In New Hampshire, Unions Unite for Obama

by Seth Michaels, Oct 30, 2008

New Hampshire’s union members are coming together in the final days before the election for a massive get-out-the-vote effort aimed at electing Sen. Barack Obama to the White House, Jeanne Shaheen to the U.S. Senate and pro-worker candidates up and down the ballot. Member to member, union volunteers are making the difference that will win in New Hampshire next Tuesday.

In Hooksett, a record number of union members turned out for a rally and door-to-door walk this past weekend.

More than 400 walkers came out for the rally and the walks from across the union movement, including locals of the Laborers (LIUNA), the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) and the Postal Workers (APWU). APWU, IUPAT and LIUNA leaders held a cookout for the volunteers, who hit thousands of doors that afternoon.

APWU Secretary-Treasurer Terry Stapleton fired up union members for the walk. 

We are making history in this country right now, and with just a week to go, we can’t let up. There is something happening in this country. There is a change that is about to occur. We are riding a wave. We are going to carry on because we can’t stop now. It’s going to take more energy from here on out; whatever you are giving you have to give more.

The momentum has continued throughout the week, with union members hitting doors, phones and worksites to get the word out.

Tom Casey, a member of IUPAT District Council 35, is one of many union volunteers who has been hitting worksites to hand out leaflets about the candidates and issues that matter in this election.

The leaflets we give to union members lay out the candidates’ positions and allow workers to base their votes on solid facts.

We also want the workers here to know that Barack Obama supports them whole heatedly. Obama believes in unions. He believes in every worker’s right to make a decent living and take care of their families.

With Sen. John McCain, workers don’t stand a chance. McCain made it perfectly clear when he proposed tax cuts for Big Business and the super wealthy that the middle class is not his priority.

Casey says volunteer turnout has been great but needs to increase in the final few days.

We need more people handing out worksite leaflets, going to phone banks, going on labor walks and sending out local union mail. We can win this election if we properly inform our members.

Tom Troy, the business manager for LIUNA Local 1421, says the strong turnout for these walks gives him confidence in the outcome of the election and the future of the country for workers.

I am so proud to be here today with all my union brothers and sisters. We are getting together and pulling this election together for Obama. We need a change. We need to get out the vote. Let’s do it.

Members of the Bricklayers (BAC) also are joining in, participating in walks and worksite leaflets around the state. Kevin Flynn, political director for the BAC, says New Hampshire unions are doing critical work to get out every vote and win on Tuesday.

In the next few days, we also need to make sure that union members get their friends and family out to vote on Nov. 4. Everything that we are doing comes down to Election Day.

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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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