<HTML> <HEAD> <META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="Adobe PageMill 2.0 Mac"> <TITLE>Senator waves flag for labor</TITLE> <META NAME="docid" CONTENT="012984"> <META NAME="entry_date" CONTENT="980802"> <META NAME="entry_time" CONTENT="195129"> <META NAME="transmit_date" CONTENT="980803"> <META NAME="transmit_time" CONTENT="014806"> <META NAME="typeset_date" CONTENT="19980803"> <META NAME="typeset_time" CONTENT="001617"> <META NAME="expire_date" CONTENT="980803"> <META NAME="doctype" CONTENT="P"> <META NAME="story_name" CONTENT="uaw03"> <META NAME="keyword" CONTENT="UAW03"> <META NAME="topic" CONTENT="8-03MET"> <META NAME="author" CONTENT="AGROSS"> <META NAME="body_agate" CONTENT=""> <META NAME="pubdate" CONTENT="19980803"> <META NAME="section" CONTENT="B"> <META NAME="page" CONTENT="1"> <META NAME="edition" CONTENT="4X"> <META NAME="head_ptsize" CONTENT="72"> <META NAME="category" CONTENT=""> <META NAME="mapwords" CONTENT="local"> <META NAME="headline" CONTENT="Senator waves flag for labor"> <META NAME="description" CONTENT="Local News"> <META NAME="source" CONTENT="akron"> <META NAME="release_date" CONTENT=""> <META NAME="lead" CONTENT="If Paul Wellstone has it his way, the next presidential race will be one that working-class people can get behind. And the U.S. senator from Minnesota may put himself in the running as a potential candidate. 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Journal staff writer</I></FONT> </SNML_CREDIT_LINE> <P> </SNML_BYLINE> <P> If Paul Wellstone has it his way, the next presidential race will be one that working-class people can get behind. And the U.S. senator from Minnesota may put himself in the running as a potential candidate.<P> Yesterday, the slightly built politician slipped off his navy suit jacket and gabbed with union leaders and members from United Auto Workers Region 2 like they were long-lost friends.<P> About 300 UAW members were at Wellstone's speech at the University of Akron's Gardner Student Center, which served as the opener of a summer school where union members take in workshops on coalition building, collective bargaining, financial planning and other union issues.<P> Before and after his hour-long talk, the 54-year-old Wellstone weaved personal stories with political stances.<P> He said the General Motors strike, which was recently settled after shutting down plants in Ohio and other states, showed what can happen when working-class people stand up for themselves and negotiate.<P> The outspoken Democrat criticized his own party for sidestepping ``kitchen-table issues'' -- those concerns significant to working families such as labor, health care, child care and education. Wellstone said he has been to many states, and people living in rural Minnesota and Ohio and people in California's inner cities all experience similar problems.<P> Wellstone said America is at the ``peak of its economic performance,'' yet many working people do not have proper health care and cannot afford child care.<P> ``I think we can do better,'' he said.<P> He added that people want assurance that their investment in such programs as Social Security ``will deliver.''<P> As for his running for the U.S. presidency, Wellstone said he has not made a decision. That will come after November, he said.<P> ``It's inside of me, and I want to do it,'' the senator said. ``I think I will do it. I'm not being coy about it. . . . I'm tenacious. I love to debate. I love to organize. This would be a serious effort to win.''<P> He said he recently spent time in Iowa and New Hampshire to try to get a sense of people's support.<P> ``The reaction was electrifying,'' said the former professor at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.<P> In 1990, Wellstone was the underdog but managed to win the Senate seat through his grass- roots Minnesota campaign.<P> In Akron yesterday, the applause became thunderous when Wellstone spoke about the plight of working-class men and women. But he reiterated that he was not in town seeking political support.<P> Some who listened to him thought it was politics as usual.<P> ``I'd like to hear a politician say he's going to be for labor and actually be for it once he's in office,'' said Dean Ripley, 34, of Vermilion.<P> Ripley and his friends who work with him at auto seat maker Johnson Controls in Oberlin said that Wellstone and other politicians claiming to be for working-class people need to remember the younger population of workers.<P> ``If you look around the room, there's a lot of older people,'' Ripley said. ``Someone will have to fill their shoes. We're the next generation to do it.''<P> Warren Davis, director and international executive board member for UAW Region 2, said everyone at the speech should have been able to relate to Wellstone's words.<P> ``I think people are going to start standing up more for what they believe,'' Davis said.<BR>   </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <P> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> Go to the <A HREF="/bj/news/"><B>index page</B></A> for this article</DIV><P> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <A HREF="#top">Top of page</A></DIV> <PRE> </PRE>  <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <FONT SIZE="4"> <A HREF="/siteindex.html">Site Index</A> | <A HREF="/find/">Search</A> | <A HREF="mailto:ohio@akron.infi.net">Mail</A> | <A HREF="/faq/">FAQ</A> | <A HREF="/">Home</A> </FONT></DIV> <P> <DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <a HREF="/bj/info/"> <IMG SRC="/bj/grafix/copyright_bar.gif" WIDTH="600" HEIGHT="18" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0"></a></DIV> </FORM> </BODY> </HTML>