CWA Hits the Streets for Pro-Worker Candidates

As the temperature dropped and the leaves started turning red and orange, CWA members across the northeast mobilized to elect pro-worker candidates in critical state and federal elections.

In New York, activists are especially focused on electing the Democratic slate of Andrew Cuomo for Governor, Eric Schneiderman for Attorney General and Tom DiNapoli for Comptroller—all by turning out votes on the Working Families Party line. (Click here for related story).

And across District One, members are gearing up for labor walks on October 30 and Election Day GOTV mobilization. New York members are focusing on walks for Rep John Hall in the Hudson Valley and Rep. Tim Bishop in Suffolk, for State Senate challengers Tony Avella in Queens and Brian Foley in Suffolk, and for Rep. Bill Owens in the north country. In NJ, all eyes are on the hard-fought State Senate special election in the 14th District adjacent to Trenton (see related story by clicking here).

The political situation we face is critical. Right-wing, corporate and anti-union forces are resurgent, fueled by widespread economic anxiety stemming from the worst Recession in 70 years, and buttressed by huge investments of corporate cash aimed at rolling back regulations and further tax cuts for the rich.

With just one week to go before Election Day, the stakes couldn’t be higher: Democratic control of the US House and Senate hangs in the balance, and along with it any hope of national pro-worker legislation. In New York State, in addition to the hotly contested statewide elections, CWA is fighting to help Democrats retain control of the New York State Senate. When the Republicans were in charge, as they have been for all but three of the last 100 years, Verizon would say “jump” and the Republican leadership would say “how high?”

But CWAers are fighting back. On October 16th, 50 volunteers from Locals 1103 and 1180 spent the morning in Peekskill knocking on the doors of nearly 2000 AFL-CIO union members for Rep. John Hall. Since we helped to elect Hall to Congress in 2006, he has compiled a 99% pro-labor voting record. In contrast, his opponent is a right-wing extremist who wants to replace Social Security with risky Wall Street investment accounts, slash Medicare, and continue tax cuts for the richest 2% of Americans.

In Suffolk County, a dozen CWAers from CWA Locals 1108 and 1104 turned out that day to knock on doors for State Senator Brian Foley, who is facing an extremely tough re-election fight against a far-right opponent. Foley has been the prime sponsor of CWA’s bill to strengthen the public interest standards the NY PSC must address if a telecommunications merger or line sale takes place.

On October 23rd, over 80 New Jersey CWAers joined Vice President Chris Shelton in a labor walk for Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, who is vying for the State Senate seat outside Trenton. And in New York’s North Country, CWAers joined trade unionists mobilizing to protect Tim Bishop, a pro-labor Congressman who is facing a Tea Party challenge.

And on Monday, October 18th in Vermont, Local 1400 endorsed Senate President Peter Shumlin’s Democrat-Working Families candidacy for Governor. As leader of the State Senate, Shumlin has compiled a strong pro-labor record.

Similarly, across New England, CWAers are turning out in hard-fought Congressional races—Chris Murphy and Jim Himes in Connecticut and Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster in New Hampshire.

In addition to weekend labor walks, our political activists—members of our Legislative and Political Action Teams (LPATs)—are distributing tens of thousands of flyers in workplaces, and making tens of thousands of phone calls to educate the rank and file about the key issues in the November 2nd election.

Many of us are disappointed that the high hopes inspired by the Obama election two years ago have gone at least partially unfulfilled. But things can get worse—much worse. Just ask CWA members in New Jersey who have seen the difference in the last year between a disappointing Governor Corzine and a devastating Governor Christie. Furthermore, the Tea Party forces running wild in the country today oppose virtually everything the labor movement stands for—and they must be stopped. Volunteer for a phone bank or a labor walk today. The future of our union and country is at stake.