Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where like many folks, I have been trying to understand what happened. While other parts of the state underperformed, Pittsburgh fought hard.
Pittsburgh Had 74% Turnout & Congressman Deluzio Won In a Landslide
Yesterday, Philadelphia had 60% voter turnout, while Pittsburgh had 74% turnout. If turnout had reached the heights in Philadelphia, it’s likely that Democrats would have won.
For some time, many activists and trade union leaders had been warning of problems with the Get Out The Vote operation in Philadelphia. (See veteran Philadelphia political reporter Holly Otterbein on the problems that plagued Philadelphia)
In the Pittsburgh suburbs, Congressman Chris Deluzio, a former Bernie delegate, defended a tough suburban district and still managed to win by a margin of 54%-46%.
Union Members Voted for Kamala in 2024
While many in the mainstream media worried that union members would not vote for Harris-Walz, the ticket actually performed better nationwide than it did in 2020.
Union members voted for Harris-Walz by a margin of 57%-39%.
The AFL-CIO said that the results demonstrated the effectiveness of unions for organizing workers to vote for progress.
“If you're saying field doesn't matter today...just STOP,” tweeted AFL-CIO Deputy Public Affairs Director Steve Smith. “There's a reason union members outperformed the general public by 20 points. It's because for months, unions were on doors & at worksites talking about pocketbook issues & how the election would impact jobs & contracts.”
At a time, when union popularity is at historic highs, with Gallup polls consistently showing that union approval ratings sit around 70%, union leaders took their strength in voting for Harris-Walz as a sign of their own strength.
“At the same time, our opportunity engines—labor unions and public schools—remain popular and enduring,” said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten in a statement. “It means we must fight for the means and agency to secure a better life, and that public education and a growing labor movement are more important than ever."
Union Leaders Celebrate Ballot Initiative Wins in Red States
Payday has compiled a map of pro-union ballot initiatives around the nation. While the Harris-Walz ticket did not win in some regions, the labor movement was still able to get ballot initiatives passed in key states.
In Nebraska, voters overwhelmingly approved a measure that would allow workers to get paid sick leave.
In Alaska, workers approved a measure that would also raise the minimum wage to $15-an-hour and give workers paid sick leave.
Finally, in a major win in New Orleans, residents voted 80%-20% to pass a measure that would create a “Workers Bill of Rights” as part of the City’s charter.
Ballot Initiative Wins Happening Elsewhere
- Denver passes collective bargaining rights, firefighter arbitration, removes citizenship requirement to work in public safety
- Nevada removes forced labor as a punishment for crime from their state constitution
- Oregon allows cannabis workers to unionize
- Illinois passes a measure allowing for stiff penalties for anyone who attacks or threatens an election worker
- Finally, New York passed an equal rights amendment as part of their state constitution that stiffens penalties against employers, who discriminate against minorities.
Alright folks, that’s all for today. A lot of exciting “fight backs” are emerging in the labor movement. Please email us melk@paydayreport.com and let us know what your union is doing to fight back.
