Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Blog

Wisconsin Working Families’ Grassroots Ground Game Sends Obama, Baldwin over Finish Line in Wisconsin

On Tuesday, November 6, 2012, Wisconsin voters sent a clear message to elected officials to work together to create jobs.  Due to the hardwork and dedication of thousands of labor and community volunteers, Wisconsin elected Barack Obama to the White House and Tammy Baldwin to the U.S. Senate.

“Thousands of union and community volunteers came together to make phone calls, knock on doors and produce one of the largest grassroots voter contact efforts in Wisconsin history,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.  “Our hard work and dedication paid off tonight because working people understand that President Barack Obama and Tammy Baldwin will continue to grow our economy and restore our middle class.  While our movement celebrates with America tonight, this victory is another step in the long march for justice and democracy for all working people.”  

“Wisconsin celebrates tonight because we know that Barack Obama and Tammy Baldwin are true champions who will work hard for working people,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.  “We look forward to joining forces with the community to hold our elected officials accountable.  Voters showed up in mass today and made it clear that they support protecting programs like Medicare and Social Security and making the top 2% pay their fair share.   Now it’s time for Congress to work together to preserve these family protecting programs in full.” 

Get.Out.The.Vote.

The most important thing to do today is cast your ballot before polls close at 8:00 p.m.  If you are IN LINE by 8:00 p.m. you MUST be allowed to vote. 

After you vote, help us get out the vote for Barack Obama and Tammy Baldwin! 

Stop in at one of our friendly volunteer locations (found by clicking here) and we will get you set up. 

Lisa Jones Phone Banker Extraordinaire

Lisa Jones, a postal worker from Milwaukee, calls out the vote for Barack Obama and Tammy Baldwin.  

                       

Arlene Holt Baker Pumps Up Volunteers in Milwaukee

Arlene Holt Baker, Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO, joined volunteers in Milwaukee today to help get out the vote for Barack Obama and Tammy Baldwin.

After, she stopped by a labeling party to help label GOTV literature with a voter's unique polling location.

VP Arlene Holt Baker thanked canvassers as they returned from knocking doors for Barack Obama, Tammy Baldwin and all labor endorsed candidates.

VP Holt Baker will join Wisconsin Election Protection efforts in Milwaukee tomorrow to ensure voting rights are protected at the polls.  If you experience any problems at the polls tomorrow call the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

Getting Out the Vote One Knock, One Phone Call at a Time

From Kenosha to Eau Claire, La Crosse to Green Bay, Wisconsinites are hitting the streets in one final push to turn out voters for Barack Obama, Tammy Baldwin and all labor endorsed candidates on Tuesday, November 6. 

Phone banks are buzzing and door bells are ringing as volunteers have thousands of conversations with voters, reminding Wisconsinites of their polling location and urging them to get to the polls between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. 

Across the state, probation officers, teachers, nurses, social workers, and construction workers are talking with voters in the neighborhoods where they work to help ensure high voter turnout in working-class communities in Wisconsin.

Union members are also hearing from their fellow co-workers at worksite leaflets where a political message and a friendly voting reminder is handed out during shift changes at plant gates and parking lots statewide.

  

On Saturday morning in Washington Heights, Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professional members Sandy Jacobs and Elaine Johnson knocked on Barbie Williams’ door.  Williams, a health unit coordinator at the local hospital was just coming off a night shift and was energized to vote for President Barack Obama on Tuesday.  She explained that “people died for the right to vote. I vote every year and all of us as Americans need to express our voice and vote. It is too important to sit this election out.”

 

It is not too late to volunteer and help get out the vote.  Our program will be running right up to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day to ensure a massive turn out for Barack Obama and Tammy Baldwin.  Join us for as little or as long as you can at one of statewide volunteer locations which can be found by clicking here. 

 

The AFL-CIO Labor 2012 program is the broadest and most sophisticated effort to date to elect working family candidates at all levels of government from the White House to City Council. Working families are in communities across the country talking about good jobs, the importance of core American programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and why more tax cuts for the wealthiest aren’t the way forward for middle class America.

WFNHP #WIunion members in the New York Times

Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professional, AFT, members Sandy Jacobs and Elaine Johnson are featured in the New York Times as they go door-to-door in Milwaukee to get out the vote in Wisconsin for Barack Obama and Tammy Baldwin.

Read the full article by clicking here.

Volunteer Spotlight: Hal Hart

Hal Hart is a regular volunteer at the Madison Labor Temple where he stops in to pick up a walk packet before hitting the streets to knock on doors to talk about the November elections with Wisconsin voters.

Hal is 20 year Navy Veteran and a retired union member. For 17 years he was a member of the Wisconsin State Employee Union, AFSCME. In the last year he has traveled to 30 countries and came back to do his part for the upcoming elections.

"I am very concerned about privatizing government services, especially military retirement benefits. As veterans, we need to support Barack Obama who is making veteran services a priority of his administration.”

Fired Up, Ready to Go in Green Bay

Hundreds of members of the United Steelworkers (USW) and other labor unions rallied at the Green Bay Labor Temple on Thursday to kick off the final days before the November 2012 elections.  At a special get out the vote rally International USW President Leo Gerard, AFSCME President Lee Saunders, U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin, 8th Congressional District candidate Jamie Wall, state Sen. Dave Hansen and assembly candidate Jeff McCabe fired up the crowd.

Wisconsin workers have a clear choice between Barack Obama who will build a better future for working families and Mitt Romney, who would tear down the middle-class.  Our energized volunteers will be the deciding factor on Tuesday because our members realize that creating jobs and helping those who have lost their jobs are defining issues for all Wisconsin working families.

“It’s time to out get of our seats and into the streets,” said Mike Bolton, USW District 2 Director.  “Don’t let someone else pick up the slack.  Just because your friend is out there knocking doors doesn’t mean you can rest.  Let’s pull together, let’s hit the streets and let’s win this election.”

“Mitt Romney can’t relate to us,” explained USW President Leo Gerard.  “He hasn’t lived our life, he doesn’t know what it’s like to struggle, he hasn’t had to worry about not having a job next Friday or how he is going to pay for his kids’ college.” 

This massive get out the vote push is part of Labor 2012, a grassroots effort through which union members and community activists talk with Wisconsin voters about the upcoming election.  The program is reaching tens of thousands of Wisconsin workers via labor walks, phone banks and worksite leaflets on the final weekend before Election Day.   

Help us Get out the Vote!

It’s crunch time!  Let’s get out the vote for working families now until Tuesday.  Stop by one of our volunteer locations below, grab a walk packet or a phone, and get to work contacting voters. 

Let’s mobilize and turn out the vote for Barack Obama, Tammy Baldwin and our local labor endorsed candidates.

Our ground game will make a difference on Election Day this Tuesday, November 6.  Solidarity brothers and sisters -- see you in on the doors!

Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington & Ozaukee County

Canvassing Office: Milwaukee Area Labor Council: 633 S. Hawley Road, Milwaukee, WI 53214
Contact: Jocelyn Woodards - 414-520-0344; jwoodards@aflcio.org

Phone Bank Office: Wisconsin State AFL-CIO: 6333 W. Bluemound Road, Milwaukee, WI 53213
Contact: Chris Czubkowski - 414-573-2170

Racine, Kenosha, Walworth & Rock County

Canvassing Office: Racine Labor Temple: 1840 Sycamore Avenue, Racine, WI 53406
Contact: Justin Geiger - 414-745-4177; jgeiger@wisaflcio.org

Canvassing Office: UAW Local 72: 3615 Washington Road, Kenosha, WI 53144
Contact: Carol Edelson - 202-320-1410; Cedelson@aflcio.org

Canvassing Office: Janesville Labor Temple: 1605 Center Avenue, Janesville, WI 53546
Contact: John Grier - 570-540-0836; jgrier@seiu32bj.org

Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Green, Columbia, Richland, Sauk, Grant, Iowa, & Lafeyette County

Canvassing Office & Phone Bank: Madison Labor Temple: 1602 S. Park Street, Madison, WI 53715
Contact: Greg Neil - 608-556-9521; gneil@wisaflcio.org

Canvassing Office: 258 Barstow Street, Horicon, WI 53032
Contact: Melissa Austin - 608-347-5320; melissa@scfl.org

Eau Claire, Chippewa, Clark, Barron, Polk, St. Croix, Dunn, Pierce, Pepin, Buffalo, Trempeleau, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Vernon & Crawford County

Canvassing Office: Eau Claire Labor Temple: 2233 Birch Street, Eau Claire, WI 54703
Contact: Andy Thompson - 715-831-3353; athompson@wisaflcio.org

Canvassing Office: IAMAW District 66: 1307 Market Street, La Crosse, WI 54601
Contact: Gregory Fries - 631-896-9249; gfries@unitedny.org

Zone 5: Marathon, Wood, Portage, Juneau, Adams, Marquette, Waushara, Waupaca, Shawano, Menominee, Taylor, Lincoln, Langlade, Oneida, Forest, Vilas & Florence County

Canvassing Office: Wausau Labor Temple: 318 S. 3rd Avenue, Wausau, WI 54401
Contact: Scott Wright - 920-450-2121; swright@wisaflcio.org

Canvassing Office: Laborers Hall: 220 Johnson Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495
Contact: Scott Wright - 920-450-2121; swright@wisaflcio.org

Brown, Kewaunee, Door, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Winnebago, Outagamie, Oconto, Marinette & Calumet County

Canvassing Office: Teamsters Local 662, 1546 Main Street, Green Bay, WI 54302
Contact: Meredith Place - 202-425-2791; place@nalc.org

Canvassing Office: USW District 2: 1244A Midway Road, Menasha, WI 54952
Contact: Meredith Place - 202-425-2791; place@nalc.org

Canvassing Office: Fond du Lac Labor: 50 E. Bank Street, Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Contact: Greg Hinds - 920-540-2309; ghinds@wisaflcio.org

Canvassing Office: Winnebago Labor Temple: 2211 Oregon St. #A3, Oshkosh, WI
Contact: Greg Hinds - 920-540-2309; ghinds@wisaflcio.org

Douglas, Bayfield & Ashland Counties

Canvass Office & Phone Bank: ILA Local 1037 Union Hall; 424 Tower Avenue, Superior, WI 54880
Contact: Judy Hack - 218-391-6116

Volunteer Spotlight: Hazel Felch, Neenah

As Election Day draws near the Labor 2012 program is ramping up around the state as union members knock doors, make phone calls and leaflet worksites in support of Barack Obama, Tammy Baldwin and pro-worker candidates across the state.

Hazel Felch, one of thousands of labor volunteers, is spending time at her local union hall contacting fellow union members about the importance of the upcoming election.

Hazel is a retiree of USW local 2-1279. She worked at SCA Tissue in Neenah and is an ardent supporter of her local union as well as a tireless supporter of the USW District 2 political program. From feeding volunteers, to making recruitment calls, going door-to-door and handing out leaflets at plant gates, Hazel does it all.

Mike Pyne, USW District 2, detailed that Hazel is "truly a remarkable activist! I wish we had 50 Hazel Felches."

There are 17 locations across the state where volunteers can grab a walk packet and head out into the neighborhood, or pick up a phone and call-list to dail voters at home. 

Join in our efforts!  Our political program is proven to make a difference on Election Day.  Click here to find a location near you!  Offices are open 7 days a week from 9:00am to 7:00pm.