While Mandela Barnes has always stood with Wisconsin workers, Ron Johnson has consistently supported outsourcing and sided with big corporations. Just this year Johnson refused to fight for more than 1,000 good-paying jobs in his own hometown of Oshkosh when one of his big corporate donors decided to take the jobs to South Carolina.
Here’s what to know:
Ron Johnson Sided With His Corporate Donor Over Workers in Oshkosh
Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defense was awarded a $482 million dollar contract to build a new fleet of USPS vehicles — a project that was expected to create more than 1,000 good-paying, union jobs in Wisconsin. But then the company announced it would create those jobs in South Carolina instead. When given the opportunity to support manufacturing and fight for jobs in Wisconsin, Ron Johnson chose to support his corporate donor instead.
Ron Johnson sided with a Wisconsin corporation creating jobs out of state instead of siding with Wisconsin workers in his own backyard.
Johnson refused to push for Oshkosh Defense to bring the jobs to Wisconsin.
When asked why he wouldn’t urge the company to reverse its decision, he said “it’s not like we don’t have enough jobs here in Wisconsin.”
Johnson’s failure to side with workers isn’t surprising considering he has received thousands in contributions from Oshkosh Corp, parent company to Oshkosh Defense — in fact, the company ranks among Johnson’s top career contributors.
American Independent: Ron Johnson received donations from Wisconsin company that shipped 1,000 jobs out of state
Mandela Stood with UAW Workers in Oshkosh to Fight for Good-Paying Jobs in Wisconsin
While Ron Johnson sold out Oshkosh workers, Mandela Barnes fought side by side with them to bring these good-paying, union jobs to Wisconsin. As the son of a retired UAW member, Mandela has been a champion for the UAW members who are fighting for good-paying jobs.
Mandela has urged Oshkosh Defense to build the next generation of postal vehicles in Oshkosh with UAW Local 578, whose work has made Oshkosh Defense what it is.
He stood with UAW Local 578 to protest Oshkosh Defense’s decision.
He called on President Biden and Congressional leaders to do everything in their power to ensure the vehicles were manufactured in Wisconsin.
In August, UAW endorsed Mandela Barnes in Oshkosh because of his commitment to bringing jobs back home, fighting for labor, and rebuilding the middle class.
WFRV: “The United Auto Workers Union in Oshkosh formally endorsed Democrat Mandela Barnes. They’re making the loss of 1,000 Oshkosh Defense jobs a key issue here.”
Ron Johnson is Working for His Big Donors, Not Wisconsin Workers
Throughout his decade-plus in the Senate, Ron Johnson has made it clear that his loyalty belongs to his corporate donors, not working people in Wisconsin.
Ron Johnson has taken tens of thousands of dollars from companies that outsourced good-paying Wisconsin jobs.
Ron Johnson supported a tax bill that gave tax breaks to companies that outsource good-paying jobs and said that outsourcing has been “quite beneficial to America.”
Johnson opposed a plan that would have made 165,000 Wisconsin workers eligible for overtime pay.
Johnson again abandoned Wisconsin manufacturing in his vote against the CHIPS Act, bi-partisan legislation that will help breathe new life into Wisconsin manufacturing.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Sen. Ron Johnson backs outsourcing, says it’s better to have products made “dirt cheap” overseas.
Mandela Barnes Is A Champion For Wisconsin Workers and Manufacturing
Wisconsin’s proud history of manufacturing is personal to Mandela — his grandfather was a steelworker and his father worked third shift at an auto factory for thirty years. Mandela is fighting to bring manufacturing back home to put Wisconsin in the driver’s seat of the technology of tomorrow.
In the Senate he’ll work to create opportunity and make sure our economy isn’t dependent on goods from overseas. He will fix our broken supply chains to tackle inflation and invest in chips manufacturing to create the good-paying jobs of the future here in Wisconsin. Unlike Ron Johnson, he will put workers first and work to undo outsourcing that’s made Wisconsin’s workers, small businesses and farmers struggle while big corporations ship jobs overseas.
Original source can be found here..
