Cincinnati Vice-Mayor Alicia Reece called for change in America.

Guest Speakers Sound Call to Political Action

Headlining a distinguished list of opening day speakers, Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH) called on Machinists to play a role in what he called the greatest moral and political struggle of our lifetime.

“President Bush has destroyed our economy, squandered our surplus, eroded our civil rights, failed our children, abandoned our poor, hoodwinked our seniors, turned his back on our veterans and led us into a war based on deceit and deception,” said Strickland in a scathing assault on Bush administration policies.

Vice Mayor Alicia Reece echoed Strickland’s call for change in America and welcomed the delegates to Cincinatti.

Bill Burga, Ohio AFL-CIO Presiden, talked about the importance of jobs and health care for Americans.

Closing out the group of opening day speakers was Dan Radford, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Cincinnati Labor Council. On behalf of the 90,000 AFL-CIO members in Ohio, Radford welcomed the IAM back to Cincinnati, the home of so many union battles and victories in decades gone by. “The Machinists have always been there for this community,” said Radford.