Politics: Mayer claims Gordon is anti-union, despite UAW endorsement
Wow. I was under the impression that these two were going to play nice. I guess not:
Mayer, union leaders question endorsement of anti-worker Jehan Gordon.
Allen Mayer and area labor leaders today questioned UAW Local 974’s decision to endorse Jehan Gordon. “Jehan’s anti-worker record goes against everything the United Auto Workers stand for and everything the Democratic Party stands for, said Mayer’s spokesperson Mike Richards.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, in its first eight years, NAFTA cost Illinois 3,468 jobs in the auto and equipment industry that the United Auto Workers represents. Illinois lost more than 37,000 jobs to NAFTA, fifth-highest in the nation.
“Someone who brags on her campaign website that she worked for the NAFTA Opportunity Center does not share the core dedication to worker rights that unites as Democrats,” Richards said.
Art Bell, former Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 627 said, “It’s impossible to overstate the devastating effect that NAFTA has had on jobs and wages for Central Illinois families.”
The NAFTA Opportunity Center, located at Bradley University, lists on its website that, “Since 1994, the NAFTA Opportunity Center has helped hundreds of Illinois companies capitalize on the potential of Free Trade Agreements around the world.”
“Companies like Maytag who use trade agreements like NAFTA to ship Central Illinois jobs to Mexico and devastate Galesburg do not need help. For Jehan to tout her role devastating Central Illinois communities in service of corporate profits is just unbelievable. Someone who is proud of their record helping to ship Central Illinois jobs to Mexico has no place running in a Democratic Primary,” said Bob Markham, Business Manager for Operating Engineers Local 649.
The School Board that Gordon serves on, Pleasant Hill School District #69, is also is one of the last districts in the County that refuses to offer a fair contract to its teacher’s union.
“Peoria residents know that I have a ten year record in Peoria protecting workers’ rights on the County Board and as the area’s State Prevailing Wage officer,” said Mayer.
Peoria-area residents need to know that their next representative will stand up for them in Springfield said Mayer spokesperson Mike Richards. “Jehan Gordon is telling voters what they want to hear today, but her record is anti-worker. Action is more powerful than words, and Jehan Gordon is willing to stick it to working families when it is convenient for her.”
My two cents: Not all unions have the same goals. Mayer was the state’s prevailing wage officer, which essentially means his job was to ensure that union level wages were paid to anyone whjo worked as a contractor for the government. This benefits construction trade unions, many of whom support Mayer now.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
Gee golly, I can’t imagine why the local UAW, who is mostly populated by Caterpillar employees, would not care about Gordon’s support of NAFTA. Maybe because CAT has done very well with international trade.
As for Maytag, I may sound crass, but that’s not in the 92nd district. You can’t expect all of your decisions to help all Illinoisans. You take care of the ones back home first, and everyone else second.
Not to mention, this sounds like a scared Mayer trying to mount a weak attack against a very likable young woman. I’m not a democrat as many of you know, but I wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to Gordon for that race with how its turned out.
While I understand criticism of free trade agreements such as NAFTA, too many times it is one-sided and devoid of facts. In reality, the lowering or elimination of tariffs on trade between the United States and Mexico has both cost jobs AND CREATED THEM. Critics such as Allen Mayer can only see the lost jobs, but would never admit that jobs were created.
I ain’t a Democrat either, but Ms. Gordon seems the better candidate. If Mayer or Gordon must represent the 92nd district, then I’d prefer the latter.
Someone seems to be running a little scared! This is a lie by the Mayer campaign to undermine Gordons endorsement by the UAW. I know Jehan. She worked in the Job development center at Bradley University as a temp job out of college. Talk about a stretch! The Job Development Center has a seperate arm that works with NAFTA but Jehan NEVER worked for them.
Funny, how the UAW recieved an anonymous letter stating this same false accusation, but after they investigated it they discovered it was another dirty trick by the Allen Mayer campaign. Hence, the UAW went ahead with the endorsement.
Im telling you, Jehan is nice young woman. Mayer attacking her with lies and mudslinging is not whats needed in Springfield. There is enough of that already!
NAFTA and trade is legitimate issue in a Democratic primary. It is not just manufacturings jobs affected, the trucking industry is opposed as well. There is also opposition to trade agreements from some members of the National Manufacturers Association. At their 2007 conference a group banded together in an attempt to slow the glut of Chinese products being dumped in the US, hurting domestic manufacturers.
11 Bravo, with all due respect I am sure you do prefer Gordon to win, as she would be an easier target for the GOP in the fall.
NAFTA does create jobs domestically, no doubt about it. Do those jobs carry near the same wages and benefits as the jobs outsourced? I would bet that in the vast majority of those cases the answer is no.
