Illinois IAM Local/District leadership and staff met with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), center, to discuss challenges facing working families. Pictured left to right: IAM District 8 Business Representative Ryan Kelly, IAM Local 126 Executive Board member Tom Bednarek, Local 701 Directing Business Representative Sam Cicinelli, and Local 701 Organizer Rich Handler.
Illinois 9th District Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky recently met with IAM Automobile Mechanics Local 701, IAM District 8, and IAM Local 126 leadership and staff to discuss challenges facing not only Illinois’ IAM members, but all working families.
Present were IAM Local 126 Executive Board member Tom Bednarek, IAM District 8 Business Representative Ryan Kelly, Local 701 Organizer Rich Handler and Local 701 Directing Business Representative Sam Cicinelli.
Topics discussed included looming Right to Work (For Less) court cases, current unfair trade deals, and how both kinds of legislation negatively effect middle-class families. IAM apprenticeships and careers, as well as ideas on how to connect people with opportunities more effectively, were also discussed.
“Rep. Schakowsky understands our members’ and every other working men and women’s concerns and struggles,” said Cicinelli. “As a former union member and organizer, she’s committed to re-building the middle class. We look forward to working with her on the issues that are not only important to our members, but important to all working families throughout her district.”
“Rep. Schakowsky committed to continue working with labor as she has done for many years,” said Kelly. “She herself is a union member and longtime advocate and organizer of working people. We appreciate leaders who are willing to sit down and have real conversations about the hard issues we all face. Thank you, Congresswoman.”
