Deborah Dion with the Ohio AFL-CIO field program sends us this.

Speaking at a Cleveland rally on the eve of Nov. 8, Election Day, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka brought down the house yesterday when he spoke passionately about why we must join together and beat back Issue 2/ S.B. 5. More than 500 union volunteers from 30 different local unions as well as community activists and Columbia University students from New York City rose to their feet repeatedly cheering before hitting the doors to canvass city neighborhoods  to spread the message about voting “No” vote on Issue 2/S.B. 5.

“No fight is more important than the one right here in Ohio,” said Trumka.

Because no one, no governor, no state legislature should have the power to rob us of the fundamental right to bargain collectively. [Gov.] John Kasich cannot take that away from us. The people of Ohio have spoken and will not stand for it. They want to take away our rights, our dignity, and the ladder to the middle class.

Ohio Federation of Teachers President Sue Taylor, Laborers Local 310 Business Manager Terry Joyce, North Shore Federation of Labor President Loree Soggs and Executive Secretary Harriet Applegate of the North Shore Federation joined President Trumka at the rally. Says Taylor:

Issue 2 is an attempt to break the backs of unions and we’re not going to let them take away our voice.  If we work together, roll up our sleeves, and continue to bring out every vote, we can finish this fight and have a real voice for working people in Ohio.

“Issue 2 is an assault on all workers in Ohio and across America. We are fighting back, all of us together, to rebuild the middle class and create jobs and dignity for all workers,” said former CWA Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Rechenbach.

At the Laborers Hall, Trumka met with 55 students from Columbia University who came to Ohio as a group to fight for workers’ rights and help unions get out the “No” vote on Issue 2. Trumka discussed opportunities for young people to become activists and how to get involved in the union movement, including talking about the AFL-CIO Next Up young worker outreach.

Following the rally, Trumka and Taylor went door to door to talk with Cleveland union members and their families to urge them to vote “No” on Issue 2 and to asked them to make an extra push to talk to their friends, neighbors and co-workers to ensure that everyone they know gets out to vote.

At one home, UAW retiree Bernard Jackson told Trumka that he and three family members had already voted “No” on Issue 2. But Jackson wanted to do more than vote.

I am so excited about winning, I’m going to volunteer tomorrow at the polls.  We must all get out and vote “No.”

Trumka and Taylor then phone banked, with Trumka making more than 50 calls and thanking phone bankers at the Cleveland Teachers Union (CTU). Over the past two months, CTU members have made more than 525,000 calls to union members to ask them to vote “No” on Issue 2/S.B. 5.

“Nine months ago since the law passed,” said CTU President David Quolke, “we have been waiting for this moment to turn into a movement, and it is just 36 hours away.

We need to work as hard as we did when we began this long haul up to the very last minute to ensure victory. We have had tremendous support at the local, state and from the National AFL-CIO that has been with us during this struggle and battle.

Cherlyane Jones-Williams, a para-professional for the past 40 years at James Rhodes school in Cleveland, says she makes phone calls as often as she can.

I teach special education children, and if Issue 2 passes it would create an unsafe and unmanageable situation for our children because we know Issue 2 will increase class sizes.