Lindsay Patterson

Lindsay Patterson, president of United Steelworkers Local 404-38 and a leader of the union's Philadelphia campaign for Barack Obama, sees hope in Obama's long-range plans and his power as a role model. He returns to his mill-working job today at Tyco International unit Allied Tube & Conduit, which has laid off about two dozen employees in recent months.

Question: How are you hoping Barack Obama will help the economy here in the Philadelphia area?

Answer: I'm hoping Obama will actually turn around manufacturing in Pennsylvania, get some high-paying jobs coming in - enough to raise families and sustain neighborhoods.

Q: How is he going to do that?

A: He is going to give tax breaks to corporations who keep jobs in America, so hopefully we can get manufacturing to start to look at it as a way to grow business instead of offshoring. If he closes the loopholes that keep them from going offshore, that'll save our industry.

Q: What about for unions?

A: He is a strong supporter of the Employee Free Choice Act. You won't have to go through that long strenuous election process. That's what we are striving for, to level the playing field so workers can have [union] support.

Q: Will his support for more unions make U.S. companies less competitive?

A: Unions set the standard for wages for union and non-union jobs. If there are more unions, it will be union job competing against union job. It's still competitive and I think it is more fair.

Q: When are you expecting change?

A: I expect it is going to be difficult to get any realistic substantial movement soon in our situation - the economy. Unions can't exist if there are no jobs.

Q: Do you think the fact that Obama is African American will make a difference in the workplace?

A: He's an incredible role model. When people have role models, they tend to strive to reach a different level. Corporations tend to have a little disrespect for the African American male. It may ease some of that tension and fill in relationship gaps.