If it was just a temp job for Gordon, she should not have listed or overstated it on her website-a campaign is no time to pad your resume. The bottom line is, Gordon lacks the skills and experience to represent us in Springfield. At some point maybe, but that time is not now.
Well Bushwacked your “bet” isn’t fact so show me some numbers. And quite frankly, Mayer would be much easier to beat. A bland white male laywer isn’t nearly as inspirational as a young african american woman who has done well for herself, especially in that particular district.
Compare the benefits (health insurance, pension & 401-K)that Maytag offered to what Wal-Mart and the other “retail service” jobs have to offer.
The point is NAFTA/trade is a Democratic issue. I don’t find the Gordon story inspirational, young lady goes to college, gets temp job, goes to work for ICC, gets hand-picked by party boss to run for house seat-very inspiring.
Actually bushwacked you missed part of the story. It goes like this: gets hand picked by party boss AND supported by Allen Mayer until he realizes the race might actually be winnable. Gordon at least shows the courage and conviction to stand up for what she believes in against a nearly unbeatable opposition (before Schock dropped out). Mayer however, isn’t comfortable unless he sees it as a sure thing. I don’t know about you but cowardice and spinelessness don’t inspire me too much.
And no one is saying Nafta and trade isn’t an issue. It certainly is. I’ve never understood your (democrats) fear of the free trade thing. Yes I know that some jobs get outsourced as a result, but they would have been replaced anyway by automation eventually. I don’t hear you complaining “day took are jobs” (ala South Park) about automation which has had a similar effect on manufacturing. The only difference is that someone else isn’t getting paid for it.
The fact still remains that Mayer feels the need to start attacking Gordon, probably because of the number of endorsements shes been ringing up and the fact that she is probably far ahead of him.
11BRAVO, you’re asignation of cowardice is misplaced. Anyone who is willing to go against the County Chair (who he supported through challenges for many years), the elected state Senator (who he worked to help elect when Gordon did little), the former state senator and Democratic icon (who he also worked hard to continue to reelect)can HARDLY be considered cowardly. In fact, without Blagojevich opperatives from Springfield, Gordon might not even have gotten on the ballot. Look at her petitions and you’ll see some notable NON-peorians as circulators. Remember he was willing to take on Aaron TWO years ago when the party elite gave the nod to Bill Spears. TWO years before Gordon was a political twinkle. The fact that he is willing to fight a primary against these odds and is getting widespread labor support DESPITE some of the meanest political attacks in recent history is a testament to his COURAGE. The chairman changing the locks on the party headquarters? How childish when Mayer was elected by Peoria Democrats to a party office. (how many party offices has Gordon held? ZERO)And before you trash bland white lawyers, central Illinois produced a pretty popular white lawyer with a squeeky voice who went on to do some pretty great things (emancipation proclamation e.g.)
I’m a little confused. Either the Mayor campaign or Bobby V is lying. The Job opportunity center and NAFTA Opportunity Center are different things, right?
Bill, did the Mayor campaign give any evidence?
Bobby V, if the Gordon campaign’s response is that stuff in her bio she put on her website is untrue, i’m not actually sure that helps her.
11Bravo, didn’t WEEK have to run a retraction in their on their story this week because they said Gordon said Allen initially supported her?
“NAFTA does create jobs domestically, no doubt about it. Do those jobs carry near the same wages and benefits as the jobs outsourced? I would bet that in the vast majority of those cases the answer is no.”
No, Bushwacked, jobs created by trade include those at Caterpillar, John Deere, Komatsu and Boeing.
Bmcgill, Allen Mayer is not Abraham Lincoln. The idea that you would even use than comparison is insulting. Obviously you are a paid political operative, nothing wrong with that I have in the past, but no regular voter analyzes petitions otherwise. If anything, what I understand from your post bmcgill, is that everyone in the local democratic party things Gordon would be a better state rep than Mayer. I think that says a lot considering, as you also pointed out, Mayer has assisted many of them in various capacities.
Basically the summary is, no one who has worked with Mayer believes him to be a better candidate than Gordon. Good argument Bmcgill.
JIW, I don’t know if WEEK retracted that or not, I heard it being circulated months ago so I find it odd they would wait until now to do so. However, as I said before I am not a democrat so I do not follow the news on them that closely.
[...] 92nd District candidate Jehan Gordon never worked for the NAFTA Opportunity Center, as stated in an Allen Mayer press release. I didn’t have time to OCR the fax into text so I could copy and paste. Nor did I have time [...]
[...] looking more and more like a divisive campaign with every single day. First, I got a press release from the Mayer’s campaign stating that the Teamsters and the Operating Engineers were furious [...]