Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Trick or Treat? Halloween GOTV Could Decide.

Who says getting out the vote isn’t fun?  This weekend many AFL-CIO Labor 2010 GOTV staging locations across Wisconsin welcomed candy and costumes as volunteers celebrated Halloween while talking to workers about Tuesday’s elections.

In the first two days of GOTV (Friday and Saturday), AFL-CIO Labor 2010 volunteers visited about 13,000 union households and called more than 50,000 union voters. 

If working families don’t make their voices heard at the polls, the consequences could be downright scary.  Gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker has ghoulish plans to gut the public services that working families rely on.  Senate candidate Ron Johnson supports the failed trade policies that leave Wisconsin manufacturing facilities eerily empty. 

Fortunately, union activists around the state are stepping up to participate in member-to-member phone banks, Labor Walks and worksite leafleting this holiday weekend.  It’s not too late to do your part. 

Click here for location information and show up for GOTV ASAP!

The National Association of Letter Carriers took time out from their Fall Conference yesterday to contact union voters in the Neenah area.  Please follow their example and find time in your busy schedule to support the candidates who will rebuild our middle-class. 

In this election cycle, working people could vote and be treated to the strong leadership needed to create a fundamentally different economy that values hard work.  Or they could be tricked into staying away from the polls, which would likely result in a government that puts corporate interests before people.  The choice is yours.

You have the power to make a difference.  Check the schedule and make sure that you do your part to inform and turnout union voters. 

(You’ll find the latest GOTV pictures on the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Flickr page: http://flickr.com/wisaflcio.

Top Photo:  Pat Veeser of USW Local 1102 in costume prior to a Green Bay GOTV Rally.  Photo Credit: Denny Lauer.  Top Left Photo:  The Milwaukee Area Labor Council held a Halloween party for kids while their parents voluteered for GOTV.  Photo Credit: Robin Lundgren.  Second Left Photo: Madison Labor Walk volunteer Jason Tatum of AFT.  Photo Credit: Missy Sorenson. Top Right Photo: NALC phone bank volunteer.  Photo Credit: Greg Hinds.  Third Left Photo:  Bill Fleming of APWU leaving to Labor Walk in Madison.  Photo Credit: Missy Sorenson.  Bottom Left Photo:  John Keenan of AFSCME heads out with his Labor Walk packet.  Photo Credit: Justin Geiger. 

The photos below are listed from left to right.  First Photo: Mary Valentine of SEIU Local 150 phone banks in Milwaukee.  Photo Credit: Karen Hickey.  Second Photo: AFSCME volunteer Beverly Contee phone banks in Racine.  Photo Credit: Justin Geiger.  Third Photo:  UFCW Labor Walk volunteers Raymundo Diaz, Katie Mooreand Alfonso Herrera during Racine GOTV.  Photo Credit: Justin Geiger.  Fourth Photo: Dennis Martin of AFSCME Local 1914 phone banks in Eau Claire.  Photo Credit: Andy Thompson.  Fifth Photo:  Anita Blue of SEIU Local 150 calls union members as part of Milwaukee GOTV.  Photo Credit: Karen Hickey.)

Enthusiastic Steelworkers Get Out the Vote

 
Well over 100 volunteers from the United Steelworkers (USW) and other labor unions gathered at the Green Bay Labor Temple to participate in member-to-member political outreach yesterday morning.  Rally participants were on a mission to ensure that union members vote for candidates who will serve working families rather than corporate special interests. 

AFL-CIO endorsed candidates including gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett, Rep. Steve Kagen, State Senator Dave Hansen, State Senate candidate Monk Elmer, State Rep. Jim Soletski and State Assembly candidate Lou Ann Weix spoke at the USW Rally in Green Bay and thanked union volunteers for their critical GOTV efforts.  Sen. Herb Kohl is not running for reelection this year, but he also showed up to encourage Labor 2010 activists to keep up the good work.  Immediately following the rally, participants hit the doors and the phones to engage union households around the economic concerns at the heart of this election.

“There is no enthusiasm gap here.  Our members realize that our middle-class way of life is on the line on Tuesday,” said to USW District 2 Director Mike Bolton.  “Creating jobs and helping those who have lost their jobs are defining issues for all Wisconsin working families, and we are turning out voters around those issues.”

