John,
In October 2021, I had been an employee of Kellogg’s for almost 18 years.
I had dropped out of college and gone to work for the company after my wife got pregnant. Life’s easy when all you gotta do is take care of yourself – but we had diapers to buy and needed health insurance for our growing family.
When I applied in 2004, there were 6 positions and 600 applications. Working at Kellogg’s promised to be a lifelong career. A good-paying job that afforded me the opportunity to become a homeowner, let my wife stay home with the kids, live decently, retire some day, and hopefully live happily ever after.
But over the years, wages became a two-tier system. New workers were being paid less than employees had made decades earlier. Cost of living adjustments weren’t keeping up anywhere near inflation. Retirement and health insurance plans had been gutted. It just wasn’t right. They were making record profits – and doing it off the backs of workers.
So in October 2021, we walked out. And as president of our local union, I led the strike.
It was the first time many of us had ever walked a picket line. It was cold, but we were determined to hold our lines even through the dead of the winter if we had to. Every worker knew we were a part of something bigger than ourselves. We were in a fight for the future of the American middle class.
After 11 weeks, and the company threatening to permanently replace every union worker, we reached an agreement. More importantly, we saved 500 good-paying jobs here in Nebraska alone.
It was one of the proudest moments of my life.
Following the strike, I was fired. The company has its version of events for why, but I believe it was because I was union president. Someone had to pay – and my head was on the chopping block.
It’s easy to let yourself get beaten down by life. To let big corporations and the politicians they own in Washington make all the decisions – and just accept that that’s how things will always be. But that’s not me.
Instead, I’ve decided to run against one of the most corporate politicians – U.S. Senator Republican Deb Fischer – and with your help, we are going to defeat her.
A new poll shows just 24% of Nebraskan voters approve of Deb Fischer, and in that same poll, I am LEADING her by 2 points.
I am ready to take on Republican Senator Deb Fischer just like I took on Kellogg’s. But I sure as hell am not going to take money from corporate PACs, so I need grassroots donors like you to give now if we’re going to win this seat.
I believe we can win this race and keep up the fight for the American middle class. I’m counting on your support to win.
Thank you,
Dan Osborn