SHOWING SUPPORT — Kevan Brown, business manager and financial secretary for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 246, spoke during the “Workers for Sherrod” tour’s stop in Steubenville Monday. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — Officials with several local labor unions rallied Monday to support the re-election of Sen. Sherrod Brown, citing the Democrat’s record of supporting Ohio workers.

The rally was a local stop in the “Workers for Sherrod” statewide tour ahead of the Nov. 5 general election, which will see Brown vie against Republican nominee Bernie Moreno.

Chair of the Senate Banking Committee, Brown has been a senator since 2007 and serves alongside Sen. J.D. Vance, who is now the vice presidential pick for former president and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump. A businessman from Westlake, Moreno’s campaign was endorsed by Trump in December.

Statements praising Brown came from Kevan Brown, business manager and financial secretary for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 246; Bruce Tatgenhorst, chairman and legislative representative for Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Local 255; and Mel Woods, financial secretary for United Mine Workers of America Local 1304.

“I can confidently say the choice for Senate is crystal-clear,” said Kevan Brown, whose union branch represents electricians from Jefferson, Hancock, Brooke, Harrison, Columbiana and Carroll counties. “Sherrod has consistently stood by Ohio workers, and I’ve had the privilege of witnessing his true dedication firsthand.”

The dignity of work is “more than just a slogan” for the senator, Kevan Brown said, noting his efforts to save Ohio workers’ pensions through his Butch Lewis Act, which became law in 2021 through the American Rescue Plan.

The act permits the U.S. Department of Labor, through the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., to support financially failing multi-employer pension plans, ensuring they can pay out retirees’ promised benefits.

Supporters claim the act secures for workers the benefits they were contracted to receive, while critics claim the act does not address the underlying issues that caused the pensions’ failure in the first place. The act requires regular reports about the recovered pension plans be submitted to Congress to prevent future collapses.

Brown said the senator has contributed to the repair of Ohio infrastructure — including Steubenville water and sewer lines and the Market Street Bridge — with American-made products. The senator first introduced the act that created the Bridge Investment Program, which this month allotted $87.5 million for the Market Street Bridge’s full replacement.

Also, Kevan Brown said the senator led the way toward passage of the Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2023, which raised the threshold required to exempt salaried employees from federal overtime pay mandates. The previous threshold was $35,568 and was raised to $43,888 by the Department of Labor July 1.

That effort, the local labor leader said, is in stark contrast to Moreno, who was sued in 2017 by former employees for failing to pay for overtime worked and who ultimately lost the suit, paying the employees $416,160 in damages.

Other positive efforts from the senator include supporting paid family leave and child tax credits and introducing the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act.

“The contrast in this race couldn’t be clearer,” Brown said. “Sherrod Brown looks out for Ohio workers. Bernie Moreno looks out for himself. That’s why we’re here today, taking part in ‘Workers for Sherrod’ for this summer. There’s too much at stake for working families not to.”

Tatgenhorst — who represents union members from Steubenville, Canton, Youngstown and Conway, Pa. — said Sherrod Brown has repeatedly “stood should-to-shoulder” with BLET.

The senator is working “across the aisle” to pass the Railway Safety Act, which Tatgenhorst said would benefit workers like himself. Proposed following the 2023 East Palestine rail disaster, the proposed act would impose a number of safety measures for trains carrying hazardous materials.

“The (act) is very important and personal to myself,” Tatgenhorst said. “My son and my son-in-law are both engineers on Norfolk Southern and my son was on the next train that was going to go by train that was wrecked in East Palestine, and it was by the grace of God that he wasn’t beside it when it happened.”

A third-generation coal miner, Woods said UMWA President Cecil Roberts and the union’s entire membership has endorsed Brown for the upcoming election.

Woods noted Brown’s involvement with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, meant to support domestic production of semiconductors, or chips used in electronic devices. Additionally, Woods said Brown’s support of apprenticeship programs and summer manufacturing camps is “commendable” for supporting the next generation of workers.

“Under Sherrod Brown’s leadership, the lives of working families are undeniably better,” Woods said. “We need working families across Ohio to understand the stakes of this election and why we need to badly keep Ohio’s best advocate for working families in the Senate.”

Sherrod Brown, who could not be in attendance, said after the rally: “Elections come down to whose side you are on, and Ohioans know I’ve been on their side. I will work with anyone to get things done for Ohio workers and stand up to anyone who gets in the way — from passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with the strongest-ever Buy American requirements to ensure infrastructure like the Market Street Bridge is built by Ohio workers to introducing the Railway Safety Act to protect Ohioans from dangerous derailments across the state. I’m grateful for IBEW Local 246 for helping us engage with workers across Ohio and talk about our work together in Jefferson County.”