10,000 CWA Volunteers Played Major Role in Historic Election

From across the United States and around the world, newspaper front pages recording the historic victory of President-elect Barack Obama lined the front of the Newseum in Washington D.C. on Wednesday. Hundreds of people looked, cried and took pictures.

Months of grassroots' activism by members of CWA and other unions, capped by a massive get-out-the-vote effort Tuesday, played a huge role in the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States and gains by pro-worker candidates for House and Senate seats.

Polling for the AFL-CIO by Hart Research showed that 68 percent of union members voted for the Obama-Biden ticket  -- believed to be the highest level of union support ever in a presidential race and critical in helping make the difference in key battleground states.

Thanks to the increased number of labor-backed candidates who won election, the new Congress increases the number of allies CWA and other unions will need to press for the passage of Employee Free Choice and other key measures. At press time, the composition of the new Senate showed 57 Democrats (including two independents who caucus with Democrats) and 40 Republicans, with the outcome in three races still undecided. The line-up in the House so far is 254 Democrats and 173 Republicans, with eight races still undecided.

In all, some 10,000 CWA volunteers – local union officers, rank and filers, stewards and retired members – devoted months of their time, especially in the battleground states. 

"CWA members are proud to have played a big part in this historic election," said CWA President Larry Cohen. "It's a huge victory for working and middle income Americans, who soon will have in the White House and Congress real advocates for the critical changes our country and economy needs – a laser focus on creating quality jobs here in the U.S., real health care reform and real bargaining rights through the Employee Free Choice Act that will enable working people to secure a better future," he said.

Labor's effort overall helped produce a voter turnout that could, when finally tallied, equal the nearly 64 percent turnout in the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon election. In fact, voter participation in many battleground states – nearing 80-90 percent of registered voters – hasn't been seen since the 1920 election when women first exercised their right to vote.

Among CWA's campaign highlights:

--  More than 100 coordinators in other battleground states mobilized 10,000 member volunteers for Election 2008 actions.

--  During the week of worksite action in October, more than 1,500 worksites were leafleted across five CWA districts.

--  CWA members in New York and New Jersey took 40 to 60 buses every weekend to Pennsylvania to support labor actions, worksite leafleting and labor walks.

--  CWA members and locals held more than 1,000 debate watch and convention watch parties.

--  More than 700,000 leaflets were distributed at worksites and other locations, produced by CWA to focus on members' key issues – jobs, the McCain tax on health care, veterans' issues, the economy, guns and the Second Amendment, equal pay for women, and more.

--  Mailings to nearly 100,000 retired members focused on the McCain tax on health care, Social Security and other issues important to retirees.

--  200,000 members in battleground states received a series of mailings comparing Senators Obama and McCain on the issues.

-- Two election issues of the CWA News covered key issues affecting working families.