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A politician on your side

If working men and women feel like there’s no one in government on their side these days, Sen. Robert Byrd will prove you wrong.

With the Bush administration spouting family values, but doing everything to pad the pockets of big business, Sen. Byrd, D-W.Va., knows the true meaning of family values. He has a track record of leadership on a variety of issues that directly affect working families in West Virginia, including health care, retirement and pension security, workforce and economic development, workplace safety and workers’ rights.

Byrd knows what it’s like to work long hours for a fair wage.

He’s been a welder, a meat cutter and a small grocery store owner. He knows what it’s like to build something from nothing. He knows the pride of raising a family and the joys of having grandchildren.

His parents were humble people who instilled in him traditional West Virginia values of hard work, loyalty, fairness, responsibility, and service to God and community.

He has dedicated his accomplished career in public service to helping his fellow West Virginians.
Thousands of that state’s residents now have access to doctors because of Byrd. Addressing the health care needs of the thousands of West Virginians who are still uninsured remains one of his top priorities.

Byrd continues to fight to protect workers’ pensions. American workers are holding up their end of the bargain, but some employers are not. He remains steadfastly opposed to the privatization of Social Security and supports measures that will protect and strengthen our nation’s Social Security system for future generations of retirees.

As illustrated through his opposition to NAFTA, Byrd has fought to curb the current trend of outsourcing American jobs and to protect our nation’s manufacturing base from unfair foreign dumping practices.

The Robert C. Byrd Institute operates Manufacturing Technology Centers in Kanawha, Cabell, Harrison and Mineral counties.

For more than a decade they have provided technical training to thousands of workers representing more than 600 industrial firms in the region.

Byrd works hard to keep West Virginia jobs front and center in Washington. He works hard every day to grow our economy and expand business in West Virginia.

Once a laborer himself, West Virginia’s senior senator has always fought for the protection of workers’ rights. Byrd is a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would protect the rights of workers to organize unions and negotiate a first contract.

In addition Byrd has co-sponsored legislation to block efforts to roll back 40-hour workweek protections. Byrd has also been instrumental in establishing and maintaining fair pay standards for American workers. He continues to fight on our behalf to protect workers’ overtime pay, and he supports a federal minimum wage hike.

Byrd has also been endorsed by the following organizations: West Virginia AFL-CIO, United Mine Workers of America, American Federation of Government Employees, Communications Workers of America Local 2001, National Association of Social Workers’ West Virginia chapter, West Virginia Education Association, Independent Steelworkers Union, United Steelworkers District 8, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 667, Teamsters Local 175, AFSCME West Virginia Council 77 and the Charleston Gazette.

The UAW proudly endorses and supports Sen. Robert C. Byrd for re-election to the U.S. Senate. A champion for the working families of West Virginia, Sen. Byrd has proven himself to be a reliable friend of labor and an advocate for all of West Virginia’s working families.

He always stands for the best interests of the people of West Virginia, and the UAW is proud to stand with Robert C. Byrd.