McCain Should Fire Lobbyist Who Killed Ohio Jobs

by Seth Michaels, Aug 11, 2008

Thousands of Ohio jobs are at risk because of a proposed shipping-company deal that would close DHL operations at an airport in Wilmington.

The process that has resulted in DHL’s threat to close its operations at the Wilmington airport demonstrates how corporate interests and lobbyists win out over communities and workers—and Sen. John McCain’s campaign is at the heart of it.

In a massive outreach effort, the AFL-CIO is reaching out to Ohio union members about this crucial issue—through mail, e-mail and worksite outreach. In Ohio, 100,000 union swing voters are receiving a mailer about the DHL deal and McCain’s role in making it happen. The e-mail is encouraging members to call McCain’s campaign office in Ohio and tell him to fire campaign manager Rick Davis. (Ohio readers: Add your voice by calling 1-614-441-8097 or sending an e-mail to ohio@johnmccain.com.) 

At union worksites, union members are distributing fliers (view the PDF version) that describe how McCain and a key lobbyist ally helped DHL’s foreign owners at the expense of Ohio jobs.

The deal was made possible in 2003, when McCain and high-priced lobbyist Rick Davis, McCain’s current campaign manager, both pushed to allow the German company Deutsche Post to take over DHL and get around antitrust laws. Davis’ lobbying firm, Davis Manafort, was hired to help both companies deal with Congress, where objections over DHL’s foreign ownership arose. Davis and a partner earned their firm $185,000 for the DHL-Airborne Express work that year, and $405,000 more from Deutsche Post for work on other issues in 2004 and 2005, Senate records show.  

Ohio AFL-CIO President Joe Rugola says that McCain and Davis, two longtime Washington insiders, acted on behalf of corporate interests, not Ohio workers. 

Those jobs are on the chopping block because Sen. McCain and his campaign were involved in a deal that resulted in control of those positions being shifted to a foreign corporation, and there’s no getting around that. 

The U.S. House of Representatives will hold hearings about the proposed restructuring of DHL’s air transportation plans. U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, an Ohio Democrat who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, says the House will work to make sure antitrust laws are upheld and jobs are protected.

This merger brings up major concerns for our local economy and working families. Not only does it have the potential to impact an estimated 8,000 jobs from the Wilmington, Ohio, area, but the loss of competition may have serious implications for Ohio consumers.

The Air Line Pilots (ALPA) represents hundreds of staff at the Wilmington facility whose jobs are among those threatened by the proposal. The AFL-CIO Executive Council released a statement last week demanding a full investigation of this proposed deal.

If this deal goes through and Deutsche Post is allowed to abandon companies it reorganized to serve it, 10,000 employees in southern Ohio will be thrown out of work, leaving many communities devastated. In addition, Deutsche Post will have succeeded in destroying two viable companies that, prior to its entry into North America, supplied jobs and competition in the expedited delivery market. 

The DHL/UPS deal raises major antitrust and competitive concerns that deserve careful scrutiny. There are also significant legal issues as to whether the proposed transaction violates scope and job security commitments made to ALPA, which DHL approved. 

Therefore, the proposed DHL/UPS transaction should not be consummated or effectuated until a full investigation of its antitrust, competitive and employment implications is completed by the Department of Justice, Congress and the state of Ohio, and all such questions are answered. In addition, the transaction should not be allowed unless all scope and job security commitments made to ALPA, other employees and the community, are honored.

Sen. Barack Obama has met with Wilmington’s mayor and residents who could be affected by the massive job losses. He’s urging a White House investigation into the deal.

McCain is standing by Davis, his campaign manager. While claiming to offer “straight talk” to Ohio workers, McCain isn’t mentioning his role or that of Davis in laying the groundwork for these potential job losses.

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Paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, www.aflcio.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

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