America’s Work Force Union Podcast welcomed Jay Edwards, Republican candidate for Ohio State Treasurer, who discussed his background and steadfast support for labor. As a former Ohio House representative hailing from Nelsonville, Ohio, Edwards has made a name for himself by defying party stereotypes and championing union issues. Edwards discussed his upbringing in southeast Ohio, his personal connection to the working class, his approach to labor relations and his vision for the office of the state Treasurer.
Edwards began by sharing a few formative experiences from his Appalachian upbringing, emphasizing the importance of family values and his early exposure to labor struggles. He said that while much of his family was longtime Democrats, he found himself drawn to the Republican Party due to events that altered his thinking in his hometown. Attending a union meeting at a power plant and witnessing outsiders protest Local Union jobs left a lasting impression on him, shaping his commitment to protecting good union employment and supporting working families.
Edwards then shifted the discussion to his hands-on engagement with labor groups. He recalled how his initial campaign for state representative brought him face-to-face with various Local Unions across his district. These encounters revealed that, despite political differences, he shared more in common with union members than with some of his party colleagues. He took the initiative to learn about prevailing wage, project labor agreements and so-called “Right-To-Work” legislation, eventually earning the respect and support of prominent labor leaders and organizations throughout Ohio.
As for his aspirations as State Treasurer, Edwards outlined the responsibilities of the position, which focus largely on investments for the state and safeguarding public funds. While the role offers limited direct influence over pension plans, he said he intends to use the treasurer’s office as a platform to speak out on behalf of Ohio’s working men and women. He vowed to remain vigilant against policies that undermine labor rights, pledging to call out attempts to weaken unions and to stand firmly with workers. Edwards insisted that economic progress in Ohio should be measured by the prosperity of working people, not just by numbers on a report.
For more from Edwards and his relationship with labor, listen to the full episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast above.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
