US union members door-knock in swing states for Harris: 'It's a no-brainer for us'

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Sun 27 Oct 2024 11.00 EDT
Last modified on Sun 27 Oct 2024 11.51 EDT


As the US election nears, union members are knocking on millions of doors in swing states across America in a last-ditch attempt to swing the too-close-to-call election for Kamala Harris. Joe Biden billed himself as the most pro-union president ever. Now his successor is hoping that the all-out support of organized labor can push her bid over the line. But in a divided America, the labor movement too is split.

Tim Freeman, a hotel worker and member of Unite Here in Philadelphia, has been knocking doors for Democrats since 2020 when he came out in support of the Biden campaign. “It opened my eyes to seeing what’s important, not just about the voting, but the issues, and then connecting with the voters,” said Freeman.

Unite Here, the hospitality and food service workers union, is running the largest independent labor-led field program in the US in the 2024 election, with operations focused in swing states of Pennsylvania, Arizona Nevada, and seven other states. Recent polls show Pennsylvania and Nevada as toss-up states, favoring Democrats by a slim margin, with Arizona currently leaning slightly in favor of Republicans.

Freeman argued Kamala Harris was the best candidate for union members as she backs and has fought for worker rights compared to Trump, who has opposed unions and efforts to bolster worker rights. “Our union rights are definitely under attack, but not just union rights. All of our rights are under attack,” Freeman said. “We can’t let this man back in office.” Speaking with voters in person, so that they don’t have to rely on television ads or campaign rhetoric, was important, he said.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/27/election-harris-unions-swing-states

[Hermit-The-Prog]

1. Unions balance the power. We can't continue with the imbalance.