Public Employee Press

Political Action 2010
Volunteers made the difference on election day

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

Defying the nationwide Republican gains, DC 37 Green Machine volunteers made the difference in New York State Nov. 2 as voters elected Democrats Thomas DiNapoli State Comptroller and Eric Schneiderman Attorney General.

"Lillian Roberts made this race a priority from the beginning," DiNapoli told PEP as he walked the streets of Harlem with Roberts on Election Day. "It's an honor to have the union's support, and I will consider DC 37's suggestions about reducing contracting-out and protecting pensions as I continue to look out for all the people of New York."

"I could not have won without the support of labor, and I know we cannot solve the state's problems on the backs of public employees," DiNapoli said Nov. 10 to the DC 37 Executive Board. "The mayor and all three major daily newspapers backed my opponent and we were outspent three to one, but I won because I had a lot of union workers in green jackets on my side."

DC 37 volunteers helped 99 percent of the candidates the union endorsed win their elections for the state Senate, Assembly and other positions. The union supported U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who enjoyed easy victories, but took no position in the gubernatorial race.

The Green Machine activists worked out of 10 field offices in the five boroughs, as the union doubled its political operations to keep the national Republican tide from swamping local candidates who back the needs of working families.

People power

"We need to elect politicians who will save public sector jobs," said volunteer Ida Kelly of Local 1549 on Election Day. In Queens, Local 768 member Akinsola Akinyemi said, "The political scene is upside down. We need to mobilize and get our message out, because the media is biased against public employees and working people."

Mayor Bloomberg's layoffs, Republican opposition to measures to help the unemployed and a strong desire to support President Barack Obama motivated union volunteers. As she worked to get out the vote, DC 37 activist Dalphine Williams answered the right-wing wave of anger toward President Obama: "We need to let the Democrats and our president know we stand with them. We do for those who do for us," she said.

DC 37 volunteers campaigned from early in the morning Nov. 2 until the polls closed at 9 p.m. They leafleted at transit hubs and on the streets, knocked on doors to reach out to members at home and made phone calls from the union's computerized phone banks to urge members, retirees and their families to vote.

"It was like a war zone out there," said Ruben Wills, who won a special City Council race to represent the 28th District in Queens. "Then I saw all the people in green jackets, and I knew we would be okay."

Newly-elected Assembly member Robert J. Rodriguez of East Harlem said, "DC 37's endorsement was critical in this election. The union helped tremendously by opening two auxiliary offices in Harlem."

Class wars

Around the country DC 37's parent union, the 1.6-million-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, played a central role in keeping a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate by putting volunteers and financial aid into hotly-contested races nationwide to protect Democrats who are loyal to working families.

Voter turnout failed to match the enthusiasm Obama sparked in the historic 2008 election that propelled him into office, and Republicans won a majority in the House of Representatives. Controlling the House presents them with the responsibility of proposing constructive ideas to address the nation's problems, instead of simply being the "Party of No."

In 2011, AFSCME will redouble its efforts to educate the public to counter the growing anti-public worker sentiment and combat the Republican agenda of defeating Obama, extending tax cuts for the rich and repealing the new health care reforms.

"We are living in very difficult times," said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. "We are in a real struggle for jobs, for working families and the middle class to survive and thrive. Corporations have money and high-paid lobbyists, but on Nov. 2 we showed that our people power can elect friends who will help us in this fight to save jobs and public services and rebuild America's infrastructure."