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PEP June 2014
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Public Employee Press

Labor and faith activists team up to get out the vote on June 24

Activists from the New York Labor, Faith and Community Outreach Program of AFSCME, DC 37's national union, met May 12 at District Council 1707 headquarters to map strategy for the upcoming June 24 primary elections and gear up for their Pulpit Weekends drive to get out the vote. Participants will be visiting places of worship during the weekend of June 20 to 22 citywide to encourage New Yorkers to vote.

"It's important that unions make the connection to the broader community and not just talk among ourselves," DC 37 Associate Director Henry Garrido told the activists.

The evening program included an overview of faith traditions presented by Rabbi Michael Feinberg, the executive director of the Greater New York Labor Religion Coalition, the Rev. Al Taylor of the Infinity Mennonite Church in Harlem and P.R. Mohan of the Hindu Temple Society in Queens.

Encouraging participants to become more active in their communities, Taylor said, "Faith without works is dead." Taylor grew up in Harlem and works with young people in public housing projects there.

AFSCME Political Action and Legislative Advocacy Coordinator Monique Gibbs spoke on the get-out-the-vote drive for upcoming state, local and congressional elections. She pointed out a challenge to the activists: the tendency of voters to stay home and skip voting in non-presidential elections, during which voter turnout can drop by up to 50 percent.

Gibbs recommended that parents take their young children to the polls when they vote "to teach children as early as possible how to be a part of the democratic process." She also suggested helping people who are bedridden to get absentee ballots and being aware of any changes in polling places. "You don't want to show up at the wrong polling place on Election Day," explained Gibbs.

To join AFSCME's Faith and Community Outreach Program and join the Pulpit Weekends campaign you can email
laborfaithcomgroup@gmail.com or visit dc37.net.


 
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