"My only concern," the woman replied, "would be that we get the Republicans out of office."
She\'s not alone. Election Day may be six months away, but the AFL-CIO kicked off its Labor 2008 campaign May 17, targeting victories that will unite pro-worker majorities in Congress with an equally friendly occupant of the White House.
About 125 union members attended the St. Paul and Minneapolis area labor councils\' joint kick-off event at the Operating Engineers Local 49 headquarters in St. Anthony. The volunteers fanned out across the Twin Cities, knocking on 1,650 doors and talking with 620 union members about their election concerns.
Nationally, an estimated 6,200 union volunteers knocked on doors in 125 locations in 22 battleground states.
Canvassers, including those in Minnesota, focused on presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain\'s health care proposals, highlighting his intent to tax employer-based health benefits – a plan the AFL-CIO says would elevate costs and drastically reduce coverage.
 |
| AFSCME Local 517 member Judie Atkins knocks on the door of a fellow union member. Photo by Michael Moore |
Hearing members\' concerns
That message resonated with the union members Judie Atkins, a member of AFSCME Local 517 in Washington County, talked to last Saturday on her route in Lauderdale.
"Health care is the issue for so many people," Atkins said. "It needs to be affordable, and we need to keep it affordable. People definitely want to keep their benefits without being taxed on it."
Judy Schultz, meanwhile, said most of the members she talks to on door-knocks appreciate the opportunity to have their voices heard.
"Once in a while, you catch somebody on a bad day, but basically people are very receptive," Schultz said. "It\'s going bad for all of us, and it\'s tough for everybody. If someone comes to my door to talk about it, that means a lot."
Congressional candidates speak
Before heading out on their door-to-door routes, labor volunteers heard from four labor-endorsed candidates for congressional seats in the metro area. Incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison of Minneapolis greeted the activists, after which three newcomers introduced themselves.
• Steve Sarvi, running for the 2nd District seat held by Republican Rep. John Kline, urged an aggressive political campaign from beginning to end. "This isn\'t like a football game where you like to see a close game," Sarvi said. "We want to hold these guys down and grind them. We want to win every seat in Minnesota."
• Ashwin Madia, vying for the 3rd District seat vacated by Rep. Jim Ramstad, pledged to be a "fighter" for working families in Washington, and he thanked the labor volunteers on hand for their grassroots activism. "People are very, very surly at the Republican Party right now," Madia said. "We\'ve got a fantastic opportunity, but it\'s got to be on the ground. We\'re not going to win this thing on TV; we\'re going to win it banging on doors."
• Elwyn Tinklenberg, the former state transportation commissioner challenging first-term Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann in the 6th District, went directly after his opponent. "The incumbent has a plan for your economic future in Minnesota," Tinklenberg said. "It\'s that you work longer hours, more jobs and for less pay. That\'s her vision for your economic future, and we\'ve got to stand against it."
Michael Moore edits The Union Advocate, the official publication of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation.
Video from the Labor 2008 kickoff
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"My only concern," the woman replied, "would be that we get the Republicans out of office."
She\’s not alone. Election Day may be six months away, but the AFL-CIO kicked off its Labor 2008 campaign May 17, targeting victories that will unite pro-worker majorities in Congress with an equally friendly occupant of the White House.
About 125 union members attended the St. Paul and Minneapolis area labor councils\’ joint kick-off event at the Operating Engineers Local 49 headquarters in St. Anthony. The volunteers fanned out across the Twin Cities, knocking on 1,650 doors and talking with 620 union members about their election concerns.
Nationally, an estimated 6,200 union volunteers knocked on doors in 125 locations in 22 battleground states.
Canvassers, including those in Minnesota, focused on presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain\’s health care proposals, highlighting his intent to tax employer-based health benefits – a plan the AFL-CIO says would elevate costs and drastically reduce coverage.
|
| AFSCME Local 517 member Judie Atkins knocks on the door of a fellow union member.
Photo by Michael Moore |
Hearing members\’ concerns
That message resonated with the union members Judie Atkins, a member of AFSCME Local 517 in Washington County, talked to last Saturday on her route in Lauderdale.
"Health care is the issue for so many people," Atkins said. "It needs to be affordable, and we need to keep it affordable. People definitely want to keep their benefits without being taxed on it."
Judy Schultz, meanwhile, said most of the members she talks to on door-knocks appreciate the opportunity to have their voices heard.
"Once in a while, you catch somebody on a bad day, but basically people are very receptive," Schultz said. "It\’s going bad for all of us, and it\’s tough for everybody. If someone comes to my door to talk about it, that means a lot."
Congressional candidates speak
Before heading out on their door-to-door routes, labor volunteers heard from four labor-endorsed candidates for congressional seats in the metro area. Incumbent Rep. Keith Ellison of Minneapolis greeted the activists, after which three newcomers introduced themselves.
• Steve Sarvi, running for the 2nd District seat held by Republican Rep. John Kline, urged an aggressive political campaign from beginning to end. "This isn\’t like a football game where you like to see a close game," Sarvi said. "We want to hold these guys down and grind them. We want to win every seat in Minnesota."
• Ashwin Madia, vying for the 3rd District seat vacated by Rep. Jim Ramstad, pledged to be a "fighter" for working families in Washington, and he thanked the labor volunteers on hand for their grassroots activism. "People are very, very surly at the Republican Party right now," Madia said. "We\’ve got a fantastic opportunity, but it\’s got to be on the ground. We\’re not going to win this thing on TV; we\’re going to win it banging on doors."
• Elwyn Tinklenberg, the former state transportation commissioner challenging first-term Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann in the 6th District, went directly after his opponent. "The incumbent has a plan for your economic future in Minnesota," Tinklenberg said. "It\’s that you work longer hours, more jobs and for less pay. That\’s her vision for your economic future, and we\’ve got to stand against it."
Michael Moore edits The Union Advocate, the official publication of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation.
Video from the Labor 2008 kickoff