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November 2006WOMEN ROCK THE 2006 ELECTIONS……in more ways than one! As you’ve surely heard by now, women policymakers are breaking records throughout the country. Nancy Pelosi is set to become the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives – and she will lead the charge for working families in a House that contains a record 70+ women members! In addition, the U.S. Senate will have a record 16 women shaping policies that impact working women across America. These midterm elections also tied the previous record for a total of 9 women governors. According to multiple sources, women voters made the difference in this midterm election. In the U.S. House races, for example, nationwide exit polls show 55% of women voted for Democratic candidates, compared to 50% of men. In three of the closest U.S. Senate races, women voters provided the critical margin of victory for the Democratic candidates: in Virginia, 55% of women voted for Democrat Jim Webb, compared to 45% of men; in Missouri, 51% of women voted for Democrat Claire McCaskill, compared to 46% of men; and in Montana, 52% of women voted for Democrat Jon Tester, compared to 48% of men. Clearly, women understood what was at stake in 2006 – and voted for a change. But our activism does not end at the voting booth…stayed tuned for more ways you can help ensure that important issues like health care, retirement security, economic opportunities and the right to organize are addressed in 2007 and beyond! UNION WOMEN UNDER ATTACKThe right to organize is critical to women’s economic welfare. However, this right has been harshly and consistently attacked. The recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rulings on three cases, collectively known as “Kentucky River”, is a harsh example of Bush’s anti-union NLRB. The decision also has ramifications for millions of workers who act as group leaders, line leaders, lead persons and other non-management workplace coordinators. It will also allow employers in other NLRB cases centered on the definition of supervisor to more easily meet the new definition and prevent workers from joining unions. With a new Congress set to take charge, it is critical for union women and men to push for pro-union, pro-worker legislation, such as the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which makes it easier and more fair for workers to form and join unions. During the 109th Congress, 40 Senators and 200 Representatives co-sponsored the legislation. Now, it is time to send a message to the incoming leadership to again support and pass the EFCA. For more information and to sign a petition to Nancy Pelosi, visit: action.americanrightsatwork.org/campaign/efca_pledge06. JOIN THE MOTHERHOOD REVOLUTIONA new film is sparking house parties across the nation – formerly a groundbreaking book, The Motherhood Manifesto is now a documentary on DVD. Following the success of The Motherhood Manifesto: What America’s Moms Want – And What To Do About It, MoveOn.org co-founder Joan Blades and author Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner formed MomsRising.org. The goal of MomsRising is to raise awareness about motherhood and working family issues, and to facilitate positive policy and workplace changes at the state and federal level. AFSCME is proud to partner with MomsRising.org in their efforts. Order copies of the DVD online at www.momsrising.org and check out the film’s trailer by clicking here. AMAZING AFSCME WOMENAFSCME women are always on the lookout for ways to spotlight working women’s issues and to empower our sisters. The sisters of Philadelphia-Eastern Pennsylvania Public Employees Council 33 are doing just that through their newly formed women’s committee. According to AFSCME sister Fran McDonald, the committee’s purpose is threefold: to educate sisters about work issues, union benefits, employment rights, and women’s activism; to help women and men in support staff positions with skills-building and advancement; and to improve the Council’s PEOPLE enrollment. The Council 33 women’s committee also intends to foster the next generation of union women. “We need to bring along younger women,” said McDonald, “to empower them and put them in leadership positions.” We look forward to hearing more from our amazing AFSCME sisters in Council 33. Some AFSCME women are also reaching out beyond the union community to raise awareness about the challenges facing working women. AFSCME sister Guadalupe Alvarado, Child Care Providers Together/AFSCME Council 75, recently spoke at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 2006 Public Policy Conference. A panelist on the “Trabajos Dignos: Advancing the Rights of Latino Workers in the U.S.” session, Alvarado spoke passionately about her experience organizing Hispanic child care providers in Oregon. A provider herself, Alvarado understood the particular concerns of the community and helped build the capacity and confidence of the women and men she helped organize. Thanks to the work of Alvarado and CCPT, Oregon has become the first state to sign a contract with family child care providers!
AFSCME WomENews is produced by the Women's Rights Department and written by Shannon Garrett and Karen Swift. |
Mary Goulding
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