High Stakes in 2014 - Get Out the Vote!

So far, Connecticut has said NO to the anti-worker "tea party." Union and community coalitions have successfully put their resources into door to door organizing for jobs and healthcare and to get out the vote for worker-friendly candidates.

Linda McMahon was defeated twice. Republican Tom Foley who promised to make Connecticut another Wisconsin was defeated for Governor. In New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport union members and allies won local elections.

That's why ALEC and the Koch Brothers have their sights set on Connecticut this year, and are already investing huge sums of money to get control of the Governor's seat and Congress.

What's at stake?

In the last three years Connecticut expanded voting rights. 4,300 home child care workers and 7,000 home health care workers won the right to organize, and won their first contracts. Connecticut was the first state to win paid sick days, and the $10.10 minimum wage benefiting 227,000 low wage workers.

The Department of Labor made history by recovering unpaid wages for a record number of workers including immigrant workers. Connecticut became the first state to enact a Futures Commission to study transitioning from an economy based on military production to an economy based on socially useful production like alternative energy with secure jobs.

It takes organizing and one-on-one discussions of the issues to get out the vote. It takes staying organized year round to be powerful enough to challenge policies that go against the interests of working people and social justice and win new gains.

There is still a long way to go to turn Connecticut around from being the most unequal state into being number one to end economic inequality. But Connecticut will only become more unequal if anti-worker extremists are elected to run state government.

Those who would destroy collective bargaining for public workers and take back rights of all workers are counting on a low voter turnout on November 4. Voting, and bringing friends, family and co-workers along is the best way to show solidarity and stand up for workers rights between now and November 4.