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Union Members Go Door to Door in Pennsylvania, Missouri |
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In Pennsylvania, Missouri and across the country, union members went door to door last week to educate, mobilize and energize union members for the 2008 elections.
This month’s member-to-member walks are focused on the economy and the Employee Free Choice Act and are part of the AFL-CIO Labor 2008 program, the largest grassroots union political mobilization in history.
In St. Louis, 47 union leaders and members gathered Saturday at the Greater St. Louis Labor Council building for the AFL-CIO’s second labor walk.
Randy Kiser, Labor 2008 state director for Missouri, reports that members of AFGE, ALPA, CWA, IBEW, IRON, IUPAT, LIUANA, NATCA, SEIU, SMWIA, TWU and UAW all turned out.
They talked about building an economy that works for all, starting with the Employee Free Choice Act. They also compared Sen. Barack Obama’s worker-friendly voting record with Sen. John McCain’s failure to provide the right policies for working families.
Prior to the walk, the guest of honor, John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, spoke to the union volunteers about the importance of labor walks and the need for the Employee Free Choice Act. Prater went on to explain why it is important to elect a worker-friendly candidate, such as Obama, as president of the United States. Prater said:
Over the next four months, this campaign, and our endorsement of Barack Obama, will be critically important to our country, our families and to our unions. Barack Obama is a good man, and he will be a tremendous president who will listen to working men and women.
I’m convinced, as are all members of the AFL-CIO, that Senator Obama is the right man to lead this country, and we’re going to do everything we can to see that he is elected so that we can take care of our families.
Following Prater’s speech, Tony George, a state representative from Missouri’s District 74 and an IBEW Local 1 member, spoke to the walkers about why labor walks are important and the difference they can make in an election.
Meanwhile, across Pennsylvania, union activists and working families also came out to talk with each other about the importance of passing the Employee Free Choice Act. Obama has pledged to sign it in his first year in office and to protect working people’s freedom to organize and bargain for fair contracts.
Frank Snyder, Labor 2008 state director for Pennsylvania, reports that AFGE, AFSCME, AFT, BAC, CWA, GMP, IAFF, IAM, IBEW, IBT, IUOE, LIUNA, PSEA, SEIU, TWU, UA, UAW, UBC, UFCW, UMWA, UWUA, UNITE HERE and USW were represented by volunteers the walks.
Colleen Evans, president of AFGE Local 3344, who took part in a walk in Pittsburgh on Saturday, said:
It is important to come out and support the labor movement and communicate the issues that are most important to us. Today, we talked about the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation that will protect workers’ freedom to organize and bargain fairly.
Lehigh Valley Labor Council president Gregg Potter also participated in member-to-member walks last week.
It is important for union members to talk to each other about union issues. That is why we are out walking and talking about the Employee Free Choice Act.
Snyder said that after such a strong turnout for the June Week of Labor Walks and the AFL-CIO’s endorsement of Obama, the union movement’s voice is growing stronger. The Labor 2008 political program is in full swing and continues to build as we grow closer to a better future for working families with Obama in the fall.
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Paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, www.aflcio.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
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