LIMA — For organized labor in the city of Lima, there is only one choice for mayor, the same choice that voters have made since 1989.
Incumbent Mayor David Berger was endorsed by all Lima area labor unions, including the United Auto Workers union Local 1219, Local 211 and Local 2075 as well as the Lima Building Trades and the local unit of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. During an endorsement event Tuesday at the City Club, several union representatives spoke highly of Berger’s track record, crediting him with helping preserve jobs at facilities like the Ford Motor Plant and the Lima Husky Refinery.
“We know he is the best candidate for working people,” UAW Region 2B Director Ken Lortz said. “I served as co-chair of the Ohio Auto Advisory Task Force during the depths of the recession, and I saw firsthand Mayor Berger’s commitment to saving jobs in Lima. He was a loud voice then and he continues to be a strong voice now in our state capitol.”
“Dave Berger’s always supported labor,” UAW Local 1219 President Jay Bell said. “He’s a strong voice for the middle class all the way around.”
Gary McPheron, IUPAT District Council 6 director of government affairs, has lived in or around Lima his entire life and likes the progress he has seen under Berger’s leadership.
“I’ve watched the downtown develop, where I have an office, and it has blossomed under Mayor Berger,” he said. “David built momentum with downtown investment and helped establish downtown redevelopment districts, which will carry forward plans for more investment and development for years to come.”
Berger expressed gratitude for the endorsement, noting that in all his campaigns, he has never seen this level of support from organized labor.
“This is really unprecedented,” he said. “I’ve generally had labor support in the past, but never a level of active engagement like they’ve demonstrated today, and I greatly appreciate it. Much of the work I’ve done in terms of the various task forces that we’ve organized over the years has been very much a partnership with organized labor as well as the business community.”
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