Friend,
As you probably know, workers at John Deere have been on strike for better wages and working conditions for almost a week now. What you may not know is that besides representing members of UAW Local 838 in the state legislature, the strike is also directly affecting my mother.
My dad worked on the line at John Deere for over 40 years, and my mom is one of the spouses of a retired employee who is also losing her health care.
For a company making record profits and increasing CEO pay,
they must do better. The company has already posted historic profits of almost $5 billion dollars this year alone. My mom shouldn't have to worry about her health care, and every worker deserves a fair wage, health care, and retirement they can count on.
I've been out multiple times supporting the workers on strike who are reclaiming their power, but this is about so much more than John Deere and one strike. This is about shifting the balance of power back to workers. Corporations work because of workers, not the other way around.
As a community -- it's not about Democrats or Republicans -- it's time to stand up for workers fighting for their rights. Today, I'm asking you to support our community and our neighbors:
Will you add your name in support of the striking workers at John Deere? We'll keep you in the loop about other ways to stand in solidarity when you do.
My opponent Governor Kim Reynolds has remained mostly silent on the strike, preferring to instead talk about national issues like immigration.
It's clear where her priorities lie. We need leadership who isn't afraid to do the right thing. Too much is at stake for working families, small businesses, and farmers to let up now.
More soon,
Ras Smith
Democrat for Governor
