Statement
from
AFSCME
November 7, 2012
Statement of AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders on
the 2012 Election
Washington, DC —
“This is a good day for the working middle class, the Main Street
movement and the American Dream. The American people sent a clear
message that we will stand with a President who stands with all
Americans. We pulled together to elect leaders who believe that ‘we are
all in this together.’
“Working families reelected Pres. Barack Obama, giving him added
strength in the fight to create jobs and opportunity. The voters have
given a mandate to protect vital programs like Medicare, Social
Security and Medicaid, and strengthen the middle class.
“Voters elected pro-worker candidates like Tammy Baldwin, Chris
Murphy and Sherrod Brown to the U.S. Senate. And perhaps no race more
clearly demonstrates the commitment of voters to uphold the values of
Main Street than Elizabeth Warren’s victory in the Massachusetts Senate
race. From the beginning, Warren offered a full throated embrace of
Main Street’s fight to curb Wall Street’s power – and the active role
that government has to play in the struggle.
“We are proud of the role AFSCME members and our sisters and
brothers in the labor movement have played in this critical victory.
More workers than ever got involved through the AFL-CIO’s political
program, the smartest, biggest and broadest effort we’ve ever run. More
than 65,000 AFSCME volunteers went into action, combining cutting-edge
voter communications with massive grassroots strength.
“We will continue to pull together and fight for the values that
inspire working men and women and have helped to produce these
electoral victories.”
AFSCME's 1.6 million members provide the vital
services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of
different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care
providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the
workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity
for all working families.
###