Workers Around the U.S. and the World Won Tonight

November 7th, 2012

I'll write more on the results of the election in the coming days, but the results of this hotly contested race could have been disastrous for workers and labor unions in this country and in the developing world. Though we cannot stop organizing and fighting for our labor rights - not by a long shot - we can breathe a sigh of relief this morning that workers and labor unions, among millions of other folks, fought so hard to keep a labor friendly President in office. This was an election where one side demonized workers and their unions, building alliances with the likes of union-busting governors such as Scott Walker and John Kasich - while the other side reiterated daily the critical importance of a middle-class built of hard-working folks from the core industries of the United States.

One campaign was about inclusion, one was about exclusion. One side wanted as many folks to vote as possible, one side tried to limit access to the polls to millions of Americans, many of whom suffered terribly to gain that right to vote.

This was a historic election - just looking at the rainbow mosaic of the President's cheering crowds, shows that this country is changing, evolving.  This time the majority of voters did see that when we have each other's backs, when we fight for the common good, we build a better country - a country with a future of fairness and dignity for many more millions of folks than was ever thought possible.

Congratulations to the amazing efforts of America's labor unions, who pulled out the stops, knocking on millions of voters doors across the country and served as the muscle for the Democrat Party's massive get out the vote drive. When unions pull together with a purpose, even up against the hundreds of millions of dollars of secret corporate and PAC money, they could beat the 1%ers hands down!

You did good brothers and sisters, you did really good.