SEARCH
Union Veterans Backed Obama Nov. 4 |
|
 |
|
President-elect Barack Obama is coming into office with the strong support of millions of union members who have served in the U.S. armed forces. The AFL-CIO’s post-election polling shows Obama won among union veterans by a 25-point margin over Sen. John McCain. Among the nonunion population, veterans voted for McCain by nine percentage points.
The AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council made a concerted effort to focus on issues specifically concerning veterans—including education and health care benefits—and the economic concerns that are on the minds of veterans and military families this year, such as housing, jobs and retirement security.
More than 2 million union members and many more union retirees have served their country in the military, making veterans’ issues crucial to a sizable percentage of union members. Outreach by and to these union members paid off in electing pro-worker, pro-veteran candidates like Obama.
In reaching out to millions of union veterans across the country, volunteers and members of the Union Veterans Council focused on President-elect Obama’s support for increased veterans’ health funding and the 21st Century GI Bill, and contrasted it with McCain’s poor record on these issues. Obama pledged to strengthen and expand Veterans Affairs (VA) health care, and he had the voting record to back it up.
Council President Mark Ayers, who is also the president of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), says that the efforts of the council helped engage and energize union veterans.
This past July, the AFL-CIO formed the Union Veterans Council to unite over 2 million union veterans and union veteran retirees in the effort to turn around America and create an economy that works for all. Our first effort was to engage veterans in the election through education and mobilization on the candidates’ stances on economic and veterans’ issues. One week ago today, veterans, hand in hand with all Americans, chose a new direction for our country.
Union veterans were just one of the many constituencies whose strong support for Obama helped send him to the White House. As president, he’ll make sure the country keeps its promise to those who’ve served.
The Union Veterans Council will continue its efforts to ensure that veterans’ concerns are addressed under the new administration, Ayers says.
No Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
