In My Opinion: Nov. 7 – Our Opportunity to Get Off the Defensive

Union members will make the difference in the Nov. 7 elections, one way or another. History proves it. In the 1994 elections, voter turnout by union families dropped sharply, amounting to only about 14 percent of the voting population, and the result was the “Gingrich Revolution,” with control of both houses of Congress seized by extreme-right zealots with a pro-corporate, anti-worker agenda.

You probably remember the “Contract With America” — a program to cut Medicare, cut education, gut OSHA, impose a national Right to Work (for Less) Bill.

In 1996 and ‘98, union voter participation jumped to 23 percent, and in those elections Newt Gingrich’s House majority shrank from 22 seats to 5 seats today while the Clinton-Gore administration kept office.

When union members are motivated to get out and vote, we have a disproportionately large influence on the elections. When we don’t turn out, the big money of the corporations and super-rich holds sway.

This year, we should be motivated as never before to actively campaign and vote. The political future of the country could go sharply in one of two directions, with huge consequences for the lives of working families.

The Republicans and their presidential candidate, who speaks of “compassionate” conservatism, have tried to remove the Gingrich face and put a smiley face on their party this year.

But when you peal away the mask, the GOP leadership is still represented by the grim, union-hating visages of Dick Armey, Tom DeLay and Trent Lott. If these men could parlay their control of Congress with a Republican takeover of the White House, there is no doubt what their legislative agenda would be for 2001.

That’s because for six years they have been trying to pass the same package of bills, one that amounts to an assault on working families and their unions — bills that have only been stopped by presidential vetoes or filibusters in the Senate, usually led by Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Repeal of the Family and Medical Leave Act would be at the top of the list. Virtually all of CWA’s employers would love to see this, and in fact we have had to take some of them to court to make them comply with the act. President Bush vetoed the original legislation twice and his son certainly would support repeal.

Compensatory time instead of overtime pay after 40 hours is another GOP goal as corporate lobbyists pursue a constant attack on the protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

George W. Bush would certainly sign a bill to make workplace safety and health standards voluntary rather than mandatory, which is being pushed by business interests. And OSHA’s pending ergonomic standard to prevent problems like carpal tunnel syndrome among computer users would die a sudden death.

And a Republican Congress and White House would certainly press for a national Right to Work law, a TEAM act to bring back employer-controlled unions, and legislation to restrict unions, but not corporations, from political fundraising.

That’s the darker scenario. But we also have an opportunity to get off of the defensive and enact a positive agenda for working America.

CWA’s polling of members tells us that issues such as preserving Social Security and Medicare, prescription drug coverage for seniors, better health care and better, safer schools are your top concerns. On these issues, Al Gore and George Bush have very different approaches, as described in the special election issues section.

Most telling is the track record of the candidates. George Bush as governor of Texas has constantly tried to divert resources from schools and teachers’ salaries, opposed expansion of children’s health services aimed at low-income families, and tried to privatize the state’s human services system, which not only threatened delivery of these services but would have slashed the jobs of thousands of CWA state workers.

His running mate, Dick Cheney, as a congressman voted for working family issues nine times out 158 votes, favoring big business positions almost exclusively, according to the AFL-CIO’s tally.

Gore and Lieberman have been steadfast supporters of working families and of unions and workers’ rights. Al Gore has stood with us on picket lines over the years. In fact, he is the only presidential candidate in my memory who has declared that he intends to work to reform our labor laws and make it easier for working people to be able to organize.

What a difference we can make by electing Gore and Lieberman and giving them new, pro-working family leadership in the Congress to support their vision for America.

That’s the opportunity we have this year. And it truly is in our hands.

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