Mobilizing for a strong voice in government and politics is how the workers who build America have a say in the issues that affect their lives.
Through political action, LIUNA members can fight for policies that create good, family supporting jobs, safe workplaces, access to health care, retirement security and the very freedom to join a union.
For LIUNA leaders and members, being politically active is a responsibility and part of the work we do everyday, not just on Election Day, to stand up for each other, our families and our communities.
LIUNA informs members about the positions of all candidates-Democrat, Republican or Independent-and works to mobilize for candidates who are committed to working people.
LIUNA is implementing a perpetual political education and mobilization effort not just to elect candidates, but to hold them accountable every day once they are elected.
We are working to increase member activism and involvement through every means available, including communication and organizing at the local, regional and national levels.
Elected delegates to the union’s 2006 convention resolved to increase resources for political action through efforts to increase voluntary contributions and to require every Local Union to develop and implement an active voter registration and get-out-the-vote program.
Historically, LIUNA has been a leader in political action.
During the 2008 election cycle, LIUNA mobilized like never before. Thousands of volunteers knocked on countless doors around the country while LIUNA placed nearly a half-million phone calls and sent nearly 1 million pieces of mail to inform our members about issues and candidates.
Over the past 10 years, LIUNA’s political fund has been among the top 10 federal political action committees in the country, totaling $2.5 million in each election cycle to elect candidates who will work for LIUNA members.
Members take their donations seriously-every $5,000 collected through members’ voluntary contributions represents an average of 200,000 hours of their hard work.
LiUNA! News
Giannoulias Secures Key Endorsements from the Laborers' International Union-Kicks off Run for Senate at Laborers' Local 773
Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias won the support of the Illinois Democratic County Chairmen's Association and the Laborers' International Union of North America as his campaign for the U.S. Senate continues to build momentum heading into the Feb. 2 primary election.
The Illinois Democratic County Chairmen's Association, composed of party chairmen from all Illinois counties outside of Cook, endorsed Giannoulias' candidacy on Wednesday at their annual meeting during the state fair in Springfield.
"We feel that Alexi Giannoulias has the vision, work ethic, and skill to lead efforts to invest in American jobs and American workers, not give tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas from a seat in the United States Senate. He has shown tremendous commitment to the people of Illinois and their values such that he will serve all of Illinois in an effective and honorable way," stated ILDCCA President Alan Pirtle.
"This organization represents the heart and soul of the Democratic Party and Democratic values throughout the state," Giannoulias said. "I truly appreciate their support for my campaign. I am committed to putting America on the right course by standing up to special interests and restoring opportunity to Illinois residents after years of the failed Bush economic policies."
In addition, the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) through the Great Lakes and Midwest Regions and their 48 affiliated Locals, representing tens of thousand of Union working women and men and their families in the construction, public sector and industrial sectors throughout Illinois, have endorsed Giannoulias for the U.S. Senate following a unanimous vote by the union's executive board.
"I am fully convinced that Alexi Giannoulias has demonstrated to the Laborers' International Union that he has the desire and energy to fight for the issues that affect the tens of thousands of Union Laborers and their families that we fight to protect at both the Local, State and Federal levels. We are looking forward to having another ally in WashingtonDC in our day-to day fight for working people," said Terrence M. Healy, LIUNA Vice President, Great Lakes Region.
"When a bank that does business with our state threatened to pull the plug on 1,000 Illinois jobs, Alexi told them they could forget about managing $8 billion in state money. The bank relented and the jobs were saved because Alexi stood up for Illinois workers. That's the kind of leader we need in the U.S. Senate," added John F. Penn, Vice President and Midwest Regional Manager, Laborers' International Union of North America.
Honored by the group's support, Giannoulias said he will work to fix the economy and create new jobs to improve the lives of working men and women.
"I will continue to stand up for the working families of Illinois and our nation during these challenging economic times by fighting for good paying jobs, affordable healthcare and improvements to our nation's infrastructure," Giannoulias said. "This campaign will reflect how the voices of working families will far outweigh the influence of corporate, special interest money."
Build America so America Works
LIUNA Headquarters Washington DC
Economic Stimulus
In the last week, 3,032 LIUNA members called their Senators and more than 5,000 wrote letters to their Senators, asking them to support more job-creation and get America back to work by investing in building America the transportation, energy and education system that we all rely on every day, but which have deteriorated due to years of neglect and misplaced priorities. In the long term, LIUNA is looking for a nationwide commitment to build America noting the American Society of Civil Engineers gives our basics a near failing grade and estimates $1.6 trillion is needed over the next five years.
“We need a new approach that takes care of America for a change, Building America is a prudent investment that creates jobs, keeps us safe and moving, our economy growing and commerce running.” said Terrence O’Sullivan, LIUNA General President.
