Labor & Employment Law

Ohio Labor 2010: UAW Retiree??Volunteer Once, You?ll Do It Again?

By Tula Connell

Andy Richards, AFL-CIO Field Communications assistant in Ohio, sends us this report.

UAW Local 1327 retiree Max Reynolds is no stranger to a labor phone bank.

“I?ve volunteered since 1960, and there are very few elections I?ve missed,” said Reynolds, in between making calls to Ohio union members at the Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 32 Hall in Lima, Ohio. He is a regular at the Lima call center, volunteering multiple times each week.

You just get hooked on it.

Hooked on it is an understatement. In 2008, Reynolds called thousands of union households and was awarded the UAW President?s Award for his years of volunteer work. “He out-called every person in the state in 2008, by himself with a manual phone,” says Bev Spetz, coordinator of Organizing for Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE/AFSCME) Local 4.

Lima Call Captain Lynda Mobley considers Reynolds an inspiration to her and other union members. OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4 member Mobley says:

When you think you can?t do anymore, you look at Max, at his age, and he still does more.

Even with major health issues, Reynolds is continuing his volunteer legacy this election because he sees this election as critical to Ohio workers.

If we don?t get [incumbent Gov. Ted] Strickland in their, labor has had it. We are going to go down the tubes.

He is hoping more people step up to volunteer with the Labor 2010 program.

I tell people that if you just volunteered once?I guarantee you will want to do it on a regular basis.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on August 25, 2010 (boomark / email).