Public Employee Press

People power wins on Primary day

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

DC 37 GREEN MACHINE volunteers helped 99 percent of the candidates the union endorsed to win key primary races Sept. 14 and proceed to the Nov. 2 general elections.

Hundreds of DC 37 volunteers, including 300 Lifeguards from Locals 461 and 508, fanned out across the five boroughs to support candidates who stand with working families. DC 37 activists made the difference in several hotly contested races by campaigning from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in business districts and at transit hubs and polling places. The DC 37-backed contestants all won except Attorney General candidate Richard Brodsky and Assembly candidate Marion Bell.

In Manhattan people power trumped the corporate wealth that tried to unseat Sen. Bill Perkins over his vocal opposition to charter schools. Perkins won support from the majority of voters in Harlem and the Upper West Side.

"People don't respect the sacrifices public-sector workers make. When DC 37 endorses you, you've got the seal of approval," said Perkins.

DC 37 also helped Brooklyn Assembly member Velmanette Montgomery and state Sen. Kevin Parker triumph 3-to-1 over their opponents. The union's support boosted Bronx Assembly member Naomi Rivera and Queens Sen. Shirley Huntley, Assembly member David Weprin and Assembly candidate Francisco Moya to victory.

"I'm worried about Social Security, our pensions, the downsizing the city is doing and whether there will be money for schools," said DC 37 retiree Renee Davis. She volunteered at the union's Harlem site and added, "Any cuts to public services will diminish our quality of life."

Under Obama’s leadership, Democrats have congressional majorities they are fighting to retain, with especially critical races in New York and the Northeast, Arkansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Ohio, where Republicans have targeted seats in conservative-leaning districts. The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows corporations to infuse millions of dollars into political campaigns has handed Republican candidates a lopsided advantage in fundraising.

“We must answer their wealth with people power, because we have a lot to lose if we do not increase our voting and volunteering in November,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. “Everything starts with who gets elected. We cannot afford complacency. Any cuts to budgets, whether on the federal, state or local level, will endanger our jobs.

To not participate in this election would be like cutting our own throats.” DC 37 members who can participate in get-out-the-vote efforts should call the union’s Political Action Dept. at 212-815-1550 as soon as possible.

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