“Long term, there is no way to restore America’s competitive position in the world unless we put in place trade and tax policies that encourage companies to make things in America again,” Bolton continued.  “That is why working families should stand strongly on the side of advocates like Senator Russ Feingold.  He has fought against bad trade deals like NAFTA and CAFTA, and he will continue to press for trade fairness if reelected.”

“Personal contact from a fellow union member ― whether it is at the worksite, at home or over the phone ― is more effective than any political advertisement,” said Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt, who also spoke at this morning’s Green Bay rally.  “Working people trust their unions to make recommendations based on economic criteria.  For example, gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett will protect workers’ rights and stop Wisconsin jobs from being outsourced. He has a plan which will create 180,000 new jobs during his first term and that is why working people should vote for him.”

Time is running out, but you can still make a difference by showing up for Labor 2010 GOTV.  Click here for location information.

Throughout the day, USW hosted additional volunteer rallies in Kaukauna, Wausau, Stevens Point, and Mosinee in order to make sure that union members cast informed votes on November 2nd.  Tom Nelson, the AFL-CIO endorsed candidate for Lieutenant Governor, thanked Labor 2010 activists at the Kaukauna rally.

Local press turned out in force to report on the USW GOTV Rally in Green Bay.  Check out television clips listed below.

WFRV-TV CBS:
http://www.wfrv.com/news/local/Candidates-work-to-gain-voter-support-106390823.html

WBAY-TV ABC:
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=13416490

(Top Photo: AFL-CIO endorsed gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett at the USW GOTV Rally in Green Bay.  Photo Credit: Mike Kolaske. Top Right Photo: USW GOTV Rally in Green Bay.  Photo Credit Greg Hinds.  For more pictures from USW in Green Bay, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisaflcio/sets/72157625152297311/.

Top Left Photo: USW District 2 Director Mike Bolton at the USW GOTV Rally in Wausau.  Bottom Right Photo: AFL-CIO 7th Congressional District candidate Julie Lassa thanks Labor 2010 volunteers at the USW GOTV Rally in Wausau.  Credit for Both Wausau Photos: Scott Wright.  For more pictures from USW in Wausau, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisaflcio/sets/72157625149816309/.)

Wausau Voters Remind Politicians to “Keep it Made in America”

With the midterm election just days away and all polls showing the economy and jobs topping the list of voter concerns, the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) made its final stop on the 2010 “Keep it Made in America Tour” in the Wausau area yesterday.  Dozens of local manufacturing workers, retirees, corporate representatives, civic leaders, students, and interested citizens participated in a town hall meeting, which took place at Stoney Creek Inn in Rothschild.

“A majority of likely voters say the U.S. no longer has the world’s strongest economy and that Washington isn’t doing enough to rebuild manufacturing,” said AAM Executive Director Scott Paul. “People are greatly concerned about our lost standing. They know China is overtaking us, and they want the United States to be number one again.

“Through town hall meetings, we have provided voters with a chance to ask their candidates directly, ‘What are you going to do about restoring manufacturing and the millions of jobs we’ve lost to China,’” Paul said. 

Over the past few weeks, the non-partisan AAM has held Town Hall meetings in 10 states to help voters directly question their candidates and elected officials on such key issues as unbalanced trade with China and rebuilding U.S. manufacturing for the global economy.   All candidates for federal or statewide office were invited and encouraged to participate.  AAM does not endorse political candidates.

The Rothschild Town Hall featured a special report on the recent U.S. International Trade Commission ruling ordering duties on coated paper imports.  Petitions filed by the United Steelworkers, Appleton Coated LLC, New Page Corporation, and Sappi Fine Paper North America led the commission to conclude that unfairly traded imports from China and Indonesia are a significant contributor to mill closures and job losses in the United States.

The Rothschild event also boasted the first screening of “Papertown,” a music video documenting the struggle and survival of paper mill communities nationwide. 

A wide range of Wisconsin candidates attended in the Wausau town hall, including Rob Taylor, Constitution Party candidate for Senate; Julie Lassa, Democratic Party candidate for the 7th Congressional District; State Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker; Rep. Donna Seidel, Democrat from the 85th State Assembly District; and Chuck Eno, Republican candidate for the  85th Assembly District.

“This was a rare opportunity for business, labor and community leaders to come together and express a shared desire for sensible trade policy.  Manufacturing has to be at the heart of any long-term economic recovery,” said Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt.  “Wisconsin workers can compete and thrive in a global economy, but in order to do so our elected leaders must make a commitment to buy and build American.”

