For Immediate Release
Tuesday, April 30, 1996
Statement by Gerald W. McEntee, President, AFSCME and Chair, AFL-CIO Political Action Committee in Response to a Study on Union Support of Voter Education
Washington, DC —"Conservative members of Congress and those who support their agenda seem to be fearful of the AFL-CIO's effort to educate voters about the issues that affect the lives of working families.
"What we see today is an attempt to try to discredit the messenger -- the unions of the AFL-CIO -- rather than attack the message. The conservatives can't attack the message -- the importance of raising the minimum wage, protecting the environment, requiring safe workplaces, protecting Medicare and Medicaid from budget cuts.
"Our members and the public in general are overwhelmingly in favor of these issues and they deserve to know how members of Congress and candidates for office stand on these matters. When I speak to union members they tell me that they want information about issues; they don't want to be told how to vote. That's what Labor '96 is all about. We provide information on the issues; the electorate will decide who supports their views and interests.
"People who aren't typically on the side of working families, don't like this campaign and they want it stopped. Spreading misinformation about this campaign or the way union members feel about it won't stop the federation or the individual unions from speaking out and providing much needed information. We, unlike others, believe in the wisdom and judgment of America's working families."
