Getting out the union vote: Local 13’s Sal Pardo reviews voter lists with U.S. Congresswoman Laura Richardson before ILWU volunteers walked precincts in the Nov. 2nd election.
Anti-union politicians scored dramatic gains across the country in the November 2nd elections, signaling new dangers ahead for working families and union members. While there were some important victories by pro-union candidates and ballot measures on the West Coast, the national results will pose new challenges for workers and unions in the years ahead.
A new political landscape
In Congress, a new crop of 60 anti-union politicians were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where anti-union forces now control the majority of votes. This gives them the power to select an anti-union Speaker, appoint new Committee Chairs, and decide what issues and legislation will be considered. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will become a minority leader and George Miller, the pro-union Chair of the House Education & Labor Committee will be replaced by Minnesota Congressman John Kline who opposes unions and is pushing legislation to make it even harder for workers to organize. power now hangs precariously, with nearly half of Senators holding anti-union views.
Some state & local races were better for ILWU members
Californians scored two major victories, including the defeat of former EBay CEO Meg Whitman who spent over $180 million – much of it from her personal corporate fortune – on a campaign for governor that saturated airwaves with anti-union TV ads. Former Governor Jerry Brown won the race with a fraction of Whitman’s budget, but his messages were mixed — sometimes he defended union members and other times he threatened to “get tough with unions.”
Under the watchful eye of the portraits of Louis Goldblatt (left) and Harry Bridges, area high school students phone bank at Local 13’s hall in San Pedro, CA.
Golden State voters also defeated a second CEO-turned-candidate in former HP executive Carly Fiorina, who also pushed an anti-union agenda but failed to defeat union advocate Barbara Boxer for the U.S. Senate. Boxer distinguished herself during the past year by helping ILWU families at Local 30 in Boron, CA, defeat the 100-day lockout by global mining giant, Rio Tinto.
Anti-union forces spent massively to defeat union-supporter Jerry McNerney who may lose his Central many Local 54 members from greater Stockton who volunteered to stop
David Harmer, an anti-union candidate previously employed by the corporate-funded, anti-union Heritage Foundation.
As the Dispatcher went to press after the election, the McNerney race was still too close to call. Southern California Congress member and union supporter Loretta Sanchez won a close race in Orange County that received outside funding from anti-union corporate interests.
Local 54’s Epi Rivera and Ray Silva at Local 6’s hall on Election Day helping to mobilize voters.
California ballot measures included several of special concern to ILWU members and working families, such as Proposition 23, that would have rolled-back California’s global warming law that aims to cut pollution in cities and ports. The roll-back measure was backed by big oil companies, including Tesoro which operates the refinery in Wilmington, CA where dozens of ILWU Local 13-A members were dumped in May because the company hired a non-union contractor. In a disappointing turn, California voters defeated Prop. 24 that would have plugged corporate tax loopholes – requiring companies to pay more of their fair share in taxes. The measure’s defeat was influenced by heavy funding from anti-union corporations.
Oregon
Former Governor and union supporter John Kitzhaber was narrowly elected over anti-union rival Chris
Dudley. Kitzhaber visited with ILWU members before the election where he expressed strong support for working families.
Anti-union forces also tried to take down Oregon Congress member Peter DeFazio, who co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act, a proposed law that would make it easier for workers to join a union. Tons of money from out-of-state corporate executives failed to take down DeFazio
.
In the state legislature, anti-union politicians gained six seats in the House and at least one in the state Senate, giving both houses a tiny majority of legislators who are willing to stand up for working families.
Washington State
U.S. Senator Patty Murray appeared to be squeaking-by in a tight race against anti-union candidate Dino
Rossi as the Dispatcher was going to press. The Senator visited the ILWU Local 21 hall in late October where to fight for good jobs. Murray supported the Employee Free Choice Act in the Senate when a strong minority of anti-union politicians blocked the measure from moving forward. But Murray also angered some ILWU members by pushing port security measures that did little to improve security while exposing workers to harassment. In the Port of Stockton, CA, officials used funds approved by Senator Murray to build a “security” fence that functioned more like a device to separate union workers from non-union employees in nearby operations.
Alaska
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski is not a strong union advocate and she refused to support the Employee Free Choice Act, but she has been willing to hear ILWU concerns and consider helping at times. She was challenged in November by Joe Miller, a rabid antiunion extremist endorsed by Sarah Palin and corporate Tea Party backers. Murkowski launched a historic write-in campaign after losing to Miller in the Republican primary – and was headed to victory as the Dispatcher went to press.
Hawaii
Longtime ILWU supporter Neil Abercrombie won the race for governor, replacing Governor Linda Lingle who held the office for eight years during which time she vetoed bills and killed funding for ILWU priorities. Senator Daniel Inouye easily won another term. The hottest race in the Islands was over who would win Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District, formerly held by Neil Abercrombie. Union supporter
Colleen Hanabusa won a tough race against Charles Djou who relied on outside anti-union money that bought heavy negative TV advertising. A total of 55 out of 59 ILWU-endorsed candidates in Hawaii won their races.
Analyzing the election results
Local 10’s motorcycle crew took to the streets on Election Day as rovers to mobilize the vote.
ILWU International officers and Executive Board members will discuss and analyze the November election results at the next Executive Board meeting on December 9th and 10th. Among the points that ILWU leaders may discuss are the following:
- Large numbers of blue-collar voters supported anti-union politicians, including many union members. Why is this happening and what can be done about it? How can unions do a better job of educating and involving members in the political process?
- Most union campaign contributions are used to buy TV and radio advertising along with direct mail and phone calls. But research shows those approaches are much less effective than member-to-member conversations involving trusted co-workers on the job. How could unions take advantage of this natural resource to boost member involvement in elections?
- Because of the recession, there were fewer “wedge issues” used to divide and confuse working class voters – and greater emphasis on jobs and the economy. What were the winning arguments that anti-union candidates used to win-over working class voters when it comes to jobs and the economy? How could unions counter these arguments and offer better solutions?
- Does it make sense for unions to support candidates who are unwilling to help union members? One group of politicians in Congress, known as the “Blue Dogs,” receive contributions from many unions, while refusing to support laws like the Employee Free Choice Act that could make it easier for workers to join unions. In the November election, 23 out of 46 of these “Blue Dogs” up for election were defeated.