Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is the only candidate in the Governor’s race who supports the rights of working people to collectively bargain for a better future. He is also the only candidate who has demonstrated his ability to create family-wage jobs and is running for office with a specific plan to rebuild Wisconsin’s middle-class.
At Labor 2010 events in Eau Claire and Milwaukee last week, Barrett thanked union volunteers for their continued member-to-member political action and encouraged members to cast an informed vote on November 2nd.
“Our goal is simple. We are fighting to elect candidates who will support working families,” explained Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. Neuenfeldt was on hand in Eau Claire on Tuesday. “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 by investing in job training and green technologies, as well as cutting through red tape on new construction. That is the kind of leadership that we need to jumpstart our economy.”
“The fact that Barrett came to talk to us in the Eau Claire Labor Temple shows that he is serious about representing working people throughout the entire state,” says Katie Korbel, Chief Steward for AFSCME Local 2721. Korbel works at the St. Croix County Nursing Home. “Mayor Barrett is a wonderful speaker, and I think he has the passion and ideas necessary to be a great Governor.”
About 120 union activists heard Barrett speak in Eau Claire on Tuesday afternoon and then followed up with member-to-member outreach to help get him elected. Korbel visited fellow union members at home to talk about AFL-CIO endorse candidates, while other volunteers made phone calls to union households.
“We had very friendly reactions on the doors,” reports Korbel. “People are worried about jobs, and many union families are looking forward to Tom Barrett’s administration because of that issue.”
Korbel knows that it will take a lot of hard work over the next two weeks to ensure victory for Barrett and other pro-worker candidates. She is personally working to turnout volunteers for Labor Walks in St. Croix County to be held on October 27th and October 30th. Contact your local Service Area Organizer to volunteer for this or other Labor 2010 GOTV efforts.
After visiting Eau Claire, Mayor Barrett received a warm welcome at a GOTV Rally at the Milwaukee Area Labor Council on Saturday. Labor 2010 activists in Milwaukee County are familiar with both gubernatorial candidates and say that the choice between the two could not be clearer.
Jeff Arnold, Field Representative for IUPAT District Council 7, claims that it all comes down to the economy. “As Mayor, Tom Barrett created nearly 4,000 family-sustaining jobs through the Menomonee Valley redevelopment project. As Milwaukee County Executive, Scott Walker made promises to develop the Park East and that land still sits vacant. You can guess who I am backing in November, and we need every union voter to mobilize and spread the word.”
Arnold helped provide lunch for the army of volunteers who showed up at the Milwaukee Rally on Saturday. As was the case earlier in Eau Claire, Milwaukee area activists who came to hear Tom Barrett speak stayed to help turnout the labor vote.
Time is running out, but you can still make a difference this election season. Contact your Local Service Area Organizer immediately to leaflet at a worksite, visit union households, participate in a member-to-member phone bank, or send out local union mail.
PRESS COVERAGE OF LABOR 2010 EVENTS WITH TOM BARRETT
The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram ran a fantastic article about Tom Barrett’s visit:
http://www.leadertelegram.com/article_ab2fb3e2-d983-11df-8158-001cc4c002e0.html
All four Milwaukee television stations covered Saturday’s Labor 2010 Rally with Mayor Barrett. The following clip is from CBS Channel 58:
http://www.cbs58.com/index.php?aid=14480&
VOLUNTEER BREAKDOWN FOR BARRETT RALLIES
In Eau Claire, union members from AFSCME Local 7, AFSCME Local 63, AFSCME Local 116, AFSCME Local 122, AFSME Local 254, AFSCME Local 278, AFSCME Local 284, AFSCME Local 560, AFSCME Local 727, AFSME Local 1151, AFSCME Local 1742, AFSCME Local 1751, AFSCME Local 1914, AFSCME Local 1946, AFSCME Local 2223, AFSCME Local 2721, AFSCME Local 2742, AFSCME Local 2748, AFT-Wisconsin, AFT Local 2398, AFT Local 4018, AFT Local 4848, CWA Local 4390, CWA Local 4640, DALU Local 24111, IAFF Local 487, IBEW Local 14, OPEIU Local 277, UA Local 434, USW Local 19, USW Local 19L and USW Local 42 heard Tom Barrett speak and then participated in Labor 2010 actions on his behalf.
In Milwaukee, volunteers from AFSCME DC 48, AFSCME Local 80, AFSCME Local 82, AFSCME Local 91, AFSCME Local 104, AFSCME Local 423, AFSCME Local 645, AFSCME Local 758, AFSCME Local 882, AFSCME Local 883, AFSCME Local 1654, AFSCME Local 2748, AFSCME Subchapter 36, IAFF Local 215, IAMAW Local 2110, IAMAW Local 2560, IBEW Local 494, IBEW Local 715, AFT Local 212, AFT Local 2169, AFT Local 4822, AFT-WFNHP Local 5001, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, CWA Local 4603, 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, UA Local 75, UAW Local 9, UAW Local 407, UAW Local 438, UAW Local 469, UBJCA Local 2283, UFCW International, UFCW Local 1473, SEIU Local 1, SEIU Local 150, SEIU Health Care Wisconsin, SEIU Statewide Council, OPEIU Local 9, USW District 2, USW Local 114 and USW Local 2-209 heard from Mayor Barrett before visiting or calling union households for GOTV.
Our full weekly breakdown of all affiliated unions participating Labor 2010 statewide is still being compiled and will be posted on the blog within the next few days. When so many volunteers are active, it takes a lot of time to pull that information together and give everybody proper credit. Keep up the good work!
(Top Photo: AFL-CIO endorsed gubernatorial candiate Tom Barrett speaking to union members in Eau Claire. Top Right Photo: Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt introduces Tom Barrett in Eau Claire. Top Left Photo: Eau Claire Labor 2010 volunteers listen to Tom Barrett. Second Right Photo: Jeff Arnold of IUPAT DC 7 mans the grill in Milwaukee on Saturday. Second Left Photo: Greg Korn of IBEW Local 14 phone banks in Eau Claire. Third Right Photo: USW members listen to Tom Barrett in Milwaukee. Fourth Right Photo: Scott Kmetz of AFT phone banks in Eau Claire. Third Left Photo: John Roberts and Adam Holmes of IUPAT DC 7 visit a fellow union member to discuss the midterm elections.
All Eau Claire photos taken by Andy Thompson. The picture of Jeff Arnold was taken by Leah Ganj-Bakhsh. All other Milwaukee photos provided by Karen Hickey. For more pictures from the Labor 2010 GOTV effort, visit: http://flickr.com/wisaflcio.)