November 5, 2008
Contact: Jeff Miller or Candice Johnson, CWA Communications
Washington, D.C. -- The Communications Workers of America
conducted an aggressive and very successful outreach to union members
for Election 2008 that produced real results and support for candidates
who support working families.
CWA was committed to focusing on worksite contacts and
one-on-one, member-to-member conversations as the most effective way of
engaging members in discussion on the issues and the candidates. This
work was supplemented by phone banking, labor walks, mailings and other
actions throughout the battleground states.
CWA worked with the Alliance – a coalition of the Steel
Workers, Auto Workers, Professional and Technical Engineers and CWA –
in seven states, and also did extensive independent work in other
battleground states, in addition to joining AFL-CIO efforts.
The Alliance was active in these states --Virginia,
Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Louisiana, Mississippi and Kentucky
– and efforts focused both on the presidential race as well as key
senate races.
In Mississippi, where CWA is the largest union in the state,
representing state employees, telecom and other workers, nearly 300 CWA
volunteers leafleted worksites, made telephone calls, held labor walks
three days a week and met one-on-one with members, working more than
1,400 volunteer shifts.
In Virginia, where CWA also is the largest union in the state,
members and some 800 volunteers held labor walks every day throughout
the state, made thousands of phone calls and distributed leaflets at
hundreds of worksites where activists held one-on-one discussions with
members.
"CWA members are proud to have played a big part in this historic election. It is a huge victory for working and middle income families, who soon will have in the White House and in Congress real advocates for the critical change our country and economy needs – a laser focus on creating quality jobs here in the U.S., real health care reform and real bargaining rights through the Employee Free Choice Act that will enable working people to secure a better future," said CWA President Larry Cohen. Among CWA's campaign highlights:
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