Demand Change Nov. 7: Walking, Knocking and Phoning To Take Back America

Given all that's at stake for working families in this November's elections, Nancy Hall, secretary and tireless political coordinator for Local 6215 in Dallas, hasn't had trouble motivating her members to get involved in the fall campaigns.

More than 150 members turned out for a Labor Day breakfast, many have helped put together campaign signs and 450 members who weren't registered to vote are now signed up and ready to cast ballots Nov. 7.

"I tell them, politics affects everything you do every day," Hall says. "We can go and bargain all day long, but if the laws made in Congress and in the statehouse don't favor us, we can lose our rights."

Fueled by the anti-worker agenda in Washington and an economy that's thriving mainly for the rich, CWA members in locals across the country are knocking on doors, working phone banks, passing out fliers and doing everything else they can to elect senators, representatives, governors and other state and local officials who put working families first.

"I think there's more awareness this time around than two years ago," said John Pusloskie, vice president of Local 1170 in Rochester, N.Y. "We've got fliers out, we're working on lawn signs. We're going to have volunteers for phone banks. The key will be getting people out to vote."

Locals around the country are working closely with AFL-CIO state federations and central labor councils on get-out-the-vote activities. Neighborhood walks began in September, with union members going door-to-door on Saturdays to chat with other union families.

Ed Mooney, president of Local 13000 in Pennsylvania, said there's a risk in calling 2006 "the most important election of your life," because members have heard that for several election cycles now.

"But I think this time you can say it, and people are paying attention," he said. "They're starting to see how health care costs are affecting them financially, how gas prices are affecting them financially."

And it doesn't hurt, when it comes to getting members' attention, "that we have the number-one Senate race in the country," Mooney said, referring to Democratic state Treasurer Bob Casey's bid to unseat two-term Republican Rick Santorum, one of the most anti-worker figures in the Senate.

Santorum voted against the Family and Medical Leave Act, against the ergonomics standard, against ending tax breaks for companies that leave the country, has introduced legislation to kill the 40-hour work week and wants to privatize Social Security, among his long list of anti-worker stands.

Another big Senate election is in New Jersey, where CWA members are fighting to help Sen. Bob Menendez survive a challenge from Republican state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. Saturday, Sept. 15, was "CWA Day" for precinct walks in the state, with locals around New Jersey turning out members en masse.

In Tennessee, unions are working hard to send Democratic U.S. Rep. Harold Ford to the Senate. He's running against millionaire real estate developer Bob Corker — a Republican heartily endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce — to replace retiring Senate Republican leader Bill Frist.

In September, Local 3808 Secretary-Treasurer Bob Cooper was busy selling $20 tickets to a working-family fundraiser for Ford in Nashville. "I think it's really important in this race for people to meet him, because he's got that kind of personality — if you meet him, he wins you over," Cooper said. "He's very personable, intelligent and sharp."

California members are getting ready to hit the streets, with a big emphasis on sending Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger packing. His challenger is Democratic state Treasurer Phil Angelides.

Larry Mono, political coordinator and an executive board member for NABET-CWA Local 59053 in Burbank, said public workers haven't forgiven the Republican governor for his efforts to undermine public pension security and union rights last year — battles the unions won. But the key, Mono, said, will be reminding private sector union members of Schwarenegger's scheme.

Ohio is also home to a major battle for governor, with U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, running against Republican Ken Blackwell, Ohio's secretary of state, as is Michigan, with current Gov. Jennifer Granholm facing challenger Dick DeVos, the Amway heir. CWA members are going door-to-door and working hard to get out the vote for both of these key races.

In CWA District 6, the Texas State Employees Union-CWA, Local 6186, is leading all locals in monthly COPE donations, even though TSEU members don't have the ease of having them automatically deducted from their paychecks. TSEU Vice President Mike Gross said about 1,100 members are making contributions, wanting to make sure their voice is heard in the debate over Accenture — a company with a $1 billion state contract to privatize many of the workers' social service jobs.

"None of us can put in a million dollars like Accenture, but we can put in five dollars or 10 or 20 a month and it can add up to something real," Gross said.

Though taking back Congress for working families and fighting for pro-worker governors is a top priority for labor this fall, union volunteers are putting in lots of hours as well on thousands of vital state and local races.

In Massachusetts, which was holding its primary election as the CWA News went to the press, members were working hard to defend two state representatives from primary challenges. One of the lawmakers is under attack for her defense of bargaining rights for city employees, CWA activists reported. Her challenger is the assistant to a mayor who wants to take health care out of collective bargaining for public workers.

In Maryland, NABET-CWA Local 52031 donated office space during the primary for Democrat Tom Hucker, a political newcomer who is vying for a statehouse seat against an anti-worker incumbent, local Secretary Mo Thomas said.

"I am so proud of the thousands of CWA members who have given up weekends, missed dinner at home and contributed financially this campaign season," CWA President Larry Cohen said. "Together, we can take back America from the big business, anti-union, anti-worker forces that have pushed aside our values for too many years now."