I think this will be an important time for labor and people who really support the working class to step up and take control of this election. I think Trumka hits the nail on the head as reported in this new piece by the People's World's prize-winning labor editor, John Wojcik:
At a press conference Sept. 1 attended by more media outlets than any recently held by the labor movement, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka declared that "the elections this year come down to a choice between leaders who stand with working people or those whose right-wing agenda will choke off economic recovery and put corporations back in the driver's seat."
The annual Labor Day press conference was the setting at which the giant labor federation outlined its plans for what observers say is perhaps one of the largest and most aggressive mobilizations of workers in memory for a fall election.
Union members are working in more than 400 contested races in 26 states.
Trumka told representatives of the nation's media that "the 2 million fliers already given out at 300 worksites are only a small prelude to a much larger push in the fall."
Several announcements at the press conference showed that he was serious when he said the mass leafleting was only a "prelude."
AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker declared that "the AFL-CIO will be a major partner in the Oct. 2 mobilization for "One Nation Working Together." On that day hundreds of thousands are expected to gather in the nation's capital for a march and rally for jobs and economic justice.
The federation also announced that the AFL-CIO will run Labor Day TV and radio ads in key states during Major League Baseball games, NASCAR races and college football games.
