WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's a striking cover on the union magazine: Katherine Harris with a sour expression on her face. Below her photo in bold yellow are the words, ``Don't Vote.''þþThe International Association of Machinists is hoping to use the former Florida secretary of state to stir emotions and energize its members, just one of labor's tactics to get workers to the polls on Election Day.þþThe labor unions also are bombarding their members with thousands of phone calls, visits, fliers and mailings about issues that range from corporate greed to their own Social Security in an effort to get them to turn out for Democrats on Nov. 5.þþHarris, who angered Democrats during the 2000 presidential election recount, is seeking votes herself this year as a candidate for the House. But IAM President Thomas Buffenbarger sees her as a symbol.þþ``So go vote on Nov. 5,'' he says in the magazine. ``Better yet, drag a friend, a family member or a fellow worker along with you. You will be surprised how powerful you will feel ... having wiped the sneer off Katherine Harris' face.''þþLed by labor's umbrella organization, the AFL-CIO, unions have steadily increased their Election Day participation, representing 26 percent of voters in 2000, up from 19 percent in 1992. They hope for an even higher turnout this year as Democrats fight to keep control of the Senate and to take over the House.þþBecause health and worker issues often are handled at the state level -- and because statehouse control will be important in the 2004 presidential elections -- labor also is more involved than usual in turnout efforts for the 36 governorships that are up for election.þþVoter mobilization ``is one of the greatest advantages Democrats have across the country,'' said Larry Sabato, University of Virginia political scientist. ``In many states you can look at the pre-election polls and add a couple of percentage points to the Democrats' total simply because of a better Democratic get-out-the-vote program run primarily by labor.''þþIn 2000, labor helped put Democrats over the top in races in Michigan, Minnesota and Missouri, to name a few.þþCorporate greed is the major campaign issue the AFL-CIO has been pushing to energize union members. The collapse of Enron Corp. and WorldCom Inc. and the toll on the thousands of laid-off workers who lost retirement savings at the expense of corporate executives are subjects that hit home with workers, said John Sweeney, AFL-CIO president.þþ``The crucial concern for us is whether we will have the ability to really move ahead on a working family agenda -- issues like health care, safety at work and retirement security,'' Sweeney said. ``Or do we continue to defend ourselves against an agenda made for corporate interests.''þþT-shirts and fliers advertise the AFL-CIO's ``No More Business As Usual'' campaign slogan. A video features workers telling stories of how ``corporate greed robbed them of their jobs, their retirement savings, health insurance and their dreams.''þþSabato questioned whether the corporate greed issue would really drive voters other than union members.þþ``In midsummer it was as hot as red coals,'' he said. ``Now you can hardly detect any heat.''þþBusiness outspends labor in political campaigns, so mobilization is essential for the unions. Also, by involving more rank-and-file members, unions mobilize human resources that corporations can't count on and train people in organizing techniques that can pay off in unionization drives.þþUnions do play the money game, however, and are giving generously to Democrats. The Democratic National Committee reported $250,000 contributions this month from political committees of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association; $150,000 each from committees of the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; another $148,000 from SEIU; and $100,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.þþStudies tell labor leaders that the more the unions reach out to individual members, the more likely those members are to vote and to support labor-endorsed candidates.þþ``It's really changed the whole focus of what we do,'' said Steve Rosenthal, the AFL-CIO's political director. ``It's a much more personalized, one-on-one-type campaign.''þþOrganized labor expects to make 8 million phone calls to union households, distribute more than 14 million leaflets at work sites and register more than 2 million new union household voters.þþIn Colorado, to take one example, the state's 140,000 union members can expect nine to 12 phone calls or visits at work or home from their union or the AFL-CIO before Nov. 5. Counting mailings, that number jumps to 15. Unions are backing Democrat Tom Strickland over GOP Sen. Wayne Allard in the state.þþþ
Source: NY Times
