United Steelworkers endorse Ryan for congressional seat

The Steelworkers union has about 40,000 active and retired members in the 17th Congressional District.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
AKRON -- Timothy J. Ryan, the Democratic nominee for the 17th Congressional District seat, picked up another major labor endorsement as the United Steelworkers of America International announced its support of his candidacy.
"We need a new face in Congress," said Gary Steinbeck, subdistrict director for the USWA. "We've reached a point where we're not getting what we need out of Washington. We think [Ryan] can bring money back to the Valley. We feel Tim can do the best job for the district."
The USWA has about 40,000 active and retired members in the 17th District, which takes in portions of Mahoning, Trumbull, Portage and Summit counties.
Endorsement
The union announced its endorsement Wednesday at a USWA local union hall in Akron.
The USWA will provide money and a variety of services to Ryan, including organizing voter registration drives and phoning voters to urge them to support the Democratic candidate, Steinbeck said.
Also running for the congressional seat are Republican Ann Womer Benjamin of Aurora and two independents, U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. of Poland and Warren Davis, a former labor leader.
This is the second major labor endorsement Ryan has received this week. The Ohio AFL-CIO, the state's largest labor federation, endorsed Ryan earlier this week. The USWA is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, but the Steelworkers union conducted its own endorsement process for the congressional seat, Steinbeck said.
The USWA did not endorse a candidate in May's Democratic primary because the field was too crowded, Steinbeck said. There were six candidates seeking the Democratic nomination.
skolnick@vindy.com