ATU Action Weekly Update - 10/15/07

Union Volunteers Get-Out-the-Vote in Kentucky

More than 160 union volunteers went door to door in Kentucky this past Saturday to talk with union members and their families about the upcoming gubernatorial election. Kentucky union members also attended a great event with gubernatorial candidate Steve Beshear (D) and all candidates endorsed by the union movement.  Beshear thanked the entire labor movement for the great member-to-member program that had been put together. He also stressed the importance of the final three weeks, and reminded attendees that the only poll is the one on Election Day.  

Beshear is challenging Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R), who has cancelled bargaining rights for state employees, privatized Kentucky's Medicaid program, pushed to repeal the prevailing wage law and sought to implement anti-union "right to work" for less legislation. Beshear opposes so-called "right to work" legislation and has affirmed his support of safeguards for the prevailing wage, employee bargaining, the need for affordable health care and good jobs. 

 

CLUW Delegates Plan New Direction for Women

Women in the union movement have a real opportunity to change the political climate in 2008 if they organize and mobilize around issues important to working families such as health care and equal pay.  

With those goals in mind, hundreds of Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) convention delegates developed strategies Oct. 10-13 in Las Vegas to make a difference in the union movement and in the 2008 elections. The strategies include mobilizing women to become delegates to political conventions and taking part in get-out-the-vote campaigns next year.   

CLUW President Marsha Zakowski reminded delegates to the AFL-CIO constituency group's convention that women are the fastest growing part of the union movement and that, although there are women in high leadership positions in unions, women still are not represented in the numbers they deserve.  

In mobilizing around the convention theme, "A New Direction for Women," delegates discussed strategies for channeling their political strength to create change and ways to expand their connections to organizations in their communities to build more powerful coalitions for change.     

 

What Do YOU Think About Workplace Safety?

The AFL-CIO want to know - What should the next president do to improve workplace safety and health?

As the disaster at Utah's Crandall Canyon Mine reminds us, thousands of workers are killed on the job each year, and millions more are injured or made sick.  Workplace health and safety will be key issues in the upcoming Presidential election.

Let the AFL-CIO know what you think by going to the Working Families Vote 2008 Forum and submitting your own comments on this issue.