Labor unions are picking sides in the hotly-contested Columbus City Council race, largely backing one candidate for the District 7 seat.
Columbus City Council candidate Tiara Ross has garnered support from six labor unions and their affiliates since she announced her candidacy. Ross' opponent Jesse Vogel announced his first union endorsement on Thursday, gaining the support of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 8.
Vogel was a member of this union when he worked for Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio. AFSCME Council 8 represents a large chunk of Columbus' 10,000 employees and even more public employees in Columbus and central Ohio.
Ross' support includes the Central Ohio AFL-CIO, the Columbus Firefighters union, the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Trades Council, Carpenters Local 200, Ohio Association of Public School Employees and the Ohio Nurses Association. ASFCME falls under the AFL-CIO, but endorsed separately.
The endorsement Thursday for Vogel is significant after city leaders, who are city employees' boss, lined up behind Ross before the primary. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, all of Columbus City Council and the Franklin County Democratic Party have endorsed Ross.
Both candidates have been vocally supportive of unions and workers' rights on the campaign trail.
Ross told WOSU she's very proud to be endorsed by the labor unions.
"These unions represent the men and women who build our city, who keep us safe and care for our families. Their trust in me means everything and I will honor it by fighting every single day to make Columbus a city where working people come first," Ross said.
Vogel told WOSU he's honored by AFSCME's endorsement and what it means to his campaign.
"In this endorsement, what we saw city employees do is say we want different leadership and we can't afford the status quo as workers," Vogel said.
Vogel said Columbus needs to work hand-in-hand with labor to make sure the city is the best place anyone can work. He said he wants to make sure Columbus doesn't undercut the bargaining that organized labor does to ensure people in Columbus have what they need to succeed and thrive.
Building and Trades Council Executive Secretary Dorsey Hager told WOSU both Vogel and Ross went through screening committee interviews, but the vote was unanimous for Ross. He said both are good candidates, but Ross stood out.
"(Ross has) done a lot to help people who have been taken advantage of, fighting for them through the court system to help them. She stood shoulder to shoulder with working people, and I think that she'll continue to do that," Hager said.
Hager said labor unions are under attack by the federal government and it is important for local candidates to support workers. He said the endorsements by many unions shows Ross is working hard and will work hard as a member of city council.
"This is without a doubt the most pro-labor, pro-worker city council ever, not only in the history of my career, but also in the history of the city of Columbus," Hager said.
Central Ohio AFL-CIO Executive Director Jamie Schumacher told WOSU the two candidates were also interviewed, but didn't say how the vote went. Schumacher said the AFL-CIO felt that Ross could best represent the unions at this time of need for unions.
Schumacher said the three candidates in the primary, which included Kate Curry-Da-Souza, were all great choices.
"Ross just stood out to us (because) she would understand the city's politics a lot better and how to work around different things to get things done within the city and I think that represents how she would help out with workers," Schumacher said.
AFSCME is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO. Schumacher said it is not uncommon for the smaller unions to split and make their own endorsements separate from the AFL-CIO. AFSCME Council 8 couldn't be reached for comment.
Vogel said AFSCME's workers are on the front line of what the city is engaged in. Besides roughly 2,500 city workers and Columbus Public Health workers, the union represents public defenders, legal aid employees, the Columbus Museum of Art and other art and service organizations.
"I think they see what's happening in the Trump administration. They see threats their workers face. And they know we can do better. They know that we can have stronger leadership and they've made a bold decision to stand up for that with this campaign," Vogel said.
Vogel has also been endorsed by other groups like the Working Families Party and the Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio.
Some unions haven't weighed in on the race yet, including the Columbus Education Association, the Teamsters and the Fraternal Order of Police.
