I just learned that tonight at the Democratic Convention a former Pillowtex worker from North Carolina and leader of the Southern Region of UNITE HERE, Gloria Craven, will address the Democratic convention to speak on the issue of workers who suffer the loss of medical coverage when the plant they work at closes.
Gloria will take the stage tonight at approximately 8:00 p.m. local time, just a few speakers before Hillary Clinton. With Gloria and Anna Burger of Change to Win speaking tonight it is clear that the Obama campaign truly understands that the way to Renew America's Promise (their theme of the day, is by supporting unions and working people.
Here's what I mean: last night I went to a meeting with members ofUNITE HERE's Rocky Mountain Joint Board in the Denver Convention Center. Arriving in clusters as different groups of workers— hotel housekeeping, kitchen, switchboard operators, airport concessions workers and more— got off the job for the day, members of UNITE HERE met in the Convention Center to talk about their union, this historic week and their role in making it happen. Katie Gerken of UNITE HERE's Denver office pointed out how it wasn't until the local Hyatt Regency was finally unionized that Denver was officially announced as the host city of the convention. Now the whole city is erupting with excitement and without this union the convention would be someplace else instead of in this lovely city with its great food and great people.
It was moving to hear the diverse accents, the range of work people did, and the different generations of workers all together discussing the importance of electing Barack Obama President, defeating a statewide "Right to Work (for Less Pay)" ballot initiative here in Colorado, and of Mark Udall's Senate race.
Next door to us in Change To Win's temporary convention office, televisions playing cable news aired ad after ad attacking unions. These ads (financed by the corporations who've conspired to undermine working people for decades) aren't just on TV here in Colorado but in many swing states. The ads attack the Employee Free Choice Act by portraying union leaders as thugs (often with ethnic stereotypes) and by mischaracterizing the legislation and our reasons for supporting it. UNITE HERE activists and delegates are doing their part all week to counter this by educating state delegations about the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act. More on that to come!
Despite all the corporate-funded anti-union chatter in the media, a new poll released in apress conference yesterdayby Change To Win showed that most working Americans still believe joining a union can help them achieve the American Dream and support the Employee Free Choice Act. You can read the poll results on Change to Win's American Dream site. The press conference was well attended by the media, some of whom were surprised to hear that Obama was leading McCain among working Americans, including among so-called "Reagan Democrats". The failure of trickle-down economics has been directly experienced by all working Americans and they are calling out for change. The poll's findings say that "bringing health care reform and fair trade front and center are keys for Senator Obama to bring white working Americans over" as a whole.
Monday's theme was "One Nation" and we were thrilled to hear the "Lion of Labor" Ted Kennedy address the convention. You can watch his speech here. It is powerful seeing him pass the baton to the next generation of leadership here at the convention and I know there were few dry eyes in the stadium.
Here's a round-up of some interesting coverage from the convention:
Read Change to Win's great blog post about Sunday's labor unity rally.
Huffington Post coverage of of the labor unity rally.
SEIU liveblogstheir labor forum on working class voters
The Working Life discusses labor's ground game
On Open Left Michael Whitney of American Rights at work announces their Employee Free Choice Act messaging for the convention.
Check back tomorrow for more reports!