In the words of AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, “The state of our unions is battle ready!”
Last week, the AFL-CIO hosted its second annual State of the Unions in Washington, D.C., to discuss the progress the labor movement has made in the past year and what’s at stake for working people on Election Day. If you missed the event, you can watch it in full at aflcio.tv or on C-SPAN.
In her speech, Shuler noted the critical role unions can play in delivering an election victory for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. The Blue Wall is built by unions, Shuler said. One in five voters in the battleground states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin is a union voter, which includes active members, retirees and members of the AFL-CIO community affiliate Working America. In the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, that number is even higher, at 22%.
Whether we’re at the bargaining table, on the picket line or at the ballot box, union members across the country are ready to fight for what’s right for ourselves and our communities!
Shuler said the federation and its unions will send tens of thousands of volunteers, plus paid staffers, into the field prior to the voting. That includes 200 Steelworkers (USW) headquarters staffers already sent, with more, plus volunteers to follow, said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond, a USW member.
“Everything is absolutely on the line,” in this vote, including all worker rights, Shuler declared.
“The labor movement is the most powerful force for progress,” Redmond said. ”The future of this country hinges on the success of the labor movement. We don’t get involved in politics just to win elections. We make calls, knock on doors, and talk to our members so we can build worker power and win economic progress and social justice.”
