Dean, Schumer, Emmanuel and UNIONS made this win possible, thank you!

[Coexist]

"In key battleground states, union members voted 73 percent... for Democrats." Let that sink in.

More than 205,000 union members volunteered for the AFL-CIO’s political program this year. Union members knocked on more than 8.25 million doors, made 30 million phone calls and passed out more than 14 million leaflets at workplaces and in neighborhoods. The AFL-CIO’s program sent out more than 20 million pieces of mail to union households, not including those sent by affiliate unions.

The AFL-CIO’s “Final Four” program in the final four days of the election proved to be a powerful counter to the RNC’s 72-hour program. The AFL-CIO turned out 187,000 volunteers, made nearly 8 million phone calls and knocked on 3.5 million doors in the final four days.

Working America, the AFL-CIO’s community affiliate, played a central role, reaching out to 1.7 million members. Working America put special emphasis on Ohio, Pennsylvania and Minnesota, where it hired canvassers, mostly students, for the final four days. The program was effective in moving voters: Working America was able to increase the vote for Rep. Sherrod Brown among its members to 72 percent from 53 percent through the fall, for example. Sixty-two percent of Working America members who had not voted in 2002 turned out to vote this year.

The AFL-CIO concentrated heavily on turning out “drop-off” voters - - voters who usually don’t turn out in mid-term elections. The program reached these voters as many as 25 times through a schedule of worksite contacts, phone calls, mail and home visits. The AFL-CIO reached out to 496,000 drop-off voters in Ohio alone.

In other words - the Unions smashed Karl Rove's vaunted "machine".

"Another thing that's once again well in the world is the return to supremacy of labor's get out the vote effort, as well as labor's influence over the outcome of the election. For the first time in the last couple of elections, labor's get-out-the-vote effort apparently bested Karl Roves GOTV. According to post –election polling,

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Not only that, but although union members make up only 12% of the working population, they comprised one in four voters.

They walk the walk for us EVERY election cycle.

But the 2006 election is SO last week. Union leaders are organizing already with an Organizing Summit "that will examine the best ways to build a stronger union movement that can hold elected leaders accountable and ensure legislative attention to the key concerns of working families, such as affordable health care, workers’ freedom to form unions and good jobs."

Sounds like great Democratic ideals to me!

With the holidays coming, there is a way for us to show them some love, Democrats. Consider doing some of your shopping at the Union Shop.

Peace.