A New Day

On November 7, 2006, America took a historic step. After too many years of control by corporations and the wealthy few, working Americans turned out in huge numbers, cast their ballots, and made sure that their voices would be heard in the corridors of power once again. I think it’s the start of a move toward a new and better America—and it was our members, their families, and our brothers and sisters in labor that helped make it happen. To everyone who voted, made phone calls, organized rallies, handed out flyers, or drove people to the polls, I thank you.

Let’s take a look at what we’ve achieved in this election. We needed 15 seats to take control of the House of Representatives and 6 seats to take control of the Senate. As of this writing, even with 10 House races pending (8 recounts and 2 runoffs) we won control of both Chambers of Congress – the first time in 12 years that we have a majority. The people of the United States have made it clear that lapdog politics will no longer be the order of the day in Washington. The White House and the corporate interests will at last have to stop trying to force their misguided policies upon the public, and will have to respond to the needs of ordinary citizens once again.

Even in Ohio—which was crucial to President Bush’s success in 2004—we had a tremendous victory. Sherrod Brown, a friend to labor and to all working families, ousted incumbent Mike DeWine and added to the Democratic resurgence in the Senate. As many of you know, I’m from Ohio, and I was there on Election Day campaigning along with our members and other labor leaders. I saw the phenomenal spirit, energy, hard work, and hope that we brought to bear in winning races throughout the state. I could not have felt more proud and privileged to be part of it all.

We also made important strides in gubernatorial races, with a majority of governorships going to Democrats for the first time in years. States in the win column here ranged from Massachusetts and Maryland to Arkansas and Colorado—and (I can’t help mentioning) my home state of Ohio. Ballot measures also showed the power of working families, with long-overdue hikes in the minimum wage being adopted in several states. Maybe now
Congress will finally act and bring wage relief to all Americans.

In addition to an increased minimum wage on the national level, we now have a chance to see progress on health care, pension reform, and other issues important to our members and their families. The recent NLRB
decision in the Kentucky River cases, which will let employers reclassify
workers as supervisors and deprive them of union protection, demonstrates how damaging Republican control of Washington has been. Other harmful NLRB decisions are in the pipeline, but now at least there’s hope that the assault on labor can be brought to a halt.

Though we should enjoy this victory, we cannot rest on our laurels. 2008 is just around the corner. Once again, our members and their families will have a critical role to play. This election has shown that if we put our minds, hearts, and backs into it together, we can accomplish great things. I look forward to seeing this movement get stronger and stronger over the next two years, so that we can win the White House not by a technicality or a few thousand votes, but by a landslide. If we can do that, and if we can add to our gains elsewhere, we’ll have a real opportunity to make changes that will protect our members and all working Americans for years to come. I look forward to working with you toward that brighter future.

Fraternally yours,

INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT