toledoblade.com --

A group of union members on a bus tour of election battleground states blasted Republican presidential nominee John McCain's labor record yesterday in front of the McCain campaign headquarters in Toledo.

The protest turned briefly into a chanting contest when McCain supporters emerged from the office at 10 South Superior St. to wave 'McCain-Palin' signs behind the 'McCain Loves NAFTA' signs.

Jennifer Grote, who arrived on the bus and said she is a casino food service worker from Las Vegas, said the intent of the trip was to 'get the truth out about McCain's policies.'

'McCain has not voted for working America,' she said. 'We cannot afford to let John McCain continue the failed economic policies of the last eight years.'

Steve Ridley, assistant Ohio director for the Unite Here union, whose members work locally in food service, said a key issue is the outsourcing of jobs under the North American Free Trade Agreement and other trade deals, which he said Mr. McCain continues to endorse.

JOHN MCCAIN PROTEST VIDEO

'Obama said he'd try to renegotiate,' Mr. Ridley said. 'These trade agreements have not been fair to our workers.'

The group Change To Win, a partnership of seven unions with 6 million members, has endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president and organized the bus tour.

The group's Web site, worsethanbush.org, is emblazoned on the bus carrying union members on a nine-state tour. The bus was to continue on to Youngstown, Pittsburgh, and Scranton, Pa.

About 50 people from the bus and local unions such as the Service Employees International Union marched in front of the McCain offices chanting, 'John McCain, More of the Same.'

McCain volunteers volleyed back with 'Vote for John McCain,' making it sound at times like they were all on the same side.

Lucas County Republican Chairman Jon Stainbrook said Mr. McCain is a political maverick who has voted against his own party and against President Bush.

He said Mr. McCain has policies that would create jobs, such as proposals to build
nuclear power plants and implement clean coal technology.

'This isn't about Bush. They love to make that comparison but it's not true. It's not four more of the same,' Mr. Stainbrook said.

Also yesterday, the Ohio Democratic Party released a report detailing county-by-county plant closings and mass layoffs during the Bush presidency.

The report, Ohio's Eight Years of Economic Pain 2001-08, found that 1,087 employers have closed their doors or had mass layoffs and more than 180,000 Ohioans have lost their job or been laid off for extended periods during President Bush's two terms in office.

'Ohio simply cannot take four years of the same devastating economic policies that the Bush Administration advanced, and we believe strongly that that's exactly what we would see if John McCain were elected president of the United States,' Joe Rugola, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO, said in a conference call to promote the report.

Staff Writer Larry Vellequette contributed to this report.
Contact Tom Troy at: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058.

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