The candidate looking to unseat the current Athens County prosecutor in March now has about 2,000 new supporters after receiving the endorsement of the local AFSCME Council 8.
The decision to endorse Susan Gwinn in the Democratic primary was based on her long-standing ties to labor unions, said Bill Sams, regional director for the council. When Ohio University eliminated 21 AFSCME positions, Gwinn was the first to contact the union to offer help and even stood on the picket line, he added.
That's more than just lip-service
Sams said.
The endorsement comes after reviewing union-drafted questionnaires completed by Gwinn and incumbent Democrat C. David Warren. The union then interviewed both candidates, asking heated pointed questions Sams said. The union board voted unanimously for Gwinn.
There are roughly 2,000 AFSCME members in Athens County, and all of them will be asked to help in the Gwinn campaign, Sams said. Union members will hand out literature, distribute yard signs and make door-to-door visits and phone calls.
Gwinn, whose father was a union member when working as a security officer at OU, stressed the importance of labor unions ' especially in Athens County, where higher poverty levels mean workers need all the help they can get, she said.
The fact is that unions help people live better lives in our area
she said.
But the decision to endorse Gwinn is based on a broader ideal than union support, Sams said.
Those that help everyday people like Susan has done are the kind of people who should be in public office
he said.
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