For Immediate Release
Monday, October 27, 2008
40,000 AFSCME Members Mobilizing for Final Get Out the Vote Effort
President McEntee: “This is the most aggressive political effort in our union’s history.”
Washington, D.C. —Gerald W. McEntee, International President of the 1.6-million-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, today announced that 40,000 AFSCME members across the country are mobilizing for the final days of the historic 2008 campaign. “We’ve been beaten, battered and bruised for eight years now,” McEntee said. “Enough is enough. We’re going to fight like hell to win this election.”
McEntee will be crisscrossing the battleground state of Ohio during the final week of the election to meet with union members, visit phone banks, knock on doors and participate in Get Out The Vote Rallies.
AFSCME has ground operations in more than 20 states with more than 500 professional staff. “We’ve got an army of 40,000 active and retiree members who are knocking on doors, making phone calls and contacting more of their co-workers and neighbors than in any previous election year,” McEntee said. “We’re turning out our vote for a stronger, better America.”
The union is fighting to win the presidency, increase worker-friendly majorities in the U.S. Senate and House, and influence key state and local races and initiatives to advance the cause of working families throughout the country. AFSCME has devoted $60 million for political activities this year, including $13 million in political action committee funds.
AFSCME is widely recognized as one of the most effective forces in American politics. “Our members are a powerful grassroots army of volunteers and opinion leaders who make the difference in close elections,” McEntee pointed out. “This year, we identified and have been systematically contacting key blocs of undecided and swing voters in presidential battleground states, plus priority congressional and other important races.”
AFSCME – and Labor – have played a decisive role in the most competitive political campaigns over the last several election cycles. In 2006, for example, union households made up one-quarter of the electorate and gave Democratic candidates a 30-point advantage in the most hotly contested elections for the House of Representatives, while the general public was split evenly between the parties.
AFSCME President Gerald McEntee will campaign throughout the state of Ohio in the final week of the Presidential Election. GOTV cities include Columbus, Toledo, Akron, and Cleveland. Media interested in interviewing McEntee can contact AFSCME Public Affairs at 202-429-1145.Related: AFSCME 2008: A Look at Our Political Program
