Pick-Up Tour Hits Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio

The Midwest Pick-Up Tour rolls on, stopping in Racine, Wisc.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; and Dayton, Ohio, this week with a message to President Trump and other elected officials: "It's time to get serious about saving good U.S. jobs."

In cities across the Midwest, CWAers have joined forces with other unions, activists, community groups, and Good Jobs Nation to call out President Trump for refusing to sign a single executive order to raise wages or put a stop to offshoring by federal contractors who receive more than $1.3 trillion in taxpayer dollars every year. Nearly 140,000 American workers have been laid off in the first six months of Trump's presidency alone.

In Racine, CWA Local 4611 President Charlie Geyer and Vice President Joshua Furlough; Local 4603 President George Walls and Chief Steward Kwami Barnes, and CWA D4 staff representative Clinton Rodgers joined the rally, calling on Members of Congress to support the bipartisan U.S. Call Center Workers and Consumer Protection Act to stop the offshoring of good call center jobs to India, the Philippines, and other countries.

Randy Bryce, a candidate looking to unseat Paul Ryan in Wisconsin's 1st congressional district, State Representatives Cory Mason, and other elected officials pledged support for keeping good jobs in the U.S.

Read more here.

In Kalamazoo, Mich., State Representative Jon Hoadley, CWA Local 4123 President Charles Daniels, CWA D4 staff representative Mike Schulte, and CWA Local 4123 members John Wroe and Sue Mure called on elected officials in Michigan and in Congress to take action now to keep good call center jobs from going overseas. Other speakers included Steelworkers local president Chuck Jones and Good Jobs Nation director Joseph Geevarghese.

Hoadley is introducing state legislation similar to the U.S. Call Center Workers and Consumer Protection Act that would disqualify employers who relocate a call center overseas from receiving state grants, loans, and tax credits.

In Dayton, Ohio, IUE-CWA Local 84755 President Carl Kennebrew led IUE-CWA and CWA activists and Good Jobs Nations allies in a rally outside the office of Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio). Turner supported the disastrous Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal and has not signed on as a supporter of CWA-backed legislation to keep good call center jobs in the U.S.

CWA Local 4322 President Dan Frazier said, "We have heard the talk about bringing back good jobs. Now we need to see the action."

Frazier was followed by Local 4322 member Marvin Thompson, who works at a Dayton call center, and IUE-CWA Delphi retiree Barb Philpot, among other speakers.

Next Stops: Youngstown and Lorain, Ohio.

The Midwest Pick Up Tour rolls on.
Clockwise from top left: CWA Local 4123 President Charles Daniels, left in both photos, with CWAers and call center workers John Wroe and Sue Mure at Kalamazoo, Mich., rally.
Middle: CWAers rally in Racine, Wis., left, CWA D4 representative Clinton Rodgers with Chuck Jones, former Steelworkers local leader.
Bottom: CWA Local 4611 President Charlie Geyer and VP Joshua Furlough, left, Local 4603 Chief Steward Kwami Barnes.