If you thought that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter's change from a Republican to a Democrat meant an automatic endorsement from labor unions for his 2010 election...think again.
In the memo SEIU President Andy Stern sent to Pennsylvania members late last week, he affirmed that we will maintain our ramped-up efforts to reach out to the Senator and let our concerns be known on the need for reform to our nation's labor laws: allowing workers, not employers, to choose how and when to form a union; enforcing real penalties for employers who break the law; and ensuring that those who've chosen a union can actually secure a contract.
From Stern:
SEIU has always been an organization that supports candidates and elected officials based on their commitment to working families, not their party labels.
The issues that face working people in Pennsylvania have not changed, and the support we need from our representatives in Congress hasn't changed, either.
We know there have been contradictory and confusing reports about what Senator Specter's decision means for the priorities of working families in our state. In a word: our fight for Employee Free Choice and quality, affordable healthcare continues, as strong as ever. (Read Stern's memo here)
After Specter's party-switch announcement last week, we asked you to write him a note telling him what you think, and what you expect of him as your senator now that he's a Democrat. SEIU's Raf Noboa has a great round-up of some of your letters to him. Here are just a few:
B.C.:
"Just like you signed a form switching parties, you need to give workers the right to sign a card saying they want to belong to a union. There is a time and place for a secret ballot and a time and place to simply sign a card. This is the time for you to change your position. Think of your legacy."
R. S.:
"Last week, I met a woman who campaigned to bring a voice at work to her workplace. After 17 years at her job, she makes $10.00 an hour. Nearing retirement, this woman wanted to make her workplace fairer for herself and her coworkers. Two years after electing union representation, they still do not have a contract. In the Jewish tradition, social justice is a driving force. Employee Free Choice is sound and needed social policy. It will bring equality and balance to the one-up/one-down power dynamic in the workplace. Please support EFCA."
P. L., Allegheny County:
[...]
"Living today in the U.S. as a working class citizen is not financially easy. The only hope we have is that unions can help lift everyone up from wages which have been truly stagnant since the eighties and have not matched the increases in cost-of-living. Food, transportation, and housing have all shown to have had very large increases since the early eighties; however, wages have had minor increases and do not allow workers to afford even minimum essentials. Before President Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers, we had hopes, dreams and good jobs. I lived in NYC and Pittsburgh with positive hopes for the future back then. Crime was minimal because people had decent jobs.
A horrible transition has taken place in our country since the eighties because some of our leaders have been unduly basing their votes on bills to assist big business--and we all are now aware of the damage that the fealty to the rich and the powerful has caused. Please reconsider your present stance on unions and help us to build a better future for all. Thank you, Senator Specter, for your work and independence."
T.F., Allegheny County:
"Dear Senator Specter: I'm glad to have you as a fellow PA Democrat -- be assured your hallmark of independent thinking will always be appreciated among us. Please review the Free Choice Act and see if there are ways in which you can support this legislation from a conservative democratic point of view. As a Democrat, I have voted for you since the 80s and believe you are one of the best independent minds in the Senate and as a state leader of thoughtful compromise. Best Wishes to you and your family during this repositioning period."
J. R., Erie:
"The U.S. needs more better-paying jobs for workers and unions are a good way to obtain them. Unfortunately, many businesses in the last decade have been very aggressive in their efforts to defeat unionization efforts and break unions. They have even violated national labor relations laws to do this with very modest, if any, penalties being imposed. The Employee Free Choice Act counter-balances business efforts and restores a more level playing field in business-labor relations. Please support it."
As Senator Specter knows, putting Pennsylvania's families ahead of partisanship is a priority--but just in case he needed a reminder, SEIU members delivered these letters (plus hundreds more) to Specter's office this weekend, to reiterate to him why Pennsylvania's working families need his support on the Employee Free Choice Act and health care reform.
Please take a moment and write to Senator Specter today--he needs to hear from you.
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