IBEW leader says Ferriero should back Lautenberg

IBEW Local 164 out of Paramus issued a statement today in support of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, calling him a working people’s champion.

“I have spoken with labor leaders and rank and file union members from across the state who want Senator Lautenberg back in the U.S. Senate,” said business manager Richard Dressell.

One of the biggest financial supporters of the Bergen County Democratic Organization (BCDO), IBEW Local 164 last year maxed out with a $37,000 contribution in addition to contributions to individual Democratic Party candidates, according to Dressell.

“At this juncture I’m getting pretty fed up,” he said of BCDO chairman Joseph Ferriero, who has not yet publicly declared his support for Lautenberg.

“It’s getting absurd around here, like last year when Joe tried to put a move on Loretta Weinberg and wheel in (Englewood Mayor) Michael Wildes against her,” he added.

Weinberg backed off Wildes, and she did so with his help, said Dressell, who said he got commitments from labor of up to $238,000 for Weinberg should she have needed to fight Ferriero in a primary.

Dressell said he wants to be sure people know he supports Lautenberg - regardless of Ferriero’s ultimate decision regarding the U.S. senator and potential challenger U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews.

“Frank’s answered the bell for the Democratic Party at the worst possible moment,” said the labor leader. “If there’ a workers problem, he’s the first one you call. About eight years ago, we had a huge warehouse in Teterboro that was being converted into a shipping facility with conveyors. They wanted 50 nonunion Polish electricians to wire this thing.”

Dressell said he contacted Lautenberg, who helped the local back off the nonunion employees and force the company to hire union workers.

“It’s a lot of behind the scenes stuff with Lautenberg,” said Dressell.

He has two dozen members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, where again Lautenberg has proved helpful.

“We had one kid come back, after his second tour - he’s now on his fourth tour,” said Dressell. “They had these night vision goggles, which require batteries. When the batteries dry up the GI has to go to Halliburton’s store and pay for them out of his own pocket. My local did a drive, and got pallets of reduced cost double AA batteries.”

Lautenberg used his connections to help with the shipping by having individual GI’s transport the batteries to the Middle East.