Fighting Right-to-Work in Kentucky IUE-CWA Local 83761

Fighting against “Right to Work” Legislation in Kentucky with a (fifty thousand dollar) $50,000 contribution from the members of Local 83761: from left to right, Steve Wimsatt, LPAT IUE-CWA Local 83761, Isa Shabazz, CWA Kentucky Staff Representative, Jerry Carney, IUE-CWA Local 83761 President, Dave Contarino, Managing Member, Kentucky Family Values, Eric Sims, VP, IUE-CWA Local 83761 and Bill Londrigan, President, Kentucky AFL-CIO.

If the Kentucky House of Representatives flips five House seats the wrong way in this 2014 election cycle, then Kentucky will become a Right to Work state. Jerry Carney, President of Local 83761 took extraordinary action when he made a motion to the membership of Local 83761 to make a $50,000.00 combined contribution to two groups: Kentucky Family Values and Working America. Both groups can take unlimited funds from a labor organization to promote or defeat candidates running for public office. The membership listened to the reasons why we need to defeat Right to Work legislation and then agreed to put their money where their mouth is: by approving the significant contribution to fight back.

At the check ceremony President Jerry Carney stated, “union membership in Kentucky is about 11 percent of the population, so we must find ways to reach out to the 89 percent of the Kentuckians with whom we cannot have direct contact and those that need to understand what Right to Work really stands for and that is the elimination of unions and the silence of the last effective voice for fairness of working Americans”.

Kentucky Family Values is an independent PAC that is focused on promoting economic policies that help Kentucky families-including but not limited to, creating more jobs and boosting economic development. This family-values agenda includes independent communications that urge the election of pro-labor legislators and the continuation of family-friendly economic policies of the Kentucky Legislature.

Working America is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Together, and in solidarity with working people across the country, they fight for our common interests—good jobs, affordable health care, education, retirement security, corporate accountability and real democracy. Since 2003, they have been organizing in neighborhoods across the country, talking with our friends and neighbors to learn their needs and priorities and get them engaged on the issues that matter most. Working America provides the tools, research, information and assistance that can help make working people’s lives better.

Kentucky is the only southern state that is not Right to Work and IUE-CWA Local 83761 intends to not cave in to the big money special interest flooding into our state this 2014 election year. We are going to fight back!