IUOE Local 18 video campaign showcases importance of union-backed wage regulation

The newest 30 second digital ad explains the frustration Harold Pflager went through as an at will worker seeking higher wages
Tweet
PrintFriendly and PDFPrint Friendly
Send via Text

(PR NewsChannel) / September 29, 2014 / COLUMBUS, Ohio 

Local 18- Harold PflagerThe International Union of Operating Engineers Local 18 (IUOE Local 18) today released its latest web video that showcases the hardships at-will workers sometimes face when seeking higher wages without a union to lean on for support.

The newest video, live now on YouTube, introduces Harold Pflager, a former operator who’s been a retired union worker for more than 40 years.

In the video, Pflager explains his pre-union days and some of the frustrations he experienced, especially when looking for a raise.

“I went in one day and asked for a 10 cent raise,” Pflager says in the 30 second video. “They said they couldnt afford it. I looked around and noticed all the things he recently purchased, new factory, new car and realized ‘at will’ was not at my will.”

(Watch the video online on YouTube at: http://youtu.be/W1A6iySWm-Y)

This video is the latest of a 12-video campaign series entitled “Providing… Since 1939.” The videos showcase retirees sharing their genuine perspective of the life of a union member in an attempt to educate Ohioans on the controversial Right to Work legislation that has been threatening the working class for nearly two years.

“The campaign is designed to show this generation what union membership meant to workers then, and what it can provide for them now,” says Pat Sink, business manager for Local 18 of the IUOE. “In order for people to truly understand the damage that Right to Work could cause, we need to realize where we’ve come from.”

Opponents of the Ohio Right to Work effort, sometimes called “Workplace Freedom,” contend that the initiative’s true purpose is to kill unions and worker protections, ultimately leading to a weaker middle class.

By stripping workers of their rights and freedoms, business owners would be free to lower worker pay, reduce worker benefits and ignore worker rights.

Whether Republicans utilize “Paycheck Protection,” “Workplace Freedom,” or other Right to Work tactics, opponents remain dedicated to ensuring the voting public knows the underlying nature behind the GOP’s divisive agenda.

For more on the “Providing…since 1939” campaign, please visit:

TEXT OF THE VIDEO:

MY NAME IS HAROLD R. PFLAGER

WHEN I GOT INTO THE WORKFORCE, I WAS WORKING FOR AN EMPLOYER THAT WAS MAKING WINDOWS.

I ASKED FOR A 10-CENT RAISE.

AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE COULDN’T AFFORD IT.

THERE WAS NO UNION IN THAT SHOP.

I LOOKED AT ALL THE THINGS HE HAD BOUGHT – NEW FACTORY, NEW CARS, NEW HOUSES.

AND IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME YOU KNOW “AT-WILL” WAS NOT MY WILL

WHEN YOU GET INTO THE UNION, THEY TAKE CARE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE NECESSARY SO YOU CAN APPLY YOURSELF DIRECTLY TO BEING BETTER AT THE JOB.

About the Operating Engineers: The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) was formed in 1896 and currently has 400,000 members in 138 locals in the United States and Canada. Covering Ohio and Northern Kentucky, Local 18 provides its members with a Health and Welfare Plan, a pension program and quality training to meet the technological advances of the 21st century. Local 18′s mission is to maintain and improve all levels of service to its membership, improving quality of life for members and their families.

MEDIA CONTACT
Glenn Selig
The Publicity Agency
312.546.3034

Direct link:  https://prnewschannel.com/2014/09/29/iuoe-local-18-video-campaign-showcases-importance-of-union-backed-wage-regulation/

SOURCE:  The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18


This press release is distributed by PR NewsChannel. Your News. Everywhere.