Election 2016: Members Speak Out
Nick Burns
Local 2635
Nick Burns, 55, of Johnstown, Pa., is a 19-year member of Local 2635, District 10, at Johnstown Wire Technologies. Nick is a grievance man with his unit. His wife, Yvonne, also a union member, is the local’s recording secretary. They have two children.
Burns believes Hillary Clinton will help to stop the spread of right-to-work (for less) legislation from the states to a national level. That is a key election issue for him.
“With a stroke of a pen, our right to unionize could be gone,” he said. “With all that it took to get to where we are now, it could be gone with just a stroke of the pen. It would be horrible to have national right-to-work. Our right to organize could be gone.”
“She’s pro union. With Hillary in the White House as president, it would be similar to Obama. We would have a stronger National Labor Relations Board, and OSHA would be favorable to us.
Burns believes Clinton’s jobs proposals would help the labor movement overall. “The jobs bill she wants to push through, that would be union labor, plus the materials would have to be made for that work.”
Burns said he likes the infrastructure bill Hillary wants to push through Congress because it will create union jobs in construction and materials. He also appreciates her proposal on college tuition aid and her support for affordable health care.