After the political candidates made their remarks, Neuenfeldt participated in an expert panel which included Andy Gussert, National Director of the Citizens Trade Campaign; Mike Roemerman, Human Resources Director for NewPage Corporation; and Dr. Gerry Ring, Professor and Chair of the Paper Science and Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

The town hall meeting and the civic panel focused on the need to create good jobs for the 21st Century; the importance of fighting for manufacturing as the key to any economic recovery; and leveling the playing field for American workers and businesses in the global marketplace.

More information about the Fall 2010 town hall tour can be found at: www.americanmanufacturing.org.
 
The Alliance for American Manufacturing is a nonpartisan, nonprofit partnership of several leading U.S. manufacturers and the United Steelworkers.

Local media turned out to cover the Town Hall.  Below are links to two of the press clips.

WOAW-TV Channel 9: http://www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13414507

Wausau Daily Herald:  http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20101030/WDH0101/10300499/Manufacturing-jobs-focus-of-Alliance-for-American-Manufacturing-meeting

(Top Photo: Expert panel at the "Keep it Made in America" Town Hall Meeting in Wausau.  Bottom Photo: 7th Congressional District Candidate Julie Lassa.  All photos courtesy of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.  For additional images, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38128181@N06/sets/72157625270600762/with/5127302933/.) 

Know Where to Vote

This is it!  Make sure that you get to the polls before 8 P.M. tonight.  Use the handy tool below to find your polling location and then scroll down to see the latest updates from Labor 2010 volunteers. 

It’s All About the Ground Game Now

We are heading into the final weekend before the midterm elections.  This is our final chance to elect candidates who will rebuild our middle-class and side with working families rather than corporate special interests. 

When it comes to getting out the vote, no one does it better than the AFL-CIO’s Labor 2010 program.  Many Wisconsin races are too close to call, and we can put pro-worker candidates over the top with one-on-one outreach to our fellow union members.  We will be on the doors, on the phones and at the worksite making sure that working families cast informed votes until the polls close on Tuesday. 

Your action, or inaction, could decide this election.  So what are you waiting for?  Click here for a copy of the schedule and show up for GOTV ASAP!

 

(Top Photo: AFL-CIO endorsed gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett talks with union members at a Labor 2010 GOTV leaflet outside of Ladish in Milwaukee.  Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Stephanie Bloomingdale is also pictured.  Bottom Photo: Tom Barrett with Mike Yokofich of IAMAW Lodge 1862 at the Ladish worksite leaflet in Milwaukee. Credit for Both Photos: Karen Hickey.  Additional photos from the Ladish worksite leafet are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisaflcio/sets/72157625255793498/with/5121818490/.)

AFSCME Rally in Union Grove Earns Attention from Candidates and the Press

“When you go out to vote take someone with you.”  That is the common sense advice offered by AFSCME Local 892 member Kory Small in the final days before midterm elections.  “Even an hour of your time spent volunteering to get out the vote can make a huge difference.”

With time running out, Small felt like more needed to be done to reach out to union voters.  She began calling other AFSCME Locals to see if she could coordinate a volunteer action.  Her hard work led to a rally and phone bank in Union Grove on Monday which drew over fifty participants.

“The fact that so many people are still undecided so close to Election Day is hard to believe, given how much is at stake,” laments Small.  “Working families are sick of political advertisements, but we can’t afford to let them tune out.  We can win this election, but we are going to have to reach out to union households personally in order to do it.”

Kris Barrett, wife of gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett, and endorsed State Senator John Lehman attended the Union Grove Rally to thank activists for their support and continued GOTV efforts.

The Racine Journal Times reported on Monday’s rally:
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_c6be9c94-e0ff-11df-bf79-001cc4c03286.html

There isn’t a moment to lose, but you and your friends can still make a difference through Labor 2010 GOTV activities.  Click here to check the schedule or contact your local Service Area Organizer for details.

(Top Photo: Phone bank volunteers at the Union Grove rally on Monday.  Bottom Photo: State Senator John Lehman, Kris Barrett and Kory Small of AFSCME Local 892.  Credit for Both Photos: Justin Geiger.  For more pictures from Union Grove, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisaflcio/sets/72157625253596748/.)

170,986 Contacts, One Member at a Time

The media keeps reporting that working people have an “enthusiasm gap” to overcome heading into Tuesday’s elections.  The numbers here in Wisconsin just don’t support that claim.

Over the past week, 917 Labor 2010 volunteers reached out to record numbers of union households.  All told, the Wisconsin member-to-member political program has knocked on 52,779 doors and made 118,207 phone calls since our Kick-Off Labor Walk at the end of July.  And we aren’t going to let up during the final days of GOTV!

This election is a defining moment for working families. We will either rebuild a fundamentally different economy that values hard work and a strong middle-class or turn back toward one that puts corporate greed before people. 

Corporate special interests know the stakes of the election as well as we do. That’s why they’re spending undisclosed and unprecedented amounts of money through the Chamber of Commerce and Karl Rove’s front groups to sway the election towards big business candidates.

But no amount of advertising is as effective as our member-to-member outreach.  According to UFCW Local 1473 Union Rep. and Political Director Ike Edwards, “The poll numbers are changing and they are moving in the right direction.  If we keep our members active ― talking to each other on the phone, at the worksite and at home ― working families candidates can win.  But we’ve still got a lot to do to make that happen!” 

Edwards is going to continue volunteering with Labor 2010 through Election Day, and he is calling on all union activists to mobilize and turnout out voters.

“I hope to retire in the next seven to nine years.  To do so, I will rely on the State of Wisconsin pension system and Social Security,” says Edie MacDougal, registered nurse and member of AFSCME Local 340.  “Senator Feingold has fought to protect and strengthen Social Security, and I believe that Tom Barrett is the only candidate for governor who will honor the state’s pension commitments.” 

Public employees like MacDougal have a lot at stake in this election. They pay into their pension system, and they often accept lower wages and other concession in favor of retirement security.  Contrary to recent attacks, total compensation for public employees is in line with what private sector employees earn for the same types of work.

As MacDougal phone banks in La Crosse, she reminds union voters that we can’t afford to throw away the progress that we have made in the last two years.

“My 23 year-old son works three part time jobs for a total of about 55 hours per week.  He is currently unable to purchase health insurance due to a preexisting condition.  He needs daily medication and regular visits to the doctor’s office.  Starting in January he’ll be covered on my policy thanks to the recently passed health care bill,” says MacDougal.  “If Ron Johnson has his way and repeals those reforms, families like mine lose.”  

By this time next week, it will be too late to act.  By working together on the phones, on the doors, and at the worksites over the next six days, we can turn out union voters and determine the outcome of the midterm elections.  It is up to us to make sure that Wisconsin’s elected leaders side with Main Street rather than Wall Street.
 
Whether your issue is job creation, retirement security, or corporate accountability it is critical that you cast your vote and encourage other working families to do the same.  Click here for a GOTV schedule or contact your local Service Area Organizer to find additional volunteer oportunities.

(Top Photo: Heberto Figueroa of SEIU Local 1 encourages fellow union members to support Sen. Russ Feingold and Tom  Barrett for Governor during a recent Milwaukee Labor Walk.  Photo Credit: Karen Hickey.  Middle Photo:  Ike Edwards of UFCW Local 1473 leaflets at Kenosha Beef.  Photo Credit: Justin Geiger.  Bottom Photo: Edie MacDougal of AFSCME Local 340 phone banks in La Crosse.  Photo Credit: Andy Thompson.  Visit our flickr page for additional Labor 2010 pictures: http://flickr.com/wisaflcio.)

CWA is On Call for Labor 2010!

Communications Workers of America (CWA) members turned their professional skills into political action last Tuesday when they took time out of their Midwest Conference to reach out to fellow union members about the midterm elections.   Around 75 CWA volunteers dialed union households and knocked on union doors in support of Sen. Russ Feingold, gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett, as well as State Senate candidates Jim Sullivan and Chris Larson.

Claire Zellner, CWA Local 4603 member and Milwaukee area activist, was on hand Tuesday to help get out the vote and inform union members about the candidates who will support working families:

My main message on the phone is to encourage people to get out to the polls and vote on November 2nd.  I make sure that by the end of the conversation they know that Russ Feingold and Tom Barrett are candidates who will stand with working families on important issues. 

Zellner is encouraging her children to take part in the member-to-member GOTV effort:

I have two new voters in my house and I am encouraging them to get active before next Tuesday. They are going to spend some time with Labor 2010 during GOTV and join me on the phones and on the doors next weekend.  I keep telling them that not only is it important, but it's also fun!

