INSIDE SCOOP:
Issue 2006-009,
Todd Erickson, CWA Local 7200 Area Vice President
http://cwa7200.org/Avp's/Inside%20Plant.htm
24th Avenue Qwest Central Office Technician
(todd9500@msn.com,
Pgr: 612-622-4738, Hm: 612-789-4400, UH: 612-722-7200)
PROUD
TO BE INVOLVED IN THE
I've often encouraged others to get involved with social
movements in order to be part of improving the social good
of our society. Throughout history, social movements have proven to
be the most effective means to advance the common good for working families.
It's also a great way to meet a lot of quality people and have fun...; humor,
story telling, music, and the development of life-long friends are all part of
the formula for an effective social movement.
No other institution can match the labor movement in their record of
improving paycheck economics for the Working Class. One of the ways social
movements advance family-supporting legislation is through the electoral
process. Money and volunteer efforts put into electing Working Class
politicians is preventive medicine. Strategic and proactive measures
through the electoral process are necessary in order to avoid the harsh pain
that can be inflicted on working families by the heartless Business Class
politicians who support anti-worker legislation. Anti-worker
legislation can threaten gains that unions have made through collective
bargaining.
In
The Minnesota DFL has plenty of honest and talented Working
Class political representatives like Rep. Jim Davnie (62A),
Rep. Tom Anzelc (3A), and Rep.
Patti Fritz (26B)... who are all outstanding union leaders.
Thirty-five union members were elected to the Minnesota Legislature in the 2006
election. Starting in January, 2007, one of every six legislators will be
a union member. How many states can boast this fact? http://workdayminnesota.org/index.php?article_1_100
Union density and the labor movement's collective political action is why
certain areas of our country vote for Working Class politicians, http://www.laborresearch.org/charts.php?id=55.
We need more union density in the
Workday
We almost won the Governor’s race from the Business Class... but a combination
of things let that one slip away by a slim margin. At the national level,
The Labor Movement’s actions between elections also helps set up success in
future elections. By being focused on 1: Internal and external organizing, 2: Being confrontational and aggressive at work
when necessary, and 3: By being
inspirational with our vision of economic and social justice... the Labor
Movement will continue to be a major force in electoral politics in the
future. A special thanks to all the young organizers who added energy and
effective communication strategies to the Labor Movement's successful efforts.
Let people know that a person doesn't have to be in a union to become
part of the Labor Movement and that if we all do a little, no one has to do a
lot. Please consider joining in on the fun and help advance
solidarity and economic justice for all.
!!Solidarity
Now!!
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Union vote made the difference, leaders say
By Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota editor
http://workdayminnesota.org/index.php?article_1_101
Election Day exit polling and an independent, national
election-night survey both show that union members accounted for four-fifths of
the Democratic victory margin, the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor
federation, reported. One out of every four voters was a union member, and
three-quarters of these union voters backed labor-endorsed candidates for the
U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, the AFL-CIO said. Polling
indicated the war in
"We knew that our challenge at the AFL-CIO was to provide the organizing
to transform the frustration and anger into political power," national
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said. "We responded with the biggest, most
energetic grassroots program in our history, and it worked."
"Today, working people voted with a simple, common belief - if we take
action and make our voices heard, we can help bring about change. What these
election results show us is that while corporations may have spent millions, its
working families who vote," said Anna Burger, chair of the Change to Win
labor federation.
Ninety-two percent of union members in battleground states said they heard from
their union this election cycle. According to the AFL-CIO, union volunteers:
- Knocked on the doors of 8.25 million union voters.
- Made 30 million phones calls to union voters.
- Mailed 20 million pieces of mail to union homes.
- Distributed 14 million worksite fliers.
Union members want to see their votes followed by action on issues important to
them, union leaders said.
"Now is the time for action on issues such as universal health care,
retirement security, the Employee Free Choice Act, fair trade agreements, safe
highways and national security," said James R. Hoffa, president of the
International Brotherhood of Teamsters. "This new Congress must reverse
action on the Bush administration's misplaced priorities."
The AFL-CIO said there are five things that the 100th Congress must accomplish
in their first days in office:
- Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour.
- Restore workers' freedom to form unions: Pass the Employee Free Choice Act
and reverse the National Labor Relations Board's recent ruling that allows
employers to deny workers' union rights by classifying them as
"supervisors."
- Overturn the ban prohibiting Medicare from negotiating with drug companies
for more affordable prescription drugs.
- Stop sending our best jobs overseas: Reward companies that create jobs at
home instead of giving tax dollars to companies that export our jobs.
- Reverse the cuts in student loans made by the Republican Congress.
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Minnesotans elected three union members to the state Senate
and 32 union members to the state House. Twenty-one are incumbents; 14 are
newcomers. An astounding 20 of the 35 union members elected are members of
Education Minnesota, the union representing teachers and other educators.
The newcomers include Erin Murphy, director of the Minnesota Nurses
Association, Tom Anzelc, former legislative lobbyist for the Laborers
International Union. All of the union lawmakers are members of the DFL Party
except longtime state Rep. Dennis Ozment of Rosemount, a Fire Fighter and
Republican.
The union members are part of the new DFL majority in the state House and the
continuing, but larger DFL majority in the state Senate.
In statewide races, labor-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Amy Klobuchar,
Attorney General candidate Lori Swanson, Secretary of State candidate Mark
Ritchie and Auditor candidate Rebecca Otto won election. Only labor-endorsed
gubernatorial candidate Mike Hatch lost, garnering 46 percent of the vote to 47
percent for incumbent Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty and 6 percent for
Independence Party candidate Peter Hutchinson.
Labor-endorsed candidates elected to the U.S. House of Representatives include
Tim Walz, 1st Dist.; Betty McCollum, 4th Dist.; Keith Ellison, 5th Dist.;
Collin Peterson, 7th Dist.; and Jim Oberstar, 8th Dist. In addition, voters
approved a state constitutional amendment supported by most unions to devote
the state's motor vehicle tax revenues to transportation and mass transit.
Unions in
Issues in the state included education, transportation and health care.
Waldron said he believes politicians in
Wellstone Action, the progressive organization formed following the death of
U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone, also is taking credit for turning the tide both in
On Tuesday, 35
"It all started at