Republican Kasich endorsed by labor union in Boardman

October 24, 2014 at 12:04a.m.

BOARDMAN

Gov. John Kasich and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor came to Boardman on Thursday to receive support from the Ohio Laborers’ District Council.

With the background of a construction site and about 20 union members, Kasich and Taylor, Republicans, accepted the endorsement and were both personally thankful for it.

“Ohio is coming back, and we’ve got to do it together,” Kasich said.

Ohio Laborers’ District Council Secretary Treasurer Ken Holland credited Kasich’s efforts in helping to increase the district council’s man hours worked by 15 percent. The district represents 24 locals, including the Laborers Local 125 in Youngstown, and approximately 25,000 workers across Ohio who all work to build the highways, airports, treatment plants, gas lines and cities.

“And we are also your neighbors, your Little League coaches and your PTA members,” Holland said.

Holland spoke at the Thursday press conference about Kasich’s Ohio Turnpike plan that doubled the Ohio Department of Transportation’s workload and, in turn, increased the work for Ohio laborers.

The governor signed into law last year a plan that allowed the state to borrow $1.5 billion, leveraging Ohio Turnpike tolls, for infrastructure improvements.

“As long as you have work for our members, we are going to support you and Gov. Kasich has done that,” Holland said.

Kasich said it isn’t about being a Democrat or a Republican.

“Who cares?” he said. “This is about your family and your life.”

And it is also about giving Ohioans the work that comes to the state. Kasich said he is monitoring all oil and gas companies that come to the state to make sure Ohioans are the ones pulling the Ohio product out of the ground.

“That is what we are going to do as best we can,” he said.

Taylor expressed her thanks for the endorsement.

“You are people who go to work every day and you work hard and expect to make a decent living,” she said. “Political season is what it is, but to know you are supporting us really means a lot.”

Kasich has also been endorsed by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 18 and the Indiana-Kentucky-Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters.

Kasich’s Democratic opponent, Ed FitzGerald, has received endorsements from more than 20 labor unions.