AFL-CIO Pennsylvania Labor 2008 Blog

Business Manager Mike Fera, OPCMIA Local 592 Discusses the Importance of Member-to-Member Contact

Business Manager Mike Fera discusses worksite leafleting and member to member contact at the worksite:

UA Local 690 Worksite Leaflets with the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades

Darby Doyle, UA Local 690; Butch Grobes, UA Local 690 and Valo Terry, IBB Local 19 discuss Barack Obama's support for working families at the worksite:

Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Worksite Leaflet

Early Tuesday morning Business Manager Pat Gillespie and affiliate leaders from the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council handed out leaflets at the Aker Philadelphia Shipyard and two construction sites. The Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades leadership is leafleting every day of the week from now until the election to make sure that their members know about Barack Obama’s record of supporting working people.

“We are going out to various construction sites and other worksites to let our members know the difference between Barack Obama and John McCain,” said Gillespie. “This is one of the easier decisions for a working person to make.  Barack Obama stands for working people, he cares about us and our future. John McCain has come up with the same old nonsense, the same old hopeless policy that we’ve suffered under the last eight years.”

“This race is too close and I worry that it is because of the color of Barack Obama’s skin.  We have to look past that and look at what is best for us and for our future and that would be electing Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. This is about the future of working people in America.”

As he handed him a leaflet, Butch Grobes, a steward for UA Local 690 told Valo Terry, IBB Local 19, how important it is to support Barack Obama.  “He is for the working people and for our issues,” said Grobes.

“I know he is,” answered Terry.  “McCain supports unfair trade agreements and he doesn’t support the middle class or working America.  Just look at where the economy is right now.  It’s just further proof that the Bush Administration and their policies--policies that McCain supports--hurt working people.  So I fully support Barack Obama.”

“It is so important that we are out here talking to the workers and trying to let them know that Barack Obama supports working people,” said Fred Chamberlain, IBB Local 19 Vice President and Philadelphia Metal Trades Council Recording Secretary.  “Our members elected us and they trust us to get this important information to them.”

“The guys that work with us trust us and come to us for advice,” said Gary Gaydosh, Philadelphia Metal Trades Council President.  “We don’t tell them how to vote but we give them information and hope that they go with their union and the future of working families.  We hope that because we talked to them today at the worksite they will support Barack Obama.”

“We are brothers and we are fellow union members,” said Mike Fera, OPCM Local 592 Business Manager.  “And our future depends on this election. We, as union members, got to get the vote out for Barack Obama.  It’s not enough for us to just vote for Obama.  It’s about our friends, our family and our union brothers all voting for Obama, too.” 

“So I urge all leaders of all unions to get out to your worksites and talk to your members.  We need to elect Barack Obama and it’s up to us to make sure that happens.”

USW International President Leo Gerard on Union Member Participation in the Labor 2008 Program

USW International President Leo Gerard discusses the importance of member-to-member contact in educating union members about the importance of the upcoming election and supporting Barack Obama.  Check out the video below:

Meet Your Release Staff: Sue Michielli, UFCW Local 1360

UFCW Local 1360 release staff Sue Michielli is an active member of her home state, New Jersey’s, labor movement.  She was released to Pennsylvania for the rest of the election cycle because it is so important to all working people that Barack Obama receives strong support from voters in this state.

Sue Michielli is UFCW Local 1360’s Political Director and Secretary Treasurer of the Southern New Jersey Central Labor Council.  She also serves as Vice-Chairperson of the Camden County Board of Social Services, volunteers her time on the Mandate Health Care Advisory Commission and the New Jersey Child Labor Advisory Board, and serves as Vice-Chairperson of the Union Organization for Social Service.

Despite all her responsibilities in New Jersey, Michielli says that she is glad to be here in Pennsylvania and wants to do whatever is necessary to help educate union members about the important upcoming election. 

“My main responsibilities as a release staff here in Pennsylvania are to coordinate aspects of the Labor 2008 program like the labor walks, worksite leafleting, phone banks, and mailings.  But I’m also here to recruit volunteers and get people involved.   Labor carries the election here and it is up to us to make sure that our voters are coming out for the candidate that will best serve working families.”

One of the issues that Michielli thinks is most important this election is getting the Employee Free Choice Act passed.  “The most important issue to me is the Employee Free Choice Act.  McCain does not support this legislation or the labor movement.  He came right out and said it in his acceptance speech.”

“Obama, on the other hand, is a friend of the labor movement.  He supports the Employee Free Choice Act and promised to sign it into law when elected.  With Obama as president the labor movement will have a chance to grow and the middle class can come back.  We can have a stronger economy.  That’s what this economy needs to improve: it needs a strong middle-class and we need unions in order to help rebuild what bad labor policy has damaged.” 

“And so we need union activists to come out and help.  Union members trust their brothers and sisters and their leadership.  There is solidarity there and an understanding that this is what we are about.  These issues impact all of us in the labor movement so we need to take advantage of the fact that there is an understanding between our members.  That is what makes the Labor 2008 program so powerful and that is why I encourage all members to participate.”

Labor Leader of the Week: Bill Sterner, UWUA Local 102

Bill Sterner, President of the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) System Local 102, started out as an apprentice lineman at West Penn Power at the age of eighteen.  He soon became a steward and then a local union officer.  In 1997 he was elected full time president of UWUA System Local 102, a local with almost 1,100 members in four states.

President Sterner said that this election year all of the working family issues are important to his members.  “Our members in the Utility Workers Union all across the country—those working in natural gas, water, and sewage as well as electrical power—are concerned with all the issues that impact all working people.”

