I am writing to encourage the voters in the 23rd Congressional District to vote in support of incumbent John McHugh. The congressman was endorsed by us (UAW Local 465/NYS CAP Council) in the previous election cycle and has also been endorsed in the current election cycle.

The UAW covers bargaining unit employees at the GM Powertrain facility in Massena that is scheduled to cease production in the mid-2009 time frame. We received this news of impending closure on May 14, 2007. In the wake of our closure announcement, Congressman McHugh introduced the Forewarn Act, requiring an employer to give 90-day written notice to employees and appropriate state and government officials before ordering a plant closing or mass layoff and having to give notice of such closing or layoff to the secretary of labor (including the number of employees), to U.S. and state senators and other representatives that represent the area in which the plant is located, and also to the governor of the state in which the plant is located, and to the chief elected local official of the area within which the plant is located. This is the type of action that we need and expect from our elected representatives.

We, at UAW Local 465, have been in contact with our congressman since the announcement of this closure. On July 16 of this year, we filed a petition for TAA (Trade Adjustment Assistance) and ATAA (Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance). Within hours of filing that petition, there was a letter sent from Congressman McHugh to Elaine Chao, U.S. Department of Labor secretary, in strong support of our petition. On Sept. 9, we received notification that we had received certification of eligibility to apply for benefits under the Trade Act. These benefits will be very beneficial to our membership in the months ahead as the employment numbers at our facility begin to go downward.

This is the most recent and direct example of why we chose to endorse a person such as John McHugh. John has been a friend and supporter of us in the past. I have every reason to believe that he will be there in the future to provide the assistance that our constituency needs.

Remember to exercise your right to vote on November 4.

Ray Thibault

Massena

The writer is president of UAW Local 465.