Ohio Labor Mobilizes for Votes and Worker Safety

The Ohio AFL-CIO is entering the upcoming election season with a dual focus: building political power for working families and honoring the workers who never made it home from the job.

On this episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga outlined how the state federation is preparing for the primary through endorsements, labor-to-labor outreach and field testing, while also keeping worker safety and labor history at the center of its public message.

• Tim Burga said the Ohio AFL-CIO is expanding its endorsement and voter outreach program through labor council screenings, workplace communication and door-to-door canvassing.
• Burga said inflation is fueling worker frustration, as well as federal labor attacks and broader institutional instability, which, in turn, is driving unusually high political energy.
• Burga linked today’s worker safety fight to labor history, pointing to the Willow Grove mine disaster and Workers Memorial Day as reminders of what unions have had to confront and change.

Ohio AFL-CIO Builds a Labor-to-Labor Election Program

As Ohio moves deeper into election season, the state labor movement is preparing to do what it has long done best: organize its own. On America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga described a political operation built around screening candidates, issuing endorsements and communicating directly with union households across the state.

Burga began by describing the Ohio Federation’s endorsement process. Local labor councils across Ohio review candidate questionnaires, meet with candidates and make formal recommendations to the state federation, he said. From there, those recommendations are brought before the Ohio AFL-CIO executive board for action. According to Burga, the current round of endorsements includes candidates for Congress, the Ohio House and appellate court seats.

The process is meant to do more than sort candidates by party label, he said. It is designed to identify who has a record of supporting the labor movement and working families. Burga said the federation’s standard remains straightforward: support those who support workers.

He also noted that several union members are running for office this cycle. Those candidates, identified through the federation’s Path to Power effort, receive added attention through letters and digital outreach. The strategy reflects a long-standing labor view that working people are often best represented by candidates who have lived the realities of union work.

Why Ohio Labor Sees Unusual Energy in This Election Cycle

Burga said the political energy he is seeing across Ohio stands out from recent cycles. In his view, that intensity is being driven by both economic pressure and worker anger over attacks on labor rights.

Costs continue to strain household budgets, and Burga said that pressure is shaping how workers are thinking about the election. At the same time, he said federal actions affecting union workers have sharpened labor’s sense of urgency.

Burga described a climate in which workers are reacting not only to policy disputes but also to broader concerns about institutional stability and whether government is responding to the needs of ordinary people. That combination, he said, has produced a level of energy he has not seen in quite some time.

Still, he made clear that labor’s immediate focus in Ohio remains the upcoming primary. Before November, when messaging fully takes over, Ohio unions are focusing on ensuring members understand who is on the ballot now and which candidates the labor movement believes are best positioned to advance worker interests.

How Unions Plan to Cut Through Big Money in Ohio Politics

Money will once again dominate much of the public campaign environment, but Burga said labor intends to counter that with direct communication and trusted relationships.

The Ohio AFL-CIO’s political program will rely on what Burga called traditional labor tactics: workplace leafleting, member-to-member conversations, front-door canvassing, direct mail and digital communication. The goal is to reach union members, retirees and family households with messages grounded in labor’s own assessment of the candidates and the issues.

Burga emphasized that labor’s strength lies in its ability to speak worker-to-worker. While outside groups and wealthy interests may flood the airwaves, unions can still reach people through personal contact and shared experience. That remains one of organized labor’s most durable political advantages.

He also said the Ohio Federation plans to test its canvass program in several regions of the state next month. That effort is intended to measure which messages are resonating most clearly with voters and to refine labor’s field strategy as the campaign season intensifies.

Billionaires and outside groups may spend heavily, but Burga believes disciplined field work can still move voters when the message speaks directly to wages, worker rights, retirement security and the daily realities of working life.

Worker Safety Remains a Core Labor Issue in Ohio

The interview then shifted from elections to one of labor’s most enduring responsibilities: protecting workers on the job.

With Workers Memorial Day approaching on April 28, Burga reflected on the annual observance that honors workers killed on the job and recognizes those who later die from occupational illness. His comments underscored a point often lost in campaign-season politics: worker safety is one of the main reasons unions exist.

Burga connected that message to a deeply personal piece of Ohio labor history, the 1940 Willow Grove mine disaster in Belmont County. He said the memorial for the miners who died there remains an important gathering place for retired miners, families and labor leaders who want to preserve the memory of those sacrifices.

At the time of the Willow Grove disaster, Burga said his grandfather worked in the same mining region, but he was fortunate not to be involved. Burga used that history to make a broader point: even mines regarded as models of safety can become sites of catastrophe, which is why dangerous industries require constant vigilance and strong union presence.

The Willow Grove Legacy and the Meaning of Workers Memorial Day

Burga said the Willow Grove Memorial is not only about remembrance. It is also about continuity.

Burga specifically linked the legacy of previous generations of union miners to today’s unions, including his own home union, the United Steelworkers. In that sense, the memorial is both historical and instructional. It reminds today’s labor movement that many rights were won only after fatal employer neglect.

Burga said local labor councils across Ohio will host multiple events around April 28 to honor workers who lost their lives to job-related injuries and illnesses. These observances coincide with the anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, tying memory to the ongoing fight for better workplace safety enforcement and prevention.

Burga’s message that labor cannot separate politics from safety highlights why electing pro-worker candidates matters. It is public policy that shapes whether labor law is enforced, whether agencies are funded and whether workers have meaningful protection on the job, he said.

Go Behind the Scenes of the Labor Movement

Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together. From the shop floor to the statehouse, hear how activists are fighting for better wages, safer conditions and a stronger future. Subscribe to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to get the latest interviews with the leaders and organizers building worker power across America.