11-10-05,8:57am

OAKLAND, CA - 7NOVEMBER05 - Union members, community activists and political leaders joined forces to defeat Propositions 74, 75, 76 and 77.

The measures, put on California's special election ballot by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, would have extended probation for teachers, restricted union political fundraising, given the governor more power over the budget, and taken redistricting out of the hands of elected officials.

They all went down to defeat. The day before the election, activists trained volunteers to go door-to-door to talk with voters and heard from former Congressman and Oakland mayoral candidate Ron Dellums.

Union members walked precincts and made phone calls at local labor phone banks, with the help of Hollywood director Rob Reiner. And students and teachers at Oakland High School held a rally in the street during lunchtime to condemn the four labor-opposed propositions, as well as Proposition 73, which would have required a minor woman to notify her parents before having an abortion. That measure was also rejected by the state's voters.