DURYEA — Cheryl Herron is a union steward at a Luzerne County glass manufacturing company and Thursday she said she is supporting Democrat Joe Biden for President.

And Herron, 63, has her reasons.

“Joe Biden cares about me not only as a union member, but as a person,” said Herron, a union steward for UFCW 1776 Keystone State. “He has fought for the rights of working class people his entire life. He knows us because he’s one of us.”

Herron said President Donald Trump has never cared about her, or her family, or the middle class.

“(Trump) is only interested in giving tax breaks to his wealthy friends,” Herron said. “His presidency has hurt us here in Luzerne County, not helped.”

Herron said the coronavirus pandemic has been awful for her and her family, but by far, she said the hardest part was having to stay away from her five grandsons.

“This could have all been avoided were Donald Trump to act like a leader,” Herron said. “I know Joe Biden will get us back on the right track. I know this because I know he cares about me and my family. He has actual plans — plans that we have yet to see from Donald Trump. He (Trump), in my opinion, will go down as the worst president in American history.”

Herron said President Trump has “waged a war on unions.”

“As President, I know Joe Biden will look out for the unions,” she said.

Herron said her co-workers appear to be split 50-50 on who they support for president.

“The way I see it, Biden is a strong supporter of unions — Trump is not,” Herron said.

Rosie Lapowsky, Eastern PA Regional Press Secretary for Biden for President, provided Biden’s NEPA Economic Impact Report that details how he will fight for small business and workers and create jobs in Northeast Pennsylvania.

The report says:

“This election is Park Avenue versus Scranton. While President Trump has spent the last four years looking out for his rich friends on Wall Street, Joe Biden has spent his career fighting for middle-class families in places like Northeast Pennsylvania and across the country. Joe Biden understands what working families in Northeast Pennsylvania face because his family was one of them. His Scranton upbringing taught him the dignity of work, built his character and values, and guided his commitment to middle class families that he will carry with him to the White House.”

The report goes on to say that Biden “knows we need to get serious about defeating the pandemic, dig out from the worst jobs crisis in nearly a century, and rebuild the middle class so everyone comes along.”

Biden’s plan, Build Back Better, was unveiled on July 9 at McGregor Industries in Dunmore, and stated the plan “will give working families the tax relief they deserve — and President Trump has failed to deliver — by enacting nearly a dozen middle class tax cuts and not raising taxes one penny on any person making less than $400,000 a year.”

The report states Biden will protect Social Security and get people a check that really makes ends meet, and he will strongly support efforts to stabilize multi-employer pension plans and pursue structural pension reform.

“After a lifetime of hard work, working Americans should be able to retire with dignity, free of financial worry,” the Biden report states. “But Trump promised to cut vital benefits like Social Security at a town hall in Scranton. He’s betraying American seniors who’ve paid in their whole lives, at the time they most need it.”

Trump Campaign response

Trump Victory spokesperson Rachel Lee released a statement:

“From empowering women to reach their economic potential to increasing paid leave and the child tax credit, President Trump has been a champion for women since he came into office. Meanwhile, Joe Biden still blatantly refuses to take Tara Reade’s sexual assault claim seriously.”

Lee also provided additional information:

Under President Trump’s administration, women have been empowered to reach their economic potential.

• Women have experienced record low unemployment under President Trump. In August, unemployment rate for women dropped 2%.

• During the President’s first year in office, the number of Americans in poverty fell by nearly 600,000.

• Thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the child tax credit was doubled to $2,000 per child.

• President Trump approved the largest paid parental leave program ever, guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid leave for all federal workers.

• The President has signed into law the largest ever expansion of the Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG) to States – from $3.9 to $5.8 billion.

• Childcare wait lists have greatly decreased and have been eliminated in dozens of states.

• The President and his Administration are committed to keeping families and communities safe.

• The Trump Administration has prioritized empowering women to pursue careers and realize their economic potential.

• Nearly 2 million women participated in United States Government supported workforce training and development programs.

• More than 9,000 women-led businesses received more than $1.6 billion in United States Government-backed loans.

Biden campaign unconvinced

A spokeswoman for the Biden campaign was unconvinced by the Trump team’s claims.

“There’s no question that Pennsylvania women and families are worse off under President Trump’s failed leadership,” Biden campaign Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Press Secretary Rosie Lapowsky said.

“President Trump caused millions of American workers to lose their jobs because of his refusal to act to contain the COVID-19 virus and — to make matters worse — wants to strip health care and protections for preexisting conditions away from Pennsylvania women and families when they need it more than ever,” she added.

“Now, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is over 10%, and 200,000 people have died, including over 8,000 Pennsylvanians, because of Trump’s failure to act. In addition, women and minority-owned businesses have been disproportionately left out of any of the current administration’s efforts to provide relief for small businesses during the pandemic,” Lapowsky said.

“Even before COVID-19 spread to Pennsylvania, women and working families across the state were under direct attack from the Trump Administration — from Trump’s opposition to equal pay for equal work, his refusal to support a $15 minimum wage, and his repeated efforts to tear down the Affordable Care Act,” Lapowsky added, stating that Biden will empower women and families as he rebuilds the economy.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.