With the support of our Build America Senators, America will pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and go to work. Support the Legislators that support you!
The answer to the current economic crisis is simple: Build America so America Works
Recent economic stimulus efforts have failed. They were primarily handouts for corporations and the wealthy or a small amount of cash for working people. They had no lasting impact.
Working America needs paychecks. Our economy needs jobs. Building America is the best way to achieve that.
There is a lot of work to do taking care of America-and millions of Americans need work.
We support Barack Obama’s proposals for the largest transportation investment since the Interstate Highway System was built and for a “green jobs” initiative.
Today, 26 percent of our nation’s bridges need repair or replacement. A third of our roads are in less than good condition, wasting gas, wasting time and risking lives. Our kids are crowded into 220,000 temporary classrooms. There are 3,650 dams and levees that are unsafe. Broken sewer pipes result in the release of billions of gallons of raw sewage into waterways every year.
By investing in green jobs, we can put people back to work helping to free our country from foreign oil by weatherizing and retrofitting buildings, upgrading our electrical grid, and building solar, wind, bio-fuel and clean coal power plants.
Construction jobs are good jobs, providing family-supporting pay to the people who are among the hardest hit by the current economy. Yet among construction workers, unemployment is now 12.7 percent with 1.2 million construction workers jobless.
Current economic stimulus proposals ranging from $400 billion to $700 billion are a good start. At least a third of any stimulus should be used to put people back to working building America.
Across the country-in every city and state-projects are shutting down due to the economy. There are thousands of ready-to-go projects that could build our country, put people back to work and help get our economy back on track. According to the Department of Transportation, for every $1 billion investment, 34,800 jobs are supported.
We can build America, put people back to work and leave a positive legacy for future generations-and something good will have come from this economic crisis.
Employee Free Choice Act-What it means to LIUNA
Due to the efforts of our Union Volunteers here and around the country, working families won a great victory on November 4, by electing President Barack Obama to the White House along with a strong pro-worker majority to the United States Senate and House of Representatives.
Now our focus is on passing federal legislationcalled the Employee Free Choice Act which will restore workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions without employer harassment. It will allow workers to form a union through majority sign-up and card-checks, and strengthen penalties for those employers who are in violation.
“The choice to organize should be left up to workers and workers alone. It should be their free choice” stated President Obama. “In this country, we believe that if the majority of workers in a company want a union, they should get a union. We can do this.”
Highlights of the Employee Free Choice Act
America needs good jobs-and unions make better jobs
Workers in unions earn on average 28 percent more, they’re 62 percent more likely to have employer-covered health care, and much more likely to have a secure pension
In the construction industry, the advantage is even greater-and workers have the opportunity for advancement through training programs that open the doors to more skills and opportunities
Workers with unions can help America compete in today’s tough economy
There are many successful employers who agree that their employees should have a free choice in deciding whether to join together in a union. There’s a good reason for that-when workers earn better pay, have secure benefits and a voice at work, they care more about their company.
Numerous studies show that when construction workers have a union, they’re more productive, safer and save employers money. On public construction projects, workers with unions are able to give taxpayers the most for their money.
Too often workers who want to join together in a union are blocked by unscrupulous employers who blame workers for their own failures. The law today lets them get away with it.
High-paid CEOs have gone too far-they’re cutting hours, health care benefits and raises. When workers try to form unions to fight back, they’re met with harassment. In fact:
25 percent of employers deal with an effort by workers to join a union by firing their own employees
51 percent threaten to shut down the worksite
91 percent force workers to attend one-on-one anti-union propaganda meetings
We need policies and solutions that bring back balance in America. More than half of America’s workers say they want to join a union. We need changing rules for changing times.
When America was more prosperous, working people were free to choose to join together for better lives. Today, corporations get to decide how workers join a union. There Employee Free Choice Act will give working people-not corporations-the choice of joining together in a union by simply signing up, or if they choose, through secret ballot elections.
And Free Choice would require employers to negotiate with workers who want a union, or be faced with arbitration, preventing employers from dragging out negotiations in order to crush workers’ efforts to join together.
Laborers' Visit Washington DC for the Presidential Inauguration
LIUNA Vice President and Midwest Regional Manager John Penn had the opportunity to attend the Presidential Inaugural Events last month in Washington DC along with other LIUNA Vice Presidents and several members of Laborers Local 773. They had the unique chance to see history made as attendees at the Presidential swearing in ceremony, the Illinois Delegates Inaugural Celebration, Dinner with Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood and ULLICO Inaugural Reception, Homestate’s Inaugural Ball, Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball, and the DC Friends of Ireland Inaugural Ball among various other events throughout the week. Click here to view pictures
