Legislative Assemblyman
Delphi worker Jody Letson doubles up with state Legislature
Alabama’s Legislature technically works part time. But try telling that to Jody Letson. When the legislature isn’t in session, Letson works as a job setter at the Delphi Saginaw facility in Athens, where co-workers and management never let him forget that he’s also a state representative. They frequently pepper him with questions about government and the law.
“Every day — several times a day,” he said with a chuckle. For example, “You have people who come to you who may have a dog that’s bothering the neighborhood and they want to know the laws pertaining to it.”
Letson is one of 154 UAW members who hold an elected office, according to the UAW’s National CAP Department. In 2000 the union supported the AFL-CIO’s goal of electing 2,000 union members to political offices; 2,500 were actually elected. The goal for the 2002 elections is 5,000.
Local 2195 does its part. Letson is one of nine active or retired Local 2195 members who hold elective office.
“We feel that if we start at the local level and get more union people involved in politics, that’ll give us a grassroots base,” said Local 2195 CAP Chairman Gregory Sutton. “Maybe later on in life they’ll run for something else and we may have a better influence on our higher-up officials.”
Delphi’s Athens facility employs about 2,400 workers who build a variety of steering components.
“He proves that it’s possible to combine political action with work and family life,” said Region 8 Director Gary Casteel. “If more people make the extra effort and become politically involved, we can improve our labor laws — laws that are stacked in favor of employers and allow them to terrorize and threaten workers who want to join a union.”
Jody Letson succeeded his late brother, Sam, as District 7 state representative in 1996. When Sam was ill, he encouraged Jody to seek the office. Jody won a special election, then was re-elected in 1998. He’s running again this year and is expected to win. Letson, 53, lives in Hillsboro with his wife, Diane. They have a daughter, Kimberly, 33, and two step-grandchildren.
Alabama’s state CAP and Local 2195’s CAP committee supported Letson’s candidacy via voter education and get-out-the-vote programs.
Alabama’s Legislature is in session about 3 1/2 months per year, plus some special sessions. Letson receives unpaid time off from Delphi when the legislature meets.
Letson focuses much of his legislative attention on workers’ issues.
“He helped us in acquiring some money from the state for new investments, new machinery,” said Local 2195 president Terry Scruggs. “And he does a lot of things generally in the community that are not actually tied right to the plant, but are tied to the union.”
Letson also focuses on education. “I’ve worked hard to upgrade our education system,” he said. “I’ve helped build two new schools already in the county and we’re building a third one now. We’ve put more technology into our classrooms. We’re 100 percent on the Internet now.”
Local 2195 shop chairman Howard Greene said it’s important to get worker-friendly people into office — and who could be more worker-friendly than the workers themselves?
“I think it gives other elected officials the labor point of view, when one of our members is elected,” Greene said. “All of our elected members are good union people. They understand the importance of labor and how much organized labor means to this area.”
Scruggs agreed.
“Everything starts with grassroots efforts,” Scruggs said. “It doesn’t start in Washington. If you’re going to get anything done, you’ve got to start at home.”
