Cordray addresses UAW retirees in Liberty

LIBERTY — Richard Cordray, Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, appealed to autoworker sensibilities as he met with United Auto Worker’s union retirees Monday.

“I am so proud of the legacy you have created and passed on to those who have come after you, and we want to make sure we preserve that legacy for the state of Ohio for many years to come,” he said.

“We will fight to preserve the auto industry in the state of Ohio as hard as we need to fight, and we will go to Detroit and elsewhere.”

He said his administration as governor will “make the case that the workers in this area are the best in the world,” “just give us the chance to make the vehicles and we will make sure that’s a success.”

It was a reference to the two eliminated shifts at the GM Lordstown auto plant in recent years.

He said when GM went through bankruptcy a decade ago, a lot was on the table for local residents – auto plants, dealerships, and retirement benefits, for instance.

As attorney general, his staff worked “a lot of overtime ... as we worked to make sure Ohio’s interests were protected.”

He did reference another job-related issue before leaving the podium and shaking hands with most of the roughly 400 people in attendance at the Mahoning Country Club.

As Ohio attorney general he also worked to keep Northside Regional Medical Center open after the bankruptcy of its parent company, Forum Health.

“They are closing because the current attorney general, my opponent in this race, Mike DeWine, hasn’t lifted a finger to save them,” he said of Northside Regional Medical Center.