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IBEW electricians Jeff Deckard and Boyce Christensen, both unemployed, made history a few weeks ago- at a most unlikely place- the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa. They were on the Show Us The Jobs bus tour (see here) to let Americans know that not since Hoover has a U.S. president presided over the loss of as many jobs as George W. Bush.

Herbert Hoover is the guy who proclaimed that the end of poverty was imminent. A few months later unemployed Americans were on the street selling apples. Hoover had given tax breaks to the wealthy to stimulate the economy, but by the end of 1929, the Great Depression had begun.

We cannot afford to sit around and hope that history wont repeat itself. The United States is in the middle of a jobs crisis. We need a change in the direction of the economy and the political and corporate policies that influence our livelihoods. There is no magic bullet to turn things around, but we can make a crucial start with the national elections in the U.S. this November. And that is why the IBEW is joining with the rest of the labor movement in supporting Sen. John Kerry for president of the United States.

We deliberately stayed out of the primary battles in order to maintain our unity and give our members the chance to hear all the candidates and vote their preference. Now that the nominee is all but official, we need to unite behind the candidate who offers the best hope for working people.

This isnt just another election, and it isnt politics as usual. This is a battle for the future of the nation. We can argue all day about specific issues. But whats at stake is the very survival of a middle class in America and the hopes and dreams of working families everywhere.

The living proof that the debate on jobs in the United States is not about a bunch of faceless, abstract numbers is found in the stories of Brothers Deckard and Christensen, along with those of Sister Judy Johnson on the cover of this issue and the brothers and sister formerly employed by Thomson Inc. [Click Here]

The Bush administration trumpets that 308,000 new jobs were created in March. Lost in the public relations push was the fact that the new jobs pay, on the average, 21 percent less than the ones that we have lost or that his "stimulus package" was 2 million jobs short of its goal. He didnt mention that the unemployment rate actually increased in March. And why should he talk about the projected $5 trillion deficit when the youngsters who will be paying it off cant read the newspapers yet?

Andrew Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University says: "This is the first time weve ever had a case where two years into a recovery, corporate profits got a larger share of the growth of national income than labor did..."

Billionaire Warren Buffet says: "If there is a class war going on, my side is winning." We dont cite Buffets analogy to war lightlynot while precious lives are cut down daily in Iraq. But his quote exactly describes the deliberate plan by corporations to abandon loyal and skilled workers and their communities in favor of areas where workers lack elemental human rights.

The story of the loss of IBEW members jobs at Thomson Inc. told in this issue is a case study for everything that is wrong in our economy today. This is not a company that found itself the victim of a trend toward low-wage labor; this is a company whose conscious policy decision to abandon domestic manufacturing in favor of China and Mexico has helped create the trend. A Power Point presentation on Thomsons own web site clearly stated their intention to "relocate to low-wage countries."

Anguish turns to anger when we think about the Bush-Cheney tax policies and anti-labor measures that have encouraged the corporate warriors to abandon the United States.

There is hope. Labor has moved the debate on "outsourcing" to the center of the presidential campaign. New legislation in Congress would change U.S. tax policy to restrict corporate flight. States like Minnesota have passed measures to prevent the out-sourcing of publicly funded projects. The 14- member AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council (including the IBEW) has filed a petition calling upon President Bush to honor Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, providing for sanctions against the Peoples Republic of China for violating workers rights. Finally, the Show Us The Jobs bus tour put the story of Americas unemployed in the headlines.

Our hope and resolve can change America. Herbert Hoovers failures were replaced by the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt who inspired hope by telling the truth about the economy and placing himself on the side of Americas workers in more than a few battles. The labor movement played a critical role in his election and in the development of his policies.

The 2004 election is our call to change the course of history. We will be working as never before to mobilize for action. Our goal is to help candidates who understand the need for a balanced economic policy that allows working people to share in the fruits of their labor and restore much needed balance to this nation. We will support candidatesDemocrat or Republicanwho understand this and will stand up for working people. Unfortunately, we know from bitter experience over these four years that this Republican administration is a friend only to the most wealthy and powerful forces in our society and does not give a damn about the well-being of those who work hard, play by the rules and yet find themselves falling further and further behind.

To further our goals, we have appointed a national political coordinator and are in the process of naming political coordinators at the state levelespecially in the 16 states that have been identified as "battlegrounds," where the vote is expected to be close.

John Kerry is willing to stand up on behalf of working people. He has given voice to the issues that matter the most from jobs to health care. He has been one of the few politicians who has admitted that the trade policies of the past have failed. He has amassed a consistent voting record on labor issues that ranks him among the best in the U.S. Senate. We know what kind of man John Kerry is. The son of a wealthy family, he chose to wear his countrys uniform with pride and face the enemy during the Vietnam War when he very easily could have joined others of his social and economic class in hiding out in privileged units or evading service altogether. We believe that John Kerry has earned the support of working families and will have a lot more to say on that between now and November.

Ultimately, this election is about issues, not personalities. Rarely have the lines been drawn so starkly. On one side, we have an administration that cares mainly about the well-being of corporations, is willing to tolerate increased joblessness, has weakened Medicare, driven our nation into record debt, made vital social programs go begging while helping the wealthiest Americans, and so on and so on. On the other side, we have a candidate whose record, like that of most of his party, is to promote growth that helps all Americans and takes a decidedly more pro-labor stance on most major issues. All we are saying is that it is time that we hold this administration accountable for the choices they have made. It is time for them to live up to their responsibility.

We are also asking you to take responsibility for your future C9 for our collective future. When the political coordinator in your local or state comes calling, dont just sit on your hands and think that it is up to other brothers and sisters. We are asking everyone to take action. Start by making sure you are properly registered to vote and that all your information is current with the local election board. Volunteer to pass out workplace flyers or to leaflet public places for pro-labor candidates in your area. Give to IBEW-PAC so that we can provide needed financial resources to our allies. And help get your brother and sister union members and their families out to vote on Election Day. There is no more patriotic exercise of the rights we hold dear and are trying to help others achieve than to vote.

Our unemployed members and workers across our nation need us now more than ever. We can replace their despair with hope. We can win!

Edwin D. Hill

International President

Jeremiah J. OConnor

International Secretary-Treasurer