Union delegates resolve to build record voter turnout

[Omaha Steve]

http://peoplesworld.org/union-delegates-resolve-to-build-record-voter-turnout/

by: Joelle Fishman
August 23 2010

HARTFORD, Conn. -- "In the next 77 days," Arlene Holt Baker, AFL-CIO executive vice president told delegates to the Connecticut convention here, "you will determine if we move forward to solutions or backward to the problems we are all trying to resolve... It is time to pull out all the stops."

The 400 delegates gathered for the Connecticut AFL-CIO's political convention and heard from candidates for governor, U.S. Senate and Congress, made their endorsements and then, enthusiastically, signed up to talk to their union sisters and brothers about the issues in this election and how to turn out the vote in record numbers.



"This election is extremely important because the economic crisis in this country is putting the American dream in jeopardy," said John Olsen, Connecticut AFL-CIO president

"Two years ago, the country was going 90 mph in reverse," AFT Connecticut president Sharon Palmer reminded the delegates. "To advance we have to go into drive. That means hundreds of one on one conversations with our members at doors and at the workplace. To drive forward 90 mph we have to go to our members."

Holt Baker came to this battleground state to address the convention, dedicated to retiring Sen. Chris Dodd who has a 96% AFL-CIO lifetime voting record, and Brian Petronella, leader of the United Food and Commercial Workers union who died suddenly at age 54, days earlier.

Calling this election an opportunity to "turn pain into promise and hate into hope," she said "your members might feel disappointment they don't have everything, but without President Obama's recovery plan we would be in a full blown depression."

FULL story at link.