AFSCME members gear up for 2016 general election
Hundreds of delegates from local unions across the state came together for the AFSCME PEOPLE Conference on August 27 to chart a pathway to victory for working families in the upcoming November elections. In addition to participation in workshops on grassroots campaign strategies, delegates made endorsements in key federal and statewide races.
The statewide conference capped a months-long grassroots process in which local union and retiree delegates in 11 PEOPLE regions across the state met to review legislative voting records and responses to the union’s candidate questionnaire, as well as conducting candidate interviews. The recommendations from those regional meetings were submitted to the PEOPLE statewide executive committee, which met on August 26 and unanimously voted to endorse all recommended state legislative candidates.
Delegates to the conference on August 27th made endorsements in the race for United States Senate, backing Tammy Duckworth over incumbent Sen. Mark Kirk, as well as a number of U.S. House Districts. The conference delegates also voted to endorse Susana Mendoza in the hotly-contested race for Illinois Comptroller.
National elections have far-reaching implications
During a presidential election year, the excitement around Election Day is especially intense. In Illinois, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is endorsed by AFSCME and leads Republican nominee Donald Trump by a substantial margin in the polls. But turnout is still critical for that race and perhaps even more so for the U.S. Senate race between AFSCME-backed Tammy Duckworth and incumbent Republican Sen. Kirk.
One man rule in Illinois?
The Illinois Republican party has raised $16.9 million in this election cycle … and $16.1 million came from a single source: Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“There’s something deeply disturbing about someone who spends millions of his own money to purchase seats in the legislature while at the same time vetoing bills that would expand the right to vote in Illinois,” Sen. Andy Manar told the 500 local union members at the PEOPLE conference.
The senator was referring to Rauner’s recent veto of legislation that would have made Illinois the fifth state to implement automatic voter registration and expand the right to vote to thousands of its citizens.
“Rauner is trying to bust unions and hurt working families across the state,” said Rep. Chris Welch, the chief sponsor of the union-backed arbitration bill HB 580. He spoke to the conference about how his upbringing in a strong union family helped shape his world view and his work as a legislator.
“Rauner is wrong for Illinois and he’s wrong for the middle class,” he said. “That’s why we have to get out on Election Day and get good, union-supporting candidates who stand up for working families.”
Laser focus on state legislative races
AFSCME members left the conference energized to get out the vote this fall in response to AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch’s call to action.
“We had 10,000 people ready take on Governor Rauner at the historic May 18 rally in Springfield. Now we are ready to go out, talk with voters and do the work to turn the tide on Rauner’s Turnaround,” Lynch said.
People power can beat big money, but it takes a lot of union members out knocking on doors in their communities to combat Rauner’s big bucks.
If Rauner’s money helps him pick up more seats in the legislature, he will redouble his anti-worker assault and public employees could lose their fundamental bargaining rights in the next two years.
However, if AFSCME and other concerned Illinoisans work together and vote for candidates who support working families, we can build a veto-proof majority that can ensure a fair budget, a brighter future for Illinois and a fair contract for state employees.
“The only force strong and united enough to stop Rauner in his tracks is the labor movement,” said AFSCME Council 31 deputy director Mike Newman as he closed out the conference. “When we run on all cylinders, we win.”