 
Have you signed up for a GOTV shift?  Click here for a GOTV schedule and be sure to contact your local Service Area Organizer for ways to get involved.  Many polls show virtual ties in statewide races. This means that your vote is crucial, and that Labor 2010 member-to-member outreach could be the deciding factor in electing worker-friendly candidates.

CWA has also been reaching out to members directly at the jobsite with leaflets at  AT&T centers in Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha since Labor 2010 kicked off in July.

(Top Photo:  Claire Zellner, CWA Local 4603 at a MALC phone bank.  Photo Credit:  Karen Hickey.    Bottom Left Photo: Mike VanBoven and Steward Michael DeGroot of CWA Local 4611 leaflet in Racine.  Photo Credit: Justin Geiger.)

Wisconsin Labor 2010: Full Steam Ahead!

The Labor 2010 member-to-member political program is still gaining strength heading into the final stretch.  Last week saw a 17% increase in volunteer activity over the previous week.  Over the course of 789 volunteer shifts, we reached out to more than 45,000 Wisconsin union households.  Let's see if we can beat our own record again this week.

“I work fulltime and I have to schedule around my son’s activities, but I am still going to participate in several additional phone bank shifts before November 2nd.  This midterm election is just too critical for working families to sit out,” says Lori Osberg, member of the Wisconsin State Public Defenders Association, AFT Local 4822.  Osberg is already an active Labor 2010 volunteer in the Eau Claire area, and she is making sure that her two daughters who are away at college vote early.

We need every eligible voter to cast their ballot for pro-worker candidates and a good jobs agenda.  Wisconsin union members have a clear choice between candidates who will build a better future for working families and those who would tear down the middle-class.  

“Senator Feingold stands up for working family values while other politicians bow to corporate special interests.  We can’t afford to lose him,” according to Ann Louise Tetreault of SEIU Health Care Wisconsin.  “He has been there for us on issues like fair trade and financial reform.  Russ stood up to insurance companies and fought for the best possible health care bill; we need to keep him in office to make sure those reforms are implemented properly.”

Tetreault is a Labor Walk enthusiast, and she was one of over 100 volunteers who heard Senator Feingold speak at Saturday’s Labor 2010 Tailgate Party in Madison.

At the local, state and federal levels your participation in the midterm elections is critical.  Click here to read about gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett’s recent visits with Labor 2010 volunteers in Eau Claire and Milwaukee.

The latest polls show a dead heat in Wisconsin’s statewide races.  Your action, or in action, could determine whether working families win or lose on Election Day. 

Contact your local Service Area Organizer to volunteer immediately.

VOLUNTEER BREAKDOWN BY LOCATION

Appleton: AFSCME International, AFSCME Local 514, IBEW Local 2150, USW District 2 and USW Local 2-20

Brillion: LIUNA Local 330

Clintonville: IBEW Local 388 and IBEW Local 577

Eau Claire: AFSCME International, AFSCME Local 63, AFSCME Local 116, AFSCME Local 122, AFSCME Local 278, AFSCME Local 284, AFSCME Local 560, AFSCME Local 727A, AFSCME Local 1240, AFSCME Local 1742, AFSCME Local 1914, AFSCME Local 1946, AFSCME Local 2233, AFSCME Local 2721,  AFT-Wisconsin, AFT-MGAA, AFT Local 2398, AFT Local 4018, AFT Local 4822, AFT Local 4848, CWA Local 4390, DALU Local 24111, IAMAW Lodge 855, IBEW Local 14, LIUNA Local 268, NALC Branch 728, OPEIU Local 277 and UA Local 434

Fond du Lac: AFSCME International, AFSCME Local 126, AFSCME Local 178, AFSCME Local 597, AFSCME Local 3409, CWA Local 4622 and NALC Branch 125

Green Bay: AFSCME International, AFSCME Local 1889, AFSCME Local 3055, IBEW Local 158, IBEW Local 388, IBEW Local 577, IUPAT Local 1204, LIUNA Local 330, NALC Branch 619, OPEIU Local 9, UAW Local 1102, UFCW Local 1473, USW District 2, USW Local 2-469 and USW Local 2-1279

Kenosha: AFSCME Local 70, ATU Local 998, IUPAT Local 934, UAW Local 72 and UFCW Local 1473

La Crosse: AFGE Local 1346, AFT-Wisconsin, BMWE Local 509, IAMAW Lodge 21, NEA, LIUNA Local 140 and SEIU Health Care Wisconsin

