A high-stakes political week ended with Vice President Harris as the Democratic nomination for president and Minn. Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. IBEW members joined the delegate voting process, including Los Angeles, CA Local 11 business manager Robert Corona. He was selected to add his vote to the virtual roll call.
“I’m voting for Vice President Harris because of her consistent commitment to labor rights and union workers,” said Corona during a live stream. “As vice president in the most pro-labor administration ever, I’m excited to continue this work with her.”
IBEW President Kenneth W. Cooper also praised VP Harris’s selection of Walz. Walz was a teacher, football coach, and veteran who served as a member of Congress before being elected twice as governor of Minnesota.
“Gov. Tim Walz has been a union member. He understands working people and their struggles to his core,” Cooper said in a statement. “In Minnesota, Gov. Walz has led one of the nation’s most pro-union, pro-worker state governments. His record of accomplishments on behalf of workers is long, and cements his status as one of the nation’s greatest defenders of unions and working families.”
As governor of Minnesota Walz signed a law banning anti-union captive audience meetings, cracked down on wage theft, and allocated funds for job training and economic development programs, including millions specifically for good-paying union jobs in construction, clean energy, and energy efficiency.
IBEW 6th District international representative Dean Warsh, former business manager of Milwaukee Local 494, said Walz will make a great vice president. Warsh attended the four-day convention as one of Wisconsin’s at-large delegates.
“He is a really good guy,” said Warsh, adding that IBEW members in Minnesota have a great relationship with the Minnesota governor. “It’s a solid ticket. Walz will get us over the line.”
Warsh is one of many IBEW leaders who was excited to take part in the historic convention this August. Nearly 70 IBEW delegates from across the United States attended the DNC in Chicago, more than ever before.
Caption: Los Angeles Local 11 business manager Robert Corona speaks on the virtual roll call vote to nominate Vice President Harris on Aug. 2.
