CWA and Alliance Partners Press Key Issues at Dem Convention

Rep. George Miller, prime House sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, addresses the Alliance Caucus, flanked by CWA Pres. Larry Cohen.

Leaders and delegates from CWA and the other three Alliance unions – Auto Workers, Steelworkers and Professional and Technical Engineers – are working together to press the unions' key issues at this week's Democratic National Convention in Denver.

The Alliance delegates are caucusing together each day to map out joint campaign plans for the election.  Hosting the opening caucus session on Tuesday, CWA President Larry Cohen stressed the importance of organizing one-on-one discussions with members as the most effective way to spread the message on the differences between Barack Obama and John McCain on jobs and trade, health care, workers' rights and Social Security.

Cohen reported that CWA locals and members have signed up to host over 800 viewing parties, expected to bring thousands of people together in homes and union halls tonight to watch Obama accept the presidential nomination.  Participants will be asked to sign cards supporting the Million Member Mobilization for Employee Free Choice.  Altogether, Alliance unions are hosting more than 1,200 parties.

Presidents and officers of the four unions have been taking union issues to individual state caucuses this week.  Addressing Louisiana delegates, Cohen spoke about Employee Free Choice and how collective bargaining coverage is tied directly to wages and retirement security and middle class living standards.

The anti-Employee Free Choice campaign by the business community "centers on one big lie," he told the delegates:  "There is no elimination of secret ballot elections in (the Employee Free Choice Act).  We're just trying to overcome an employer dominated system that's stacked against workers from the start," he said.

Louisiana is one of seven battleground states that the Alliance partners are targeting for joint campaigns, also including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Kentucky and Virginia.  IFPTE head Greg Junemann and USW President Leo Gerard addressed caucuses of other key states.  CWA Executive Vice President Annie Hill is meeting today with the delegation from New Mexico, another swing state where CWA is the largest union.

Many of CWA's delegates like Gerard Washington of Austin, Texas, are attending their first party convention.  He has long been engaged in political action for the Texas State Employees Union-CWA, and says he strongly supports Obama "because  it's time for a change in this country."

Larry Townsend, a retired member of Local 3609 and a Vietnam vet, says, "I tell my fellow veterans in North Carolina that I respect Senator McCain's service but disagree with him on issues, especially issues that affect veterans.  His service doesn't mean he holds the answers."

Among Democratic leaders who have met with the 300 participants in the Alliance Caucus so far this week are DNC Chair Howard Dean, Rep. George Miller of California, chair of the education and labor committee, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, Rep. Gene Green of Texas, who holds a CWA card, and many other congressional members.