Madison: AFSCME International, AFSCME Local 1,SFSCME Local 13, AFSCME Local 52, AFSCME Local 60, AFSCME Local 68, AFSCME Local 171, AFSCME Local 223, AFSCME Local 634, AFSCME Local 705, AFSCME Local 720, AFSCME Local 1871, AFSCME Local 1942, AFSCME Local 2634, AFSCME Local 2748, AFSCME Local 6090, AFT-International, AFT-Wisconsin, AFT Local 243, AFT Local 3220, AFT Local 3732, AFT Local 4848, AFT Local 4999, IBEW Local 159, IUPAT Local 802, OPEIU Local 39, SEIU Local 150, SEIU Local 1199, SEIU Health Care Wisconsin and UFCW Local 1473 

Manitowoc: AFSCME Local 731, AFSCME Local 913, IAMAW Lodge 516, IBEW Local 158, LIUNA Local 330 and USW District 2

Marshfield: AFSCME Local 1751

Menasha: AFSCME International, USW District 2, USW Local 3657, USW Local 2-469 and USW Local 2-1822

Merrill: UA Local 434

Milwaukee: AFSCME International, AFSCME Local 48, AFSCME Local 80, AFSCME Local 82, AFSCME Local 91, AFSCME Local 104, AFSCME Local 170, AFSCME Local 423, AFSCME Local 587, AFSCME Local 594, AFSCME Local 645, AFSCME Local 758, AFSCME Local 882, AFSCME Local 883, AFSCME Local 952, AFSCME Local 1486, AFSCME Local 1654, AFSCME Local 2748, AFSCME Subchapter 36, AFT Local 212, AFT Local 2169, AFT Local 4822, AFT-WFNHP Local 5001, ATU Local 998, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, CWA Local 4603, IAFF Local 215, IAMAW Lodge 2110, IAMAW Lodge 2560, IBEW Local 494, IBEW Local 715, IRON Local 8, IUPAT DC 7, IUPAT Local 770, IUPAT Local 781, IUPAT Local 802, IUPAT Local 941, IUPAT Local 1204, LIUNA Local 113, NALC Branch 397, OPEIU Local 9, SEIU Local 1, SEIU Local 150, SEIU Health Care Wisconsin, SEIU Statewide Council, UA Local 75, UA Local 601, UAW Local 9, UAW Local 72, UAW Local 407, UAW Local 438, UAW Local 469, UAW Local 1866, UBCJA Local 1053, UBCJA Local 2283, UFCW International, UFCW Local 1473, USW District 2, USW Local 1114, USW Local 9184 and USW Local 2-209

Oshkosh: AFSCME Local 126, AFSCME Local 178, AFSCME Local 597 and AFSCME Local 3409

Racine: AFSCME International, AFSCME Local 67, AFSCME Local 892, AFSCME Local 2412, AFSCME Local 3577, AFSCME Local 3777, AFT Local 8047-R, CWA Local 4611, SEIU Health Care Wisconsin, SMWIA Local 18, UAW Local 72 and UFCW Local 1473

Sheboygan: AFSCME Local 62, AFSCME Local 110, AFSCME Local 1750, AFSCME Local 2316, AFSCME Local 3306, IAFF Local 483 and IBEW Local 965

Stevens Point: AFSCME Local 584, IBEW Local 388 and IBEW Local 577

Superior: AFT Local 202

Waukesha: AFSCME Local 132 Retired, AFT Local 8047-R, SMWIA Local 18 and UA Local 75

Wausau: AFSCME Local 373 IAMAW Local 1713, LIUNA Local 330, USW District 2, USW Local 2-224 and USW Local 2-248

West Bend: USW Local 2-145

Wisconsin Rapids: IRON Local 383, LIUNA Local 268, LIUNA Local 330 and NALC Branch 1083

