Local 727 Endorses Lori Lightfoot for Mayor
The Teamsters Local 727 Executive Board is proud to announce the Union’s endorsement of Lori Lightfoot for Mayor of the City of Chicago.
“The next Mayor of Chicago will have a tremendous impact, not just on the Windy City, but on the lives of our members. As an experienced public servant, advocate for reform, and defender of civil liberties, Lori Lightfoot has the qualifications, the vision, and the values to be a superb leader of Chicago. Teamsters Local 727 is proud to endorse Lori for Mayor,” said Secretary-Treasurer John Coli, Jr.
Secretary-Treasurer Coli stressed to the mayoral candidate some of the most pressing political concerns of Local 727 members, including valet license enforcement, fair parking taxes, and the prevention of a city soda tax.
Local 727 has pressed the Chicago Mayor’s Office for years to step-up city-wide valet license inspections, advocating for the inspections’ dual-use as an enforcement mechanism and revenue stream.
“Many alternative revenue streams can, and should, be tapped before we ever consider adding new burdens onto Chicago’s working families, including valet license inspections,” said Coli. “More stringent license enforcement would not only crackdown on illegitimate valet operators, but would ensure that those operators who disregard the law and mistreat their workers will be held financially accountable for their actions.”
Lightfoot has similarly called for the identification and use of progressive revenue sources throughout her campaign, railing against past practices of balancing the city’s budget on the backs of families and those not equipped to handle it.
Secretary-Treasurer Coli also emphasized the Union’s recent struggle to preserve fair, across-the-board parking taxes and the past fight to repeal the Cook County Soda Tax.
“Last year’s proposed tax-break for parking aggregators, like SpotHero and ParkWhiz, was fundamentally unjust and would have threatened the larger Chicago parking industry—an industry thousands of our members have spent their careers building up. Likewise, the short-lived Cook County Soda Tax could have spelled disaster for many of our members, their families, and the City of Chicago. Not only did the absurd tax drive revenue from the county and city, but it could have led to hundreds of our hardworking soda industry members being laid off of work,” said Coli.
“Our Union members rely on their elected representatives to regulate taxes, maintain a level playing field in Chicago, and preserve jobs. We need a leader like Lori. A Mayor that is willing to step up, have our backs and protect our jobs,” said Coli.
Though critics have taken recent Lightfoot comments out of context and attempted to portray her as anti-labor, such a characterization of the candidate couldn’t be further from the truth.
A native Ohioan, Lightfoot was raised by her mother and father, a longtime member of the United Steelworkers Union, in a union proud home. She has credited her upbringing with instilling within her a commitment to social justice and equality.
“I am confident that Lori’s commitment to fairness, justice, and workers’ rights will place Chicago on the correct path forward. The entire Local 727 Executive Board eagerly awaits her victory on Tuesday and her swearing into office as our newest Mayor of Chicago.
All Local 727 members are strongly encouraged to make their voices heard and vote Lori Lightfoot for Mayor of the City of Chicago.
Early voting for the Chicago mayoral runoff election has begun. The final day to cast your ballot for the next mayor of the City of Chicago will be Tuesday, April 2.
Election Day Resources:
Verify your Registration Status & Locate your Polling Place
Information on Grace Period or Election Day Registration
List of Candidates on the April 2 Ballot
Category: Politics, Union News
