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Election Notes, Sweeny 2

New Voice Campaign Fax # 10
25 November 1995

Now it's official! Historic plan will go before AFL-CIO Convention New Voice Moves to Revolutionize Organizing, Rebuild Political Might, Open Up Top AFL-CIO Leadership

After criss-crossing the nation since June to present their ideas to American workers, members of the New Voice coalition this week officially submitted to the AFL-CIO the resolutions and constitutional amendments necessary to enact their historic platform for change. The New Voice plan will now go before the AFL-CIO Convention in New York October 23. The New Voice package, submitted to the AFL-CIO for the September 23 deadline, includes constitutional amendments to expand the AFL-CIO leadership by increasing the number of vice presidents from 33 to 45, creating an Executive Vice President's office, and enacting an age limit of 70 for election or appointment to office. Another amendment creates an individual Organizing Department at the federation. The New Voice resolutions initiate the coalition's bold call for millions of additional organizing dollars, an expanded Organizing Institute, a rebuilt political program refocused on grassroots action, an institute for political organizing, and a center for public policy analysis.

Blazing toward New York with 74 percent Local Support Spreading Like Brushfire; WA, OR, ME, L.A. Say New Voice, Yes!

As the October 23 AFL-CIO Convention nears, state federations and central labor councils from coast to coast are declaring their support louder than ever for the New Voice ticket. The campaign picked up the support of three more AFL-CIO state feds and one labor council last week, bringing its total share of state fed and CLC delegates to the AFL-CIO Convention to 74 percent! The 250 delegates to the Washington State Federation meeting voted with only three audible dissenters to back the New Voice candidates. Machinists President George Kourpias addressed the delegates. The Maine State AFL-CIO voted without contest to endorse the ticket, and the AFL-CIO Oregon State Federation voted by a wide margin to back the ticket and platform. Also joining the New Voice fold was the Los Angeles Central Labor Council.

Donahue Backers Hear the New Voice! Marine Engineers and UTU Switch Sides

The majority supporting the New Voice ticket grew again this week when two unions formerly counted by Tom Donahue among his supporters announced their endorsement of John Sweeney, Rich Trumka, and Linda Chavez-Thompson. Joining the movement for AFL- CIO change were the Marine Engineers and the United Transportation Union. The New Voice majority now stands at 28 unions with 7,552,514 votes or 58.08 percent of AFL-CIO members. Welcome, union sisters and brothers!

A Big Campaign Week Ahead!

In a big-momentum week when the Washington Post headlined its AFL-CIO election coverage with John Sweeney's declaration of a firm winning majority, all three New Voice candidates are hard at work on the campaign trail. On September 27, John Sweeney will address the 37th International Convention of the Carpenters in Las Vegas. Sweeney, Rich Trumka, and Linda Chavez-Thompson will be in Miami together for a United Mine Workers Convention finale address September 29. From there, Sweeney will head to Jackson, MS to speak to the regional organizing meeting of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.

Sweeney Condemns GOP Medicare Cuts

New Voice candidate John Sweeney issued a September 22 statement condemning House Speaker Newt Gingrich's plan to cut Medicare by $270 billion and double the healthcare premiums paid by the 32 million elderly Americans who rely on the program. Sweeney also criticized the $245 billion tax cut for the wealthy that Republicans are angling to fund through the Medicare cuts, and called it "deplorable" that Gingrich is rushing the plan through the House with only one day of committee hearings.

"In the coming weeks, unions around the nation will be mobilizing thousands of working and retired families to protest the Gingrich plan and tell the public the straight truth about it," Sweeney said.