On the Road to the Polls for Services & Jobs

On the Road to the Polls for Services & Jobs

By Susan Ellen Holleran

From Maine to Hawaii, AFSCME members are joining their union brothers and sisters in a massive political mobilization for Election 2002. Some 36 gubernatorial seats, all of the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the U.S. Senate are in play this year — in addition to thousands of state, local and school board positions.

Over the past two years, public employees and health care workers have been learning a very difficult lesson: In financially challenging times, we need friends in government. Funding for our jobs and the people we serve has again been the first thing put on the chopping block. Our voices were heard — and our sensible solutions to budget problems considered — only in jurisdictions where elected officials understood and supported working families.

The impact of this election on public workers and the services we provide cannot be overstated. From the federal level to the village council, governments are struggling to deal with the fiscal crisis. Samuel Gompers, the first president of the American Federation of Labor, once described labor's role in politics: "Reward our friends and punish our enemies." That has never been truer than it is today.

When it comes to candidate support, unions will never be able to compete financially with huge corporations. But we have something they don't have: committed people power. During this campaign, Pres. Gerald W. McEntee has pledged, "We will have thousands of people knocking on doors and working the phones to get out the vote."

From now to Nov. 5, each of us must become politically involved. We must take responsibility for protecting our communities, our families, our jobs.