In My Opinion: The Political Stakes: Jobs, Rights and Protections

Delegates to the 2001 CWA convention designated this month as CWA-COPE Month, calling for a special push to encourage members to sign up for payroll check-off contributions of at least $1 per week to CWA’s political education committee (see CWA-COPE in this issue of CWA News).

While 2001 is an off year for federal elections, two governorship races underway right now in New Jersey and Virginia clearly show the importance of our political action program.

CWA represents about 75,000 workers in New Jersey, including 35,000 state workers who bargain their contract directly with the administration. The two candidates couldn’t have more different philosophies toward unions and workers’ rights.

The CWA-endorsed candidate, Democrat Jim McGreevey, proclaims right on the front page of his Internet site that he intends to be a “governor for working families.”

His stands on key issues include support for raising the state minimum wage, support for a state patients’ bill of rights, stronger programs for the disabled, and a call for improved funding and standards for public schools.

By contrast, his Republican opponent Bret Schundler endorses radical measures to cripple the labor movement. In a questionnaire he submitted to the Christian Coalition, Schundler stated that he supports so-called right-to-work laws that outlaw union security agreements, as well as “paycheck protection” laws to take workers out of the political process.

When it comes to bargaining for state workers or fighting for the organizing rights of Verizon Information Services workers in New Jersey, there’s no mystery as to which man would give workers a fair shake.

In Virginia, CWA is working for Mark Warner, the Democratic candidate who has made stronger worker retraining programs a centerpiece of his campaign, along with more funding of public and higher education and support for real patients’ rights protections. Warner openly sought labor’s support. His opponent, Mark Earley, is the business-backed candidate and an ally of the present governor, whose policies have created a budget crisis and stymied needed funding for improved roads and other programs.

Next year is a major election year in which the entire House of Representative and a third of Senate seats are up. The Congress is nearly divided right now, and the result of those races could have a critical impact on our members’ lives.

Because the fact is, CWA members’ jobs, benefits and workplace rights are directly impacted by laws and policies out of Washington.

For example, legislation is pending in Congress right now that could strip away overtime pay protection for 50,000 CWA members and 2.5 million others who are classified as “inside sales” employees.

The current fight over giving President Bush “fast track” trade authority (see Fight Against "Fast Track" Continues as Vote Looms) has high stakes for our manufacturing workers and potentially for call center workers as well. The Bush administration and the corporations want a NAFTA-like trade zone for the entire Western Hemisphere with no job standards or worker protections.

In the 1999-2000 election cycle, corporations outspent unions in contributions to candidates and party organizations by 14 to 1, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And these corporate funds are mostly targeted at candidates and issues that would harm the interests of working families. The Center reports:

• A coalition of drug companies opposed to Medicare prescription drug benefits spent $85 million in 2000 campaign contributions and lobbying efforts to block affordable drug benefits for seniors.

• Insurance and HMO interests spent over $40 million in the election cycle, mostly supporting candidates opposed to a strong patients’ bill of rights. Their spending paid off with a House-passed version of the bill that limits the ability of patients to sue health care providers and employers.

• The oil and gas companies that have been lusting to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge won congressional approval to drill after contributing $65 million to elect their candidates in 2000.

Unions can’t expect to match the level of funding corporations and wealthy individuals can muster to influence political races. After all, the rich can write $1,000 checks to their favorite candidates, and their contribution limits probably will rise to $2,000 for candidates and from $5,000 to $10,000 to state party organizations.

They have the big bucks, but we have strength in numbers — millions of unionized workers and their families. We can play an effective role in the vital political arena by pooling many smaller contributions to help elect worker-friendly public officials of both parties, and by mobilizing members for voluntary grassroots campaign work.

We can, and must, do more to level the playing field against the power of organized corporate political funding. If you are not presently on CWA COPE checkoff, I urge you sign up for at least $1 per week to be a COPE Club participant. And please join in helping sign up your co-workers during our special COPE Month campaign.

This truly is an investment in your future, and your family’s future.