Throughout my years as a member and officer of this great Alliance I
have never been quite as concerned as I am now about our future in
these United States. We have been a country with unparalleled strength
and envied throughout the world for the democracy we so cherish.
Over the past several years we in the labor community have been continuously
forced to endure challenges being tossed in our direction. As we work
hard to provide the best representation to our members we must continue to
stave off the assaults on our very existence. We have fought long and hard to
attain the right to organize and to negotiate contracts providing for decent
wages, conditions and benefits so our members may live in decency and retire
with dignity. Every working American is entitled to at least that much.
Instead, we have a society now that faces foreclosure on homes, an
economy that is in great need of restoration, rising fuel prices, little or no
health insurance and the like.
After many months of an unprecedented primary season, just recently the
IATSE endorsed Barack Obama’s candidacy for President of the United States
and by the time you read this Bulletin he will be our Democratic nominee.
We all know how important it is to the stabilization of this country’s future
that we work as hard as we can to take back the White House. Senators
Obama and Clinton have been working together to ensure a Democratic victory
this November. They are both committed to winning back the White
House and to ensuring that the voices of all 35 million people who participated
in this historic primary election are respected and heard in Denver. To
honor and celebrate these voices and votes, both Senator Obama’s and Senator
Clinton’s names were placed in nomination. Senator Obama’s campaign
encouraged Senator Clinton’s name to be placed in nomination as a show of
unity and in recognition of the historic race she ran and the fact that she was
the first woman to compete in all our nation’s primary contests. In early
August Senator Clinton stated “With every voice heard and the Party strongly
united, we will elect Senator Obama President of the United States and put
our nation on the path to peace and prosperity once again.”
We must do everything we can to get our members to the polls on November
4th. I cannot impress upon each and every one of you enough the importance
of our upcoming elections. We cannot go on for another four years like
we have the past eight. Don’t allow yourself to be disillusioned and distracted
by the ideological issues that do not directly bear on our everyday survival.
You will no doubt expect to hear about issues designed to distract, but
don’t let them sway your vote from the practical to the ideological. I would
ask that each and every one of you go to the polls on Election Day and cast
your vote for the candidate who has your best interests on his agenda, and
urge your co-workers and families to follow suit.
