The retired members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 18 helped build the roads, freeways and buildings around Ohio. Now they continue to star in a series of YouTube videos aimed at highlighting the benefits of joining the union.
The campaign, entitled “Providing…since 1939” consists of 12 videos that showcase retirees who share the authentic perspective of what being a union member means and what it should mean for today’s workers across the state.
The latest video introduces Hubert Paumier, a union member since 1956, who retired in the 1980s and stresses the protection the union has brought to his life.
“I’ve lived 23 years now on retirement. You have hospitalization, you got a pension, I mean there’s so much stuff that you pay for, through your dues, that protect you,” says Paumier in the video.
(Watch the video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/3T7pWHazzkA)
The 30 second videos, currently available on the Ohio IUOE Local 18’s YouTube channel, spotlights the benefits Paumier has received through union membership. In it, he encourages Ohioans to look beyond the here and now.
“Maybe you ought to start looking for the future. Do contractors or anybody care about you? No. Does the local? Yes. They’re still looking after me,” adds Paumier.
The union says it deliberately decided to go positive in its fight to kill the Right to Work agendas across Ohio.
“We cannot and should not allow the other side to define who we are,” says Pat Sink, business manager for Local 18 of the IUOE. “We wanted Ohioans and today’s working men and women to hear it straight from the people who’ve been a part of the union for a long time. These gentlemen are a wealth of information and we wanted people to hear it straight from them.”
The latest attempt by state Republicans to push Right to Work laws through state legislature have gone on for more than a year, but with marginal support.
Opponents of the recent 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: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-uGv0H-munfWBW3r9ksIeg
TEXT OF THE VIDEO:
MY NAME IS HUBERT PAUMIER.
AND I STARTED IN ’56.
I’VE LIVED 23 YEARS NOW ON RETIREMENT.
YOU HAVE HOSPITALIZATION.
YOU GOT A PENSION.
I MEAN THERE’S SO MUCH STUFF THAT YOU PAY FOR THROUGH YOUR DUES THAT PROTECTS YOU.
SO MAYBE YOU OUGHT TO BE LOOKING FOR THE FUTURE.
DOES CONTRACTORS OR ANYONE CARE ABOUT YOU?
NO.
DOES THE LOCAL?
YEAH.
THEY’RE STILL LOOKIN’ AFTER ME.
About IUOE Local 18: 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
SOURCE: The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18
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