Union Members Reach Out to Wisconsin Workers

Sue Ledbetter, Wisconsin state director for the Labor 2008 program, reports that leafleting continues at worksites all around the state.

In the critical battleground state of Wisconsin, union voters will make the difference this fall, and union volunteers are busy mobilizing for the fall election. At worksites and by going door to door, these volunteers are doing the union member-to-member contact that is essential to a strong, educated union vote. Last week, we leafleted at two different United Steelworkers (USW) worksites in the state: New Page, Local 2-9 in Kimberly, and Campbell Wrapper, Local 2-6050 in De Pere. Union volunteers got the word out on the differences between Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain on key issues. 

Jessie Du Bois leafleted three shift changes at New Page, which employs some 500 members of Local 2-9, led by local President Dave Boulanger. She had help in the early morning from Rory Noonan, Rapid Response director for the local. At the afternoon shift change, USW 2-1279 President Denny Lauer took one plant gate while Du Bois took the other. 

Lauer says the candidate comparison fliers, which cover issues like energy prices, Social Security and trade, are important to keep the election focused on the issues that matter to real people’s lives.

Doing these plant gates is very important. We get the issues that affect working families and their members directly in their hands. This combats what they see on TV, on commercials and the news channels, where they’re not getting the full message of what’s going on in this country. 

After leaving New Page, Du Bois leafleted at Campbell Wrapper, Local 2-6050, in a mobilization action led by local President Andy Nirschl. One man asked for extra fliers to share with others. Du Bois also spoke outside with second-shift welder/fabricator Wade Krause, who took a stack of leaflets to hand out to other workers inside. 

Wisconsin’s unions will continue to mobilize and educate workers throughout the summer and fall.

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