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| IAM Local 1947 Vice President Andrew Hounshell (left) was chosen to introduce President Barack Obama at a campaign rally in Cincinnati, OH, where the President vowed to protect U.S. auto and steel workers from unfair duties levied by China on American-made cars. |
IAM Local 1943 Vice President Andrew Hounshell admitted he was stunned to receive a phone call inviting him to introduce President Barack Obama at a campaign stop this week in Cincinnati, OH. “I was dumbfounded,” said Hounshell, who is employed at AK Steel in nearby Middletown, OH and was chosen from several union members in the region with ties to the auto industry. President Obama’s campaign stops across Ohio this week are focused on the recovering U.S. auto industry and China’s use of export subsidies to gain unfair advantage.
While Hounshell didn’t know that he would be chosen, others were more confident. “From the very first phone call from the Obama campaign, I never doubted that Andrew was the best choice to represent our members, our union and our community,” said Local 1943 President and Directing Business Representative Neil Douglas. “As a veteran and a young father of triplets, he’s just a great example of who we are here in Middletown.”
Standing before a crowd of more than 5,000, the affable Hounshell delivered a rousing introduction for the President and didn’t pass up the opportunity to deliver a shout out to his family, his fellow veterans, his co-workers and his union:
“Because of him, up and down I-75 and across I-70, we’re seeing a great American comeback story right here in Ohio,” said Hounshell of the President’s support for the auto industry. “It’s a comeback story we have to keep going this November. My fellow veterans and my wife’s co-workers know it. My fellow steelworkers and my union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers – the Fighting Machinsts – we know it, and all of you here today know it.”
In remarks to the crowd, the President praised Hounshell and jokingly offered some parenting advice: “The thing I’m most proud of is he has triplets and he’s still standing,” said Obama. “Triplets, that’s serious, you can’t play man-to-man defense. You have to go into a zone.”
Click here to watch a video of the introduction: http://www.activedayton.com/videos/news/ak-steel-worker-introduces-president-at-cincinnati/vd5Yt/