Gary Peters rolled up with a posse of cyclists early Wednesday morning. But he wasn’t just there to show off his bike, he was there to talk about unions and other topics he plans to highlight on his Michigan tour.
Peters calls this year’s ride from Kalamazoo to Sault Sainte Marie the “Zoo to the Soo.”
“The ride across Michigan, that I do every year, allows me to see firsthand what's happening in communities across the state, how federal investments are making a difference, as well as just hearing from folks as to concerns that they have.”
Before he began his journey across the mitten, Peters spoke to a crowd at the Kalamazoo Branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
During the speech, Peters touched on the topics he planned to address during the tour.
One major focus was the importance of unions, which Peters said were key to a strong middle class.
Jonathan Current is with the IBEW. He said Peters' pro-union message will be especially important for rural areas.
“If you're a small-town worker, knowing that you have that right and how to how to protect it, that they're representatives out there, like me, who you can come and ask questions to on how to organize and how to hold a vote. That's essential.”
In addition to Kalamazoo and Sault Sainte Marie, Peters will stop in Wyoming, Sanford and Traverse City.
"I always say, if I have to go from point A to point B, why not do that on a motorcycle,” Peters said.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
