We Helped!
Over 25 AFSCME Activists travelled to Nevada to talk to union members
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AFL-CIO Union Voters Help Drive Historic Victory for Obama
Union voters played an important role in President-elect Obama’s historic victory, delivering a critical bloc of support in swing states that helped propel Obama and other working family candidates to big wins last night, election-night polling released by the AFL-CIO today showed. Calling the victory in the presidential race and the expansion of majorities in the House and Senate a working families’ mandate for broad-based economic change, AFL-CIO leaders vowed to continue the large-scale mobilization to push through broad economic reform.
High turnout among working-class union voters in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan formed a foundation of support for Obama. In new battleground states like Colorado, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, Sweeney said the AFL-CIO mounted a bigger effort than ever before, voting by large margins for Obama, and “joined young people and other new voters to build a new majority for economic fairness.”
AFL-CIO union members across battleground states supported Obama by a whopping 69-28 margin, according to an election night survey conducted for the AFL-CIO by Peter D. Hart Research Associates.
Ridley-Thomas and Local Candidates Charge to Victory
We did it! The hard work and diligence of Council 36 members paid off with electoral victories throughout Southern California. AFSCME 36 Members and their green shirts were highly conspicuous staffing phone banks and walking precincts at the CLC’s in San Diego, Orange County, and in Los Angeles. These phone banks called into battleground states, urging union members in Nevada, Colorado, Washington State, New Mexico and Minnesota to support Barack Obama and other union supported candidates in their state. Our effort to win victories in the battleground state of Nevada included a weekend bus trip to Las Vegas where 26 AFSCME 36 activists talked to union households in support of Obama. It was very satisfying to see Obama carry each of these battleground states.
Our efforts in LA County were victorious on every front. In our highest priority race, Mark Ridley-Thomas was elected to the LA County Board of Supervisors with an overwhelming 61% share of the vote.
Los Angeles Apollo Alliance Puts Forward Green Policy Framework
The Apollo Alliance is one of the more interesting environmental organizations in the country. Founded in Wisconsin in 2004, in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy, they have successfully bridged he gap between sometime adversarial organizations to win green legislation. Their mission is to build a coalition of business, labor, environmental, and community leaders. This broad coalition is working to catalyze a clean energy revolution in America and reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, cutting the carbon emissions that are destabilizing our climate. Their plan includes expanding opportunities for American businesses and workers. AFSCME District Council 36 is one of over 100 endorsing organizations.
The Alliance’s current effort is encourage the City of Los Angeles to retrofit city owned public buildings to solar or other environmentally friendly energy sources. At the same time tie in the City will develop job creation and workforce development strategies to connect the unemployed and under employed residents to green career paths. The program includes They advocate creating pipeline for green careers through training inner City youth in partnership with union apprenticeship programs.
The recommendations are working their way though the City Council. If you live or work in the City of LA we are asking you to fill out an endorsement card which can be found by clicking here
AFSCME Member Foils Countrywide Financial
The owner of an apartment building where tenants were residing lost the property in foreclosure. The day after foreclosure, Countrywide Financial the tenants that they had thirty days to get out of the building and once they moved, they would give them $1,000.00, minus any damages that “they deemed” to the property, or eviction proceedings would commence.
The tenants had paid their rent up to date and were upset because the former owner refused to return their phone calls, to have their security deposit returned, so they could move.
Local 119 Member Wounded in Iraq, Gets Help from AFSCME Rep
AFSCME Local 119 member, Steve Cordero believes in service to his Country. He is a 21 year employee of the County of Los Angeles in the Department of Public Works. As a soldier in the Reserves since 1978 and has seen battlefields in the Iraq war, and the first Gulf War. He has always returned safely until his last tour of duty in Iraq when his vehicle hit an IED (Improvised Explosive Device).
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