CWA Activists Work Hard for Candidates Who Support Working Families

CWA’s political program for Election 2010 was focused on member education and one-on-one contacts. In 29 states, more than 500 CWA local union coordinators were on the ground, mobilizing thousands of volunteers from locals for events like leafleting, phone banks and neighborhood walks. Here’s a look at what CWA activists did:

• CWAers leafleted more than 800 individual worksites at least twice and some three times.

• CWAers distributed more than 1 million leaflets to our members.

• CWA sent more than 400,000 pieces of mail to our drop off voter members – those who don’t usually vote in the midterm elections -- and another 500,000 pieces to members in the target states.

• CWA locals sent out 150 individual letters to their members from local union presidents.

• CWAers generated more than 800,000 calls to members, from CWA headquarters and phone banking in the target states

• More than 4,400 CWAers signed up as new COPE contributors. (Read more in this issue).

• CWAers in New Jersey did tremendous work, door kinocking and phone banking for candidates who support working families.

• On Election Day, NJ CWA had three full phone banks going, calling on union members to get to the polls, up to 7 p.m., and more than 300 CWAers knocked on doors in Mercer and Middlesex Counties. NJ CWA members, activists and locals made a huge difference in this election.

CWA’s political program is funded mainly by the thousands of CWA members who voluntarily contribute to CWA-COPE. This year saw a huge increase in contributors, because CWA members get it: working people have to have a voice in the political process.

And unlike the Chamber of Commerce’s anonymous donors or the issue advocacy groups with names like Americans for Job Security which is working for anything but quality jobs for U.S. workers, our members and the public know exactly where we stand: for quality jobs, organizing and bargaining rights, for retirement security and for an economy that works for everyone, not just corporations and the wealthy.