the right to bargain over concerns that protect communities.
After the rally, volunteers hit the streets to knock on doors and urge people in the community to repeal Senate Bill 5 by voting NO on Issue 2. Volunteers will continue to canvass neighborhoods until Election Day to inform voters that Senate Bill 5 is unfair, unsafe, and hurts all Ohioans.
As the November 8 election draws closer, it is vital voters know the negative impact Senate Bill 5 will have on Ohio and you can help. Click here to volunteer a couple hours between now and Election Day to tell Ohioans to vote NO on Issue 2.
Tonight, the U.S. Senate votes on the American Jobs Act - a bill proposed by President Obama that includes billions of dollars to address work that needs doing in our communities.
Whether it's bridges, roads, schools or other projects, the Senate has the chance to put Americans back to work and rebuild the economy for the long-term.
It's unsurprising that Republicans plan to block the bill - even though it includes ideas they've been supportive of in the past.
As the clock ticks down to the big vote, your Senator needs to hear from you.
We set up a toll free number for you to call and speak out about the need for job creation in your community. Just call 1-877-851-2521
When you're done, visit this link http://action.seiu.org/AJA-calls and let us know what they said.
Our communities are hurting and it's time Congress get to work creating jobs, not figuring out how to squeeze in more job-killing budget cuts.
Your call to the Senate is important, so please make it today.
