Local 75 Secretary-Treasurer Partric Kim and Local 75 member Albie McCarthy check voters rolls as part of the Nor Cal ILWU GOTV effort.
ILWU members in the Bay Area put a tremendous volunteer effort into the campaign of Oakland City Councilwoman Jean Quan who ran for Mayor of Oakland on November 2nd. ILWU members phone banked, walked precincts, put up yard signs, did data entry for the cam- paign, and were a vital part of the get-out-the-vote effort. ILWU volunteers identified voters who were likely to support Quan and encouraged them to vote on Election Day. The Quan campaign used the Local 6 hall in Oakland as a staging area for their Election Day effort and hosted an election night party there.
Underdog scores upset
Quan won despite a lack of name recognition compared to political heavyweight Don Perata who was favored to win. Quan’s campaign had far less money than Perata, who broke previous spending records and out- spent her nearly 6-1 in a crowded field of 10 candidates. Quan relied on grass- roots mobilization and a network of volunteers including ILWU members who stepped-up to participate in the campaign.
The Oakland mayor’s race uses a ranked-choice or “instant run-off” voting system. If a candidate fails to gain at least 50 % plus one of the vote, the last-place candidate is eliminated and their second or third choice votes are redistributed among the remaining contenders. The process continues until a candidate receives a majority of votes. It can take several days or even weeks to determine the winner, but it is much faster and less expensive than a run-off election.
First time for many volunteers
“I was proud to be a part of this campaign,” said Local 75 Secretary- Treasurer Patrick Kim. “We were able to make a big impact—not by donating lots of money—but with hard work. Politicians will be coming to us not just for our endorsement, but because we can help get people elected.”
Like many other volunteers, this was Kim’s first experience on a major political campaign. The Quan mayoral campaign marked the largest electoral mobilization by Bay Area ILWU locals in decades and represents a new commitment to become engaged in local electoral politics.
“We don’t have enough money to put into any campaign to compete with what those with deep pockets can do,” said Local 34 President Sean Farley. “The ILWU does have one advantage – putting boots on the street for those we support. ILWU Local 34 Clerks made a difference in this campaign by answering phones, and making calls. In the future we will be even better.”
It started with ILWU membership
The union’s electoral organizing committee began their outreach efforts with the ILWU’s membership. They combined the membership lists of Locals 10, 34, 75, 6 and pensioners to produce a list of 1,000 ILWU members and retirees who live in Oakland. They asked members if they would consider voting for Quan and put signs up in their yards. This proved to be a very popular approach. Nearly 90% of ILWU members responded positively to the appeal for votes and signs.
In it for the community
When Local 10 President Richard Mead spoke at the Quan’s election night victory party hosted by ILWU Local 6 in Oakland, he explained why ILWU members mobilized behind Quan.
“We’re in this campaign because we care about the community,” Mead said. “Of course we also care about what happens at the ports, but we really want to help this community get the best possible jobs for the working families who live here, and make sure that the Port respects the surrounding community where we work.”
“We’re thrilled that Jean Quan won the campaign, but we also won some- thing else important because our union got more involved in the community and we gained respect for our work,” said Mead.