USW Election Day Statement: Steelworkers Cite Mobilization for Big Vote Among Union Families

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW), released the following statement on Election Day activities that cited a big mobilization effort among union households in key battleground states for both federal and state candidates.

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"We have no illusions about this mid-term election taking place during tough economic times and with the political landscape it created.  We are proud of the campaign work done by our USW activist corps and the AFL-CIO Labor 2010 outreach in every battleground state. When the polls close, several tight contests could be determined by how well we succeeded with worker-to-worker-outreach.

"The USW mobilized in more than 100 Democratic House races, and we doubled support for endorsed Senate candidates in a grassroots outreach that directly challenged the hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars contributed by conservative front groups and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that sought to undo the agenda for working families started by President Obama.

"USW activists distributed 1.6 million leaflets at worksites, while making 745,240 phone calls in union halls across America to active and retired members. In addition, local union volunteers knocked on more than 350,000 doors in the final weeks of the campaign where our members live. Since early October, we mailed 859,160 targeted campaign pieces into USW member households.

"Yesterday I joined AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka at several plant gates near Pittsburgh to push a big voter turnout for Pennsylvania Democratic Senatorial Candidate Joe Sestak and the Gubernatorial Candidate Dan Onorato. This morning, I met with workers coming on shift at 5:00 am in Monaco, PA to remind them how important their vote was today.  These actions by others in the USW were repeated at hundreds of worksites today in more than 21 battleground states.

"After all the votes are counted, the USW will evaluate the challenges working families will face with the new Congress in the coming year and we will be prepared to carry our fight forward."

Contact: Tim Waters, 412-999-3587; [email protected], Wayne Ranick, 412-901-8442; [email protected]

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)