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Union Political Mobilization Has Turned Around America
Four years ago, an anti-worker majority in Congress and the Bush administration were conducting a corporate-funded assault on workers and the programs that supported America. They were implementing policies that steered the economy toward the very wealthiest and leaving everyone else behind. What a difference four years makes. Now in the White House, we have Barack Obama, the first African American president and a supporter of unions and working families and pro-worker majorities in both houses of Congress.
Today, at the AFL-CIO Convention, attendees got a chance to examine the successes of union political mobilization and look forward to continuing the fight to elect pro-worker candidates and passing a pro-worker legislative agenda. Delegates adopted a strong resolution in support of continuing an active political program.
Gerald McEntee, president of AFSCME, counted down some of the successes of the past two election cycles, and introduced some 20 local union activists from across the country who led political mobilization in their home states. In 2008, McEntee noted, more than 250,000 union members volunteered in the election, and more than half of union members got direct contact from these volunteers, who delivered some 29 million fliers, knocked on 14 million doors and made 75 million phone calls to elect Obama and other pro-worker candidates. McEntee said:
This, sisters and brothers, this is why our political program has become so successful—men and women like these across our movement, who stand together, walk together, call together and work together for change.
Fire Fighters (IAFF) President Harold Schaitberger said the union movement must continue to commit to electing pro-worker candidates:
Elections matter, and we have to be ready for a crucial 2010 election cycle.
It’s not good enough just to win elections—union members must hold the politicians we elect to the promises they make. And the politicians who do not support an agenda for working families must be held accountable, at and between elections.
Union members aren’t just voting in elections—they’re winning them. The New Jersey State AFL-CIO has helped train union members to run for office throughout the state and now more than 550 union members have won local and state offices. In California, AFT member Judy Chu became the newest member of Congress this summer, replacing Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis in California’s 32nd District. Speaking to convention delegates, she said she couldn’t have won without the inspiration, enthusiasm and hard work of union members and pledged to be there when workers needed her:
I know when labor faces tough situations, you need your elected officials to stand with you. That’s why I always answer the call.
AFL-CIO affiliates, constituency groups and allies also spent 2008 building voter protection coalitions, educating voters about their rights in the voting booth and how to take action if their rights were threatened, noted John Gage, president of AFGE.
Gage said that these coalitions carried out advocacy at the state and local levels, demanding more resources and more opportunities to vote, including early and absentee voting. The My Vote, My Right campaign featured radio ads, videos and voter education fliers in the days leading up to the election. And on Election Day, union members carried out poll monitoring to make sure voting went smoothly and every vote counted.
Petee Talley, a delegate from Ohio, was one of the many delegates who stood up to support a resolution to sustain and strengthen political mobilization. She pointed to the disenfranchisement of voters in past election cycles as a need to push for strong grassroots political action, especially voter protection.
Throughout the past two election cycles, coalitions like the Union Veterans Council and the Alliance for Retired Americans helped mobilize and educate critical constituencies. Jim Wasser, a leader of the Union Veterans Council, gave a stirring address about the importance of turning out union voters and supporting pro-worker candidates.
Capt. John Prater, the president of the Air Line Pilots (ALPA), who took part in the Union Veterans effort, also stood in support of the resolution, and additionally pledged $25,000 to strengthen Working America.
Because of the efforts of this broad, grassroots movement, we’re closer than ever to passing health care reform and the Employee Free Choice Act, but we can’t let up now. Upcoming elections for governor, Congress and the state legislature across the country will shape the future for working families, and we need to make sure we get every member out to vote and elect leaders who will do the right thing.
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“Four years ago, an anti-worker majority in Congress and the Bush administration were conducting a corporate-funded assault on workers and the programs that supported America.”
Nothing fundamentally has changed under Obama and the Democratic Party majority! The basic aspects of Bush’s foreign and demostic policies are now essential the same policies to expand corporate profits at the exmpense of the needs of working people.
*War has expanded into Afghanistan as military budgets continue to consume billions needed for public schools and public health care.
*Global warming continues unabted as the “cap and trade” bill passes, allowing profitable polluters to continue operation.
*The corrupt “health care reform” bill being rammed through Congress continues and expands corporate profits, which will greatly increase costs, while suppressing any consideration of essential “single player” plans.
*Vast looting of the treasury to “bail out” corrupt and bankrupt capitalism, Wall street, bankers, etc.
*Destruction of universal public education essential for all working people to survive economically. Education will become a privledge of the wealthiest who can afford to pay the tuitions.
*Destruction of living wage jobs due to capitalist globalization, that forever seeks to maximize profit by moving overseas. Even if EFCA does pass, it will not be effective against this unending global class war destruction of jobs.
WHAT NEW STRATEGIES MUST ORGANIZED LABOR CONSIDER TO SURVIVE?
1. Stop being a “business partner” to capitalism. The goal of every capitalist and every millionaire is to maximize profit and to maximize their own wealth.
Capitalism must grow profits or die. Anything necessary to increase the “bottom line” will be done including: corrupt both Democratic and Republican parties to reduce and eliminate taxes, refuse to stop vast pollution to air,water, food,etc;
wage unending wars to seize control of world’s resources and profit from militarism. etc.etc.
2. Capitalism has been on the decline in the U.S. for last 30 years and has now collapsed. Thus the old traditional method of the U.S. labor movement cannot rely any longer on simple trade unionism. The struggle for a labor contract must be expanded to a national political struggle against both capitalist controlled political parties.
3. The minimum wage, Social Security, Medicare, OSHA standards, section 8 housing support, are all essential benefits THAT MUST BE WON THROUGH POLITICAL STRUGGLE. No corporation today is willing to pay for health care, retirement benefits, or even a “living wage” in the U.S. because all these things are attacks upon the profit of these corporations.
4. Dump the Democrats! To wage a serious political struggle in support of the economic needs of working people, a new political party must be called for and organized for all working people, not just “middle class” workers or just existing organized workers.
5. This new party will accept no money or agendas of corportions. The platform must be opposed to wars for profit, opposed to all privatization of utilities and government function, and declare it’s support for a universal national health plan, an end to pollution of environment, water, air and even food.
6. A new national media must be developed to counter the total corporate control of radio, television, etc. The Rush Limbaughs of this country must be answered. The new programs must inform, educate and help organize people into new movements and the new democratic socialist political party to focus the struggle for economic survival.
Why hasn’t this AFL-CIO convention had any public discussion about the vast economic devastion that is happening to working people?
Why hasn’t the AFL-CIO come out for “single payer” health insurance?
The time to take a stand for all working people is now! By doing so, by calling for a new political party, by breaking with the corporate greed destroying this country and the planet, AFL-CIO in support of these essential economic needs of all workig people, will then be rightly lead to “turn this country around!”
What is the point if Obama endorses republicans like Arlen Spectre? Will the AFL-CIO resist and endorse Joe Sestak or pretend that Spectre is a friend of labor? And as Wells points out, being a business partner with the corporate crooks who fund the Democrat and republican Parties hasn’t benefited the Working Class at all.
I’ll tellyou if the job of our labor leaders was to toot it’s own horn without any REALresults ,I’d agree…great job