By Alex Lasry
Alex Lasry
This Saturday, I attended a rally in Oshkosh in support of the next generation of United States Postal Service delivery vehicles being built union-made in Wisconsin.
The Oshkosh Corporation competed and won the contract due to the exceptional work done by their union workers in Oshkosh. Shortly after the contract was awarded, it was announced that the new vehicles would be made in South Carolina, likely in a non-union facility.
These 1,000 union jobs aren’t just good for Oshkosh, these jobs will have a cascading effect throughout the region and the entire state. The current workforce at Oshkosh already draws from 14 different Wisconsin counties, and that would likely increase with the addition of even more jobs.
According to a new report this week, Wisconsin saw the largest drop in union membership in the last 20 years of any state. Wisconsin used to be among the leading states in union rights, but that has been chipped away by Republican policies and corporate practices.
Building these vehicles in South Carolina instead of Oshkosh is just one more example of this.. Making these vehicles union-made in Wisconsin is about more than just jobs. It’s about more good paying, family sustaining union jobs in our state. These are the types of jobs that built the middle class all across this state and will help rebuild it again.
Unfortunately for Wisconsinites, we have a United States Senator in Ron Johsnon who just doesn’t care.
Republican Senator Ron Johnson is refusing to stand up for Wisconsin workers, once again. He’s stated that he’s okay with the 1,000 good paying union jobs going to South Carolina instead of coming here. If that wasn’t enough, Johnson went on to say that he thinks that we already have too many jobs in Wisconsin.
I have spent the last year traveling the state. I can tell you, this is the first time I have heard anyone, let alone our United States Senator, say we don’t need more good paying union jobs in Wisconsin.
Ron Johnson has spent the last twelve years failing to bring jobs and investment back to Wisconsin and Ron Johnson is failing us once again by refusing to fight for Wisconsin workers.
We need another Senator who will fight for us, not one who just keeps spouting off craziness. I want to go to Washington to be a partner for Tammy Baldwin to fight to bring investments like these good union jobs to Wisconsin. I know I can do it because I have done it before. I have a proven record of raising wages, bringing jobs and investments to our state, and building things right here in Wisconsin.
That’s exactly what I’ll do as your next U.S. Senator.
The people of Wisconsin want to see real change and real results that will help impact their lives. That starts through investing in American manufacturing, buying American made products, and strengthening our unions to raise wages and bring more jobs and investment back to every part of our state. By helping ensure that everyone is paid family-sustaining wages, we will help lift up more working families into the middle class.
We can do this through giving power back to our workers and empowering unions. When people have good benefits, a good paying job, and job security, Wisconsin will grow as a hub of economic activity and that will benefit everyone.