Posted on 03/09/2002 2:10:54 PM PST by Pokey78
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio, March 7 — Bernie Ravasio, local steelworkers' union boss and zealous Democrat, offers a smile somewhere between mischief and delight in contemplating the notion that a new political hybrid may have been born this week, here in the bitterly depressed Ohio Valley.
"Bush Democrats? I'd say there's a good probability of that around here now," Mr. Ravasio said in open pleasure that President Bush chose last week to resort to tariffs to protect what is left of Big Steel in its struggle against foreign competition.
"The man helped us, he stepped up to the plate," said Mr. Ravasio, who as president of Local 1190 of the United Steelworkers of America has had to master triage as much as labor negotiations. He has watched 31 American steel companies fall into bankruptcy in recent years and 17 of them die, leaving thousands of workers jobless.
"I may be a staunch Democrat, but I'll sure remember Bush for helping us," said Mr. Ravasio, whose membership has shrunk by more than half, to 1,750 workers, who have lately had to accept a 27 percent pay cut to keep the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation mills open.
"We all remember Clinton and Gore showing up in '92 and promising to save the mills and then abandoning the issue and betraying us; we never heard from them again," said Mr. Ravasio, adding that the Clinton administration had concentrated on economic globalization at the expense of the Democratic Party's old-line, blue-collar backbone in the mills.
President Bush campaigned as a free-trader but criticized Mr. Clinton for failing to protect steelworkers from unfair competition. On Tuesday, Mr. Bush announced the three- year tariff of up to 30 percent as a temporary measure so the steel industry could restructure.
In their relief, Local 1190 members are planning to show some political gratitude sooner or later. Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, the steel states where jobs are most directly protected, are approaching crucial elections that could settle control of the next Congress. Mr. Ravasio said that this year and beyond union members would remember candidates who helped them, whatever their party line.
With this in mind, the Democrats are fighting to retain their clout among the steel unions by emphasizing that President Bush, while announcing the tariffs, did not take any action on a proposal now in Congress for a bailout of up to $12 billion for hundreds of thousands of retired steelworkers. Their health care plans went bust as the domestic steel industry contracted and mills liquidated.
"This has been a desperate situation," said Charlie Stock, the local's grievance chairman, as workers visited the union hall to discuss the moment of hope presented by the Bush tariffs.
"It'll be very interesting in the next election to see if the national union considers supporting Bush for standing by us in our worst hour," Mr. Stock said.
The tariff decision resounded through the valley mill towns like an 11th-hour bugle call. A week earlier, a caravan of 30 buses had winded eastward as Local 1190's contribution to the steel industry's big rally in Washington that pleaded for tariffs. Steelworkers, retirees worried about their health and pension plans, plus wives, children and all eight local high school bands, were aboard.
Those steelworkers still at work say they are taking a deep breath of gratitude for the president's decision, but they emphasize that they are hardly out of the woods yet. Their fresh hopes — and budding new political stratagems — arrive after five years of economic fear in which Local 1190 has weathered two bankruptcies, three work stoppages and three pay cuts in the struggle to keep Wheeling-Pittsburgh alive.
"This is just the beginning of a long row to hoe," said John Casey, 50, a local vice president who has worked 29 years in the mills. "But you're starting to see a couple of smiles now, and we know it's in our hands to make the best of this."
One sober fact in the union hall was the workers' common acceptance of what they long thought was a management ploy — plant consolidation in the name of saving the industry.
"Consolidation is inevitable," Mr. Ravasio said, "and then there'll be a job squeeze and a new battle over which plants keep operating."
Union members say that far from instantly restoring workers to a more prosperous past, the tariff protection will mainly make the surviving mills more attractive to banks freeing up money for the task of consolidation.
The workers denied the contention that the rising cost of steel resulting from the tariffs might force cuts and layoffs in steel-using industries that more than offset the protection of steel laborers.
"I always heard every steelworker's job is worth five or so spinoff jobs in other industries," Mr. Casey said. "This should be a matter not of politics but of America first: we should take care of our own."
Staring at the Ohio River, Ken Aspenleiter, 56, the local's compensation chairman, took a long puff on his cigar outside the union hall as he assessed the effects of protectionism.
"It buys a little more time, another lift in the roller coaster," Mr. Aspenleiter said. "We've faced everything but liquidation, and the tension is still everywhere," he explained of the years of scrambling to keep the mills going.
"So, somebody takes care of you," the steelworker said of President Bush, "you take care of him."
This is a shot across the steelworkers' union's bow, as well as the steel companies.
If they don't get their act together, the tariff's off in three years.
