Opposition to ballot questions expected to turn out union voters

With all the talk of a Republican base energized even as Democratic voters suffer an “enthusiasm challenge,” unions nationwide are deploying tens of thousands to prevent Democrats from losing congressional majorities on Nov. 2. Concern with anti-labor ballot measures passing in several states is energizing the get-out-the-vote effort, too.

Labor expects to spend some $100 million in a final two-week push, targeting nearly 100 House races, 18 Senate seats and 14 gubernatorial races with campaign walks, door knocking, mailings, phone calls and work-site leafleting. About half of the 17.5 million union members nationwide were contacted two weeks before the elections.

In some states, there’s plenty of reason to vote. In California, GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman wants to end defined-benefit pensions for all government employees except public safety workers. She would institute high-risk defined-contribution 401(k)-style accounts instead. In Illinois, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn promised state workers he would delay any jobs cuts if re-elected. In Missouri, workers fear a statewide ballot measure halving commuter taxes in Kansas City and St. Louis would be an incentive for layoffs.

In Arizona, the business-dominated, Las Vegas-based Save Our Secret Ballot campaign contributed more than $623,000 to efforts to pass Proposition 113, which would block changes to state labor law made by federal passage of the proposed Employee Free Choice Act.

Despite the measure’s dubious constitutionality, SOS Ballot backs similar initiatives in South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah. The progressive Ballot Initiative Strategy Center calls them “harmful and misleading measure(s)” offered “in an attempt to strengthen corporate influence and enable corporate intimidation.”

Associated Press, Yuma Sun, Oct. 16
AFL-CIO News Blog, Aug. 26