CROKEN URGES SUPPORT OF STEELWORKERS
Davenport, September 4…. In a news release issued today, Iowa State Representative Ken Croken called upon his supporters and “all those who share our regard for the dignity of working men and women to stand with the United Steelworkers, Local 105.” Croken noted: “Labor Day is more than a holiday picnic and parade, particularly for USW members seeking to negotiate their first contract with management at the White Cap manufacturing plant in Eldridge.” According to its website, White Cap is a highly successful supplier of concrete accessories and chemicals, tools and equipment, building materials and fasteners, erosion and waterproofing and safety products to professional contractors.
Croken stated: “We must never forget the critical role the American labor movement has played over the years to help ensure economic and social justice, including a living wage and an eight-hour workday. It is not an overstatement to say that the American middle class was built by labor unions. For this reason, I’m asking all those who acknowledge the need for strong labor unions to join me on the USW picket line on Friday, September 8 from 1 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.” White Cap is located at 151 North 16th Avenue in Eldridge. Croken urges those in attendance on Friday wear a hat and bring water as we “lock arms with USW workers seeking equity and nothing more.”
Croken is a former Scott County Supervisor and currently represents Iowa House District 97, consisting of much of central and eastern Davenport. He is a lawyer and currently serves as adjunct faculty at St. Ambrose University. Until his retirement in 2017, Croken was the chief marketing and government relations officer at Genesis Health System and is a past member of the Quad City River Bandits baseball club ownership group. Prior to moving to Davenport more than 20 years ago, Croken held a number of executive and managerial positions with organizations, such as Edelman Public Relations Worldwide in New York City; IBM Corporation in Dallas, New York, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C.; legal aid organizations in Connecticut and Florida; Save the Children Federation in Connecticut; and, the United States Congress, among others.