Good! He bought them some time, if they use it wisely they might survive. If not then they will sink and have no one to blame it on but themselves.
A. Cricket
He knows that Califorina with 1/4 the electoral votes needed to win is not a good case for him. That makes PA, WVA and Ohio very, very important. Bush carried Ohio by 3 Points. If Gore had not pulled out of Ohio with 2 weeks to go, he might not have needed FL. IF Bush can take PA, as well as Ohio and WVA, and maybe even win Michigan in 2004, he will win reelection.
I keep reading all the people on Free Repubic talking about principles. The only people who have principles in the USA are the voters and unelectable candiates. Politicians are OUR SERVANTS. A SERVANT is only allowed to serve his master. At every election our political servants come to beg for our votes. There is a huge built in bias among all of our servants to do what their master wants.
The Steel workers could very well give Bush PA. The Steel workers want Tarrifs. The Servant of PA gave his Iron Working Masters their Tariffs.
We must never lose site of the fact that we live in a Representative Republic. Policticans are FREE to do the peoples will. They Represent US. They DO NOT RULE US. Failure to do our collective bidding gets them fired. Elections are where prospective servants apply for the job of doing what the public wants done.
Those of us opposed to the direction a Bush or any president takes on issues, need to understand that if we can get a solid majority of Americans persuaded to our beliefs, we will never have to worry about who is elected. When we do not persuade the majority of Americans to our view, no one to whom we give our votes is likely to do our will. Office holders who do not do the majorities bidding don't get re-elected. Those that are elected to replace them will repeal what some one did with out public support.
The name of the game is "Persuade the American People".
FYI Astounding fact of the day......more steel is produced in Indiana than any other state.
[And, yes, I think Bush will carry Indiana in the next election.]
I'd bet that he did...
Of course he did. He had been told since he was a little boy that no REPUBLICAN would ever lift a finger to save his life even if it cost the Republican nothing.
So he supported Clinton twice and Gore once. He believed there was Zero chance that Bush would ever even listen to him let alone give them what they wanted. And there was always a chance that Gore might help him. At least Gore would talk to them and maybe sort of try. This guys stomach fell and his heart ached when Bush got the nod from the Supreme court. I can hear him saying to himself... all is lost....
Then one year into the game Bush comes through for the West VA Steel workers. This guy didn't vote for Bush, he didn't donate money, he worked his butt off against Bush. But some Steel workers in West VA did work for Bush. They did a lot to carry WVA for Bush and Bush came through for them. What is going through his mind is that some former and some current Democrats in West VA went for Bush. They gave Bush a lousy 4 electoral votes. Bush told them that if he were elected, and they gave him the 4 votes, he would keep his word on Steel.Can you imagine the surprise on the PA unions guys face when he found out Bush's word was good?
In this article he says I got to go with the man that helps me. He is saying I owe Bush. He is saying I worked against the man that helped me. I need to pay him back.
This will make it tough for Democrats. The democrats have lied to the Union guys while telling them that Republicans were liars.
The name of the game is a majority of electoral college votes. You can do zero good as a defeated candidate. To get elected a candidate has to do things he does not believe in. He does them because he has to get voter support.
As a result and candidate in order to get to do some of the things both he and the public agree on, has to do things that the public wants and he does not.
That is why they are called Public Servants and not Public Masters.
Heard some RAT Pol by the name of O'Brien from Bethlehem, PA on WLS radio (Chicago) ranting because Bush has not done ENOUGH for the steel industry. I was in the car at the time so by now I can't remember his pithier comments.
However, he never mentioned that Klintoon/Gore campaigned there promising to help them and then never did squat. If you folks in PA are familiar with this guy and can update me, I would appreciate it.
She's at her cutest when we are in the streets debating party line union members and she's trying to protect me from the designated thugs. LOL
I am not surprised....
"(on Bush) The man helped us, he stepped up to the plate," said Mr. Ravasio, who as president of Local 1190 of the United Steelworkers of America
Not surprised here either....
With this in mind, the Democrats are fighting to retain their clout among the steel unions by emphasizing that President Bush, while announcing the tariffs, did not take any action on a proposal now in Congress for a bailout of up to $12 billion for hundreds of thousands of retired steelworkers.
And the Dems response is to take the back side of the argument and say they didn't get enough. Its the same old story...they cant give enough away. Had the Administration gone as far, the Dems would have found yet another group that didn't get some....they just keep moving the damn goal post.......nauseous.
TAKE NO NOTICE OF THE EU'S CROCODILE TEARS OVER MR BUSH'S STEEL TARIFFS
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