Labor & Employment Law

Union Members Getting Out the Vote in Critical Central California

By admin

Rachel Johnson, California Labor Federation Communications intern, sends us this cross-post from the Labor?s Edge Blog on union members mobilizing to get out the vote.

The Central Valley could be the California equivalent of Florida or Ohio in presidential politics?a critical battleground that may determine the fate of an election.

That?s why unions have placed special emphasis on the region this year, ramping up more phone banks, precinct walks and worksite visits than ever before. And if this past weekend?s Central Valley get out the vote (GOTV) kickoffs are any indication of how much grassroots energy there is statewide for Jerry Brown, Barbara Boxer and other working family candidates, it?s going to be a good night on Nov. 2.

AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker joined hundreds of union volunteers and national and state leaders to launch the final phase of the California Labor Federation?s massive grassroots mobilization for the 2010 elections with union member-to-member walks in Modesto, Tracy and Sacramento. 

Highlighting the critical role the Central Valley will play in determining the outcome of both statewide and national elections this year, Holt Baker started the weekend in Modesto and Tracy on Saturday to motivate and encourage hundreds of volunteers before they began their door-to-door GOTV drive, sponsored by the North Valley Labor Federation. 

Holt Baker was joined by other leaders in Modesto, including California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski, Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.), state Assembly member Anna Caballero (D) and Chris Parker, a candidate for the state Board of Equalization.

Holt Baker emphasized the importance of grassroots mobilization to counteract the hundreds of millions of dollars spent by candidates who have promised to cruelly slash jobs and cut imperative state services:

We often hear, ?this is the most important election in our lifetime.? Well quite frankly, sisters and brothers, this is one of the most important elections because all eyes are on California right now. There are billionaires all over this nation that think that they?re going to be able to get control and take our country and our states backwards. We know where Meg Whitman stands when it comes to public-sector workers. She?s the party of “No!” She wants to reduce your wages and take away your pensions.  Jerry Brown stands with working class people, and he has a record to prove it. And quite frankly, I think anyone who doesn?t care enough to vote for 28 years does not deserve the right to represent this state.

Pulaski further stressed the important role the Central Valley will play in this November?s election, particularly in the governor?s race: 

The Central Valley is the key to us being able to win our battles for statewide elections. This is the battleground and you are leaders who can make it happen?.Meg Whitman has already spent $140 million. She?s got three things that she wants to do. She wants to cut jobs, make more money for Big Business and Wall Street and give huge tax breaks to the wealthy. Well, we have a message for her: All the money in the world can?t buy California.

After the Modesto rally, Holt Baker and Pulaski met with volunteers in Tracy and went door to door to talk with fellow union members about the upcoming election. On Saturday, volunteers visited 10,000 of their fellow union members in Modesto, Merced, Tracy, Lathrop, Manteca and Stockton. 

On Sunday, Holt Baker and Pulaski kicked off the Sacramento Labor Council?s final GOTV push. About 200 volunteers joined them and Dr. Ami Bera, the labor-endorsed candidate in the 3rd Congressional District, for a boisterous rally before hitting the streets to talk to thousands of union members.

Bill Camp, executive secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council, says in addition to the weekend precinct walks, volunteer phone banks are reaching tens of thousands of area union members weekly with a message about how important this election is to turning around our economy.

When we talk to union members they take it more seriously than they do TV ads or calls from candidates or political parties because it?s their union brothers and sisters talking to them. We can look folks in the eye and say, “Hey, we?ve done the research and these are the candidates that will help working people.” That makes a huge difference.

The grassroots energy seen in the Central Valley this weekend is happening all across the state as we enter the final three weeks before Election Day. About 30,000 union volunteers are participating in walks, phone banks, worksite visits and other activities to reach California?s 2.1 million union members about the stakes in this election.

If you are a California union member, click here to join a precinct or phone bank near you.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on October 13, 2010 (boomark / email).