(Top Photo:  AFSCME Local 705 President Kevin Gundlach reminds participants at the Moving Forward Rally for Public Services in Madison to sign up for Labor 2010.  Photo Credit: Sara Wallenfang.  Top Right Photo: Senator Russ Feingold thanks an AFSCME phone bank volunteer and pauses for a picture at the Labor 2010 Tailgate Party in Madison.  Photo Credit: Sara Wallenfang.  Top Left Photo:  Lori Osberg of AFT Local 4822 phone banks in Eau Claire.  Photo Credit: Andy Thompson.  Second Right Photo:  Ann Louise Tetreault of SEIU Health Care Wisconsin collects signatures on a petition in support of contract negotiations at the UW Hospitals and Clinics during the Labor 2010 Tailgate Party in Madison.  Photo Credit: Sara Wallenfang.  Second Left Photo: Senator Russ Feingold speaking at the Labor 2010 Tailgate Party in Madison.  Photo Credit: Sara Wallenfang.  Third Left Photo:  AFT phone bank volunteer Mary Sorenson with Congressman Ron Kind in Eau Claire.  Photo Credit: Andy Thompson.  Fourth Left Photo: Tom Smith of IAMAW Local 855 phone banking in Eau Claire.  Photo Credit: Andy Thompson.  Third Right Photo: Donna Hansen and Carrie Oltesvig of USW Local 2-614 Labor Walk in Milwaukee.  Photo Credit: Norb Gossens. Fourth Right Photo: AFSCME and AFT members phone bank in Madison.  Photo Credit: Greg Neil. Fifth Left Photo: SEIU Health Care Wisconsin members, including speaker Julia Greenleaf, at the Moving Forward Rally for Public Services in Madison. Photo Credit: Sara Wallenfang.  Fifth Right Photo: AFSCME Council 24 Executive Director Marty Beil and Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt are "Moo-ving" Forward for public services.  Photo Credit: Sara Wallenfang.  Bottom Right Photo: Steve Dahlke of AFSCME Local 3777, Joanne Jordan of AFSCME Local 67, State Senator John Lehman, Bob Bernal of AFSCME Local 67 and Racine AFL-CIO Council President Scott Sharp before a recent Racine Labor walk.  Photo Credit: Sara Rogers.  Bottom Left Photo: Ken Pittsley of USW Local 2-224 visits a fellow USW member during a Labor Walk in Wausau.  Photo Credit: Scott Wright.  For many other pictures of Labor 2010 events and volunteers, visit http://flickr.com/wisaflcio.)

Madison GOTV is a Family Affair

“I want my kids to grow up with a sense of civic duty.  I want them to understand that average people can make a difference,” says AFT Local 3220 Organizer Claiborne Hill.  When she isn’t working for the Teaching Assistants Association, Hill volunteers her time with the Labor 2010 program in order to ensure that candidates who will stand with working families are elected.

On Saturday, October 16^th, Hill and her four children, ages five through eleven, went straight from a morning soccer game to an afternoon Labor Walk.  “We might move a bit slower than other member-to-member walk teams, with the stroller and the extra potty breaks, but this is important work and we enjoy doing it together.”

“Corporate special interests have a disproportionate influence on our democracy, especially now that Supreme Court has ruled that their advertising dollars are free speech,” laments Hill.  “Fortunately, the labor movement is vibrant.  We are willing to take a position and do the real work that is necessary to win elections.”

Hill is troubled by the automatic, anti-incumbent mood that hangs over this election.  She reminds the union members that she visits that the AFL-CIO endorsed candidates have positive voting records on working family issues.

Senator Russ Feingold has strongly and consistently opposed trade policies that send Wisconsin jobs overseas, and he worked to hold Wall Street accountable for the economic collapse.  Similarly, gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett voted against NAFTA as a Congressman, and as Milwaukee Mayor he has fought to create family-wage jobs in spite of the slumping economy.

“Both Russ Feingold and Tom Barrett have been tested, and we know that they will do the right thing for working people.  Now we have to stand with them and reciprocate that loyalty.” Hill concludes, “There is so much misinformation circulating with the intention of discouraging workers so that they won’t vote.  We have to remind union households how much is at stake.  Progress is still possible if we act.”

With only two weeks left until Election Day, it is high time to get your working family involved.  Contact your local Service Area Organizer to volunteer with Labor 2010.

(Top Photo: Claiborne Hill of AFT Local 3220 with her children (from left to right) Elinor Hill-Gorman, age 8; Finn Hill-Gorman, age 5; Esme Hill-Gorman, age 7; and Henry Hill-Gorman, age 11.  Bottom Photo: Mom knocks while Esme and Elinor stand ready with Labor 2010 fliers. Credit for Both Photos: Sara Wallenfang. For more pictures from the Hill-Gorman family's member-to-member walk, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisaflcio/sets/72157625187253048/with/5091642563/.)