UAW chastises Sen. Fingerhut

State Sen. Eric Fingerhut says he doesn't regret going against the UAW.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LORDSTOWN -- A Mahoning Valley labor leader says it will be a dark day before he gives support to state Sen. Eric Fingerhut, former gubernatorial candidate.
"I told him not to come back for an endorsement," Jim Graham, president of United Autoworkers of America Local 1112, said of Fingerhut, of Shaker Heights, D-25th.
Graham explained that Local 1112 had endorsed Capri Cafaro of Sheffield Village in last Tuesday's 13th Congressional District race.
Cafaro, an heir to the Youngstown-based Cafaro Co. mall empire, was defeated by Betty Sutton, a former state representative. Sutton also defeated Thomas Sawyer, former Akron mayor and U.S. representative.
Cafaro had the political support of Graham and the UAW.
Graham said Fingerhut had sent out information just before the election, telling people not to vote for Cafaro, but to cast ballots for either Sutton or Sawyer.
The union leader explained that he sent Fingerhut an electronic message, cautioning the state senator about approaching him for an endorsement.
"He won't get one vote out of this plant," Graham said, referring to the General Motors Corp.'s Lordstown Complex.
Sent e-mail
Pete Zeigler, Cafaro campaign coordinator, explained that Fingerhut sent an e-mail to his supporters, asking them not to vote for Cafaro because she was endorsed by the National Rifle Association.
Fingerhut wanted to boil the campaign down to one issue -- gun control, Zeigler said.
It was a "bad thing" that the e-mail was distributed, Zeigler added -- but it didn't matter because Fingerhut is politically irrelevant. "Fingerhut is yesterday's news," he said.
Fingerhut explained that there is always passion at election time and he has strong feelings about the NRA's pro-gun position.
"That's what politics is all about," he said of his decision to urge voters to reject Cafaro. "I have to tell people what I think."
Guns should be kept out of the hands of children, the mentally ill and criminals, Fingerhut said, noting that Ohio is a primary supplier of guns used in violent crimes in the eastern portion of the U.S. because of the state's lax firearm regulations.
Fingerhut said he doesn't regret going against Graham or the UAW. Fingerhut said Graham has his position on gun control, and he has his.
He said he wasn't attempting to undermine the UAW and that Sutton will be concerned about issues that concern autoworkers, such as job retention.
Fingerhut had initially decided to run for governor this year, but backed off as Ted Strickland gained momentum in the Democratic race.
Fingerhut said for now, he doesn't have any plans to seek another office.
yovich@vindy.com