“Deregulation is a main issue for us, though.  We personally experienced the terrible consequences of the deregulation of the electrical industry here in Pennsylvania and at our company in 1996.  Under republican control of the House and Senate and under the republican governor Tom Ridge, our industry was deregulated over night.  It resulted in a 40% reduction in our workforce and in our union since 1996.”

“That means that when there is a storm or when there is damage to power lines for any other reason there are 40% fewer people to take care of it today than there were four years ago.  And that also means that there are 40% fewer people to build news lines or maintain the power lines we have now. Deregulation not only cost union jobs, it hurt the community because service suffered as a consequence.” 

“In addition, the Employee Free Choice Act , probably the most important single piece of legislation for labor and the viability of labor that’s come to the table in my life time, has a real chance of getting passed this year.  If we elect a president that supports this legislation it will be signed into law within the year and level the playing field for workers trying to form the unions they deserve.”

“Our union is reaching out in a variety of ways to our membership to make sure that they are aware of these issues and others, and to make sure they know where the candidates stand.  We are working with the Labor 2008 program and encouraging our members to attend labor walks, to get out into the neighborhoods where we live and work, and to educate our members.”

“We are encouraging our members and leaders to lead by example and get out to phone banks and walks. It is important for union members to get involve because when the union speaks directly to its members on issues that directly effect them it translates into a positive outcome as far as how our members vote.”

“In addition, these are working family issues and pocket book issues like the economy, jobs, and wages.  So when union members talk about these them they are talking about the issues that most directly affect them and their families.”

“I strongly encourage and recommend that all members of all unions take this opportunity, this one chance that we have this election year, to participate in the Labor 2008 program by helping the local with worksite leafleting, with phone banking, to walk in the neighborhoods where we live and work. To educate our fellow union members that this election is very important and that we know when we do these things and when union members stick together we vote together and we support candidates and issues that directly benefit not only union members but the community at large.”

IBEW Member and Vietnam Combat Veteran Jim Wasser Discusses "The Real John McCain"

IBEW member and Vietnam Combat Veteran Jim Wasser was in Pennsylvania this week to discuss John McCain's anti-worker voting record.  Check out his message to working families below:

Jim Wasser Visits Phone Bank in Pittsburgh

On Thursday, September 25, IBEW member and Vietnam combat veteran, Jim Wasser stopped by a phone bank in Pittsburgh to speak with volunteers from AFSCME, APWU, IUPAT, and SEIU.  He was in town for the evening before heading off to round tables in Beaver County with union veterans and in Erie with AFL-CIO endorsed CD 3 candidate Kathy Dahlkemper and union veterans.

"What you all are doing is so important," said Wasser.  "I've phone banked and walked and been where you are sitting right now.  I know sometimes it is tough and you get a few people who hang up on you.  But when you do talk to someone it is so important.  Those conversations are what make the difference."

"As a union member and a veteran I respect John McCain's service but I do not appreciate his record when it comes to working families and veterans' issues.This election our economic livelihood is at stake and we have to change things.  It is up to us to elect a president that will take care of working families and their future.  That is why we've got to educate our members, stick to the issues, and elect Barack Obama in the Fall."

Union activists at the phone bank appreciated the words of encouragement.  "I agree with Jim Wasser," said Tim Rogozinski, APWU Local 81.  "We need Obama to win and we need our fellow union members to know that he is the only candidate for us.  We need to rebuild the middle-class and that is why I am here tonight making phone calls."

To join the conversation come out to a phone bank in your area!

 

IBEW Local 459 Reaches Out to Members with a Local Union Mail Piece

Like local unions across the country, IBEW Local 459 in Johnstown is reaching out to their members with a series of mail pieces on Barack Obama’s record of supporting working families.  Last Thursday IBEW Local 459 Business Manager Don Hoak and President Ken Richards were on hand to discuss the importance of local union mail with IBEW Local 459 retired members Robert Barnett and Paul Pozar as they stuffed envelopes to go out to their almost 1,900 members across the Western half of the state.

“We’ve always kept our members politically informed and this year is no different than any other,” said Hoak.  “We encourage our members to support Barack Obama and all the candidates endorsed by the AFL-CIO.”

“This mailing is so important because it comes from the local and goes directly to the members,” said Pozar.  “This letter is from real people to real people and that’s what member-to-member contact is all about.  Our members can trust this information because it comes from a source that they know and relate to: their union.”

“Barack Obama is the best candidate for the labor movement and our members need to know that,” said Barnett.  “As fellow members of the IBEW Local 459 we have a responsibility to talk to each other about this and a mail piece signed by our local officers is a great way to do that.”

“This is just the first of what will be a total of three mailings,” said Hoak. “We want our members to be very comfortable with Obama and what he stands for by the time November 4th arrives.  This is just the start.”

“We encourage all local leaders to send out a letter to their members,” said Richards.  “Members trust the leadership they elected.  Make sure your members know which candidate stands for their issues and send a mail piece signed by you.  It really does make a difference and this year, with such an importance election, we need to do every thing we can for our candidate, Barack Obama.”

Pittsburgh Labor 2008 Union Activists Are Picking Up the Phone

On Wednesday night in Pittsburgh over fifty union activists came out to phone bank and talk union member to union member about the upcoming election. Union activists from AFGE, AFSCME, IBB, LIUNA, and SEIU picked up the phone and called their fellow union members to make sure they know that Barack Obama stands with working families. 

"I came here right after work," said Dan Garner, LIUNA Local 1058.  "I plan on coming back again, too.  This is an important election and I want to make sure union members know that Barack Obama is on our side on the most important issues."

Check out the photos from Wednesday night's phone bank in Pittsburgh and then come out and join the conversation at a phone bank in your region!: