Sacramento Council Vote, Overnight Vigil Boost Support for Employee Free Choice

More than 100 union members and other activists gathered at noon Wednesday to kick off a vigil for the Employee Free Choice Act that lasted all night in front of Sacramento's federal building. Dozens of people wrote letters that will be sent with their pictures to California Sen. Dianne Feinstein to ask her to support the bill.

A day after the Sacramento City Council voted 7-1 to support the Employee Free Choice Act, union members and other activists kept the momentum high by holding a rally, candlelight vigil and overnight fast Wednesday at the city's federal building

"It was a great success," said CWA Local 9421 Vice President Robert Longer, one of a dozen activists who stayed all night and fasted. "We got a lot of news coverage and we have a whole wall full of pictures of people and their handwritten notes that will go to Senator Dianne Feinstein."

Feinstein was the key focus of the events in Sacramento and at vigils the same night in Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno and San Francisco. To end the vigils Thursday morning, religious leaders led union members in prayer circles, asking that Feinstein give her support and that working Americans once again get the respect and fairness they deserve.

"It was about making a covenant between ourselves and our beliefs – that we need to make a new commitment to the working people of this country," Longer said.

CWA members were among more than 100 people from at least 10 unions who gathered for the Sacramento rally; among the speakers was State Assembly Member Alyson Huber.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, vigil organizers collected both petition signatures and handwritten letters from people asking Feinstein to support the bill. "Then we asked them to get their pictures taken to personalize the letters," Longer said.

Wednesday's activities followed a hugely successful night at the Sacramento City Council, with all but one member voting to pass a resolution of support for the Employee Free Choice Act.

"Big business came in, the Chamber of Commerce, and their lawyer spoke," Longer said. "On our side, 14 people spoke and we had at least two dozen people in the audience. The Chamber's lawyer made all the same old arguments, but it didn't sway the council. We had the facts on our side."