Central Ohio/Columbus Building and Construction Trades Council (C/COBCTC) Communications and Outreach Director Kelly Harrop joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss her candidacy to become a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and how the area of a potential district remains unknown due to Ohio’s redistricting process.
At this stage, Harrop is running for the Ohio Third District, which currently includes most of the City of Columbus. However, this is subject to change as the exact area of the District is yet to be determined. Unfortunately, the proposed state representative maps have not been approved by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Harrop said she is running on a multi-prong, pro-union platform. Her background with the C/COBCTC has taught her that building trades unions provide a direct path to the middle class and she can help bridge the disconnect of legislators who do not understand what it means to be in a union, she added.
Besides politics, Harrop spoke about her work recruiting young people into the trades during the current Columbus area construction boom.
She then described her excitement as she listened to President Biden mention the Intel plant planned for the Columbus area during his State of the Union address. Harrop explained how more needs to be done to educate guidance counselors, parents and young people about the incredible opportunities for careers in the trades in Central Ohio.
Harrop also discussed the award winning Building Futures and Driving Futures programs and how they help members of the underserved communities find a pathway to the middle class by helping them begin careers in the union building trades.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.