CWA Votes Blog
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Kaiser tool compares candidates’ health plans
With such a crowded field of presidential candidates, it can get difficult to keep track of all of their views and proposals for improving our nation's health care system. The Kaiser Family Foundation has come to the rescue, with a helpful tool that allows you to compare side-by-side the various health care plans of all of the candidates. Since health care is such an important issue in this campaign, it is essential that voters fully understand the views and approaches of each candidate, and that they recognize the key differences among them.
Union members have fought hard to win the health care benefits that they have, and now the fight to preserve those benefits has crowded out other issues at the bargaining table. As the country begins to decide how best to improve our nation's health care system, we have an important opportunity to shape the debate by advocating a solution that both levels the playing field for employers that provide benefits and also allows unions to negotiate better wages and benefits. As you review these proposals, keep these goals in mind:
* Preserve quality affordable health care for workers and retirees
* Provide cost relief to employers who provide worker and retiree benefits
* Control costs to keep health care affordable
In order for our nation to achieve these goals, we must elect a president committed to that achieving them. And that means going to the polls with a clear view of where each candidate stands on this critical issue.
Cross-posted on CWA Votes blog
U.S. Voters: Latest Polling
From RealClearPolitics:
NATIONAL RESULTS (Rasmussen, November 21st - 28th)
Democratic Presidential Nomination
Clinton Obama Edwards Richardson
38 24 13 3
Republican Presidential Nomination
Giuliani Thompson Romney McCain
27 10 14 14
IOWA RESULTS (American Res. Group, November 26th - 29th)
Democratic Presidential Nomination
Obama Clinton Edwards Richardson
27 25 23 4
Republican Presidential Nomination
Romney Huckabee Giuliani Thompson
28 27 9 14
U.S. Voters : Latest Polling
From RealClearPolitics:
NATIONAL RESULTS (FOX News, November 13th - 14th)
Democratic Presidential Nomination
Clinton Obama Edwards
44 23 12
Republican Presidential Nomination
Giuliani Thompson McCain Romney
33 12 17 8
IOWA RESULTS (Research 2000, November 12th -14th)
Democratic Presidential Nomination
Clinton Obama Edwards Richardson
27 25 21 10
Republican Presidential Nomination
Romney Huckabee Giuliani Thompson
27 18 16 10
Congratulations to top e-Poll locals
Congratulations to the following locals for having 10% or more of their membership participate in our presidential e-Poll:
District 1
1010
1013
1020
1060
1300
1366
1395
District 2
2206
2272
2385
District 3
3150
3290
3301
3412
3790
3865
District 4
4032
4101
4123
4214
4215
4250
4260
4390
4621
4670
4711
District 6
6409
District 7
7009
7109
7205
7206
7290
7790
7990
District 9
9477
9590
District 13
13552
CWA-PPMWS
14307
14348
14406
14413
14517
14725
14752
14836
TNG-CWA
31167
37123
NABET-CWA
58213
IUE-CWA
81380
81382
83265
89111
The results are in
The results are in from the first on-line membership poll ever
conducted by a major labor union. The preference expressed by CWA
members against an early endorsement, as well as the close margin among
the top vote-getters, means that the Communications Workers of America
won't make an early endorsement but instead will release local unions
and councils to make their own endorsements.
CWA President Larry Cohen, in
announcing the outcome of the e-poll, said the results showed that CWA
members were energized for the coming political season and already were
working to elect leaders to take on the tough issues of restoring
quality jobs, health care reform, and real bargaining and organizing
rights.
"Voters made clear that they preferred no endorsement
by the national union at this time. Therefore, our union's executive
board is refraining from making an early endorsement but voted to
release locals and CWA councils to make their own endorsements," he
said.
"CWA is a member driven union and we will be guided by our members' decision on this issue and all others," Cohen said.
Votes
were split primarily among three top Democratic candidates. About 20
percent of votes were cast for a Republican contender.
More
than 30,000 votes for presidential choice were cast in the electronic
poll. On the question of whether to make an early endorsement, a slight
majority of voters made the call for no endorsement.
On the
choice of candidates, the three top vote-getters received close margins
of support from CWA members. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack
Obama were the top vote getters; the difference between the top two
candidates was 206 votes.
"Our union is built on grassroots
action and member voice. In communities across the country, CWA members
will be raising these critical issues for working families over the
coming months, with the goal of electing a president and other leaders
who will put in place the policies our nation needs to restore the
middle class," Cohen said.
U.S. Voters: Latest Polling
From RealClearPolitics:
NATIONAL RESULTS (AP-Ipsos, November 5th - 7th)
Democratic Presidential Nomination
Clinton Obama Edwards
45 22 12
Republican Presidential Nomination
Giuliani Thompson McCain Romney
29 19 13 12
IOWA RESULTS (Zogby, November 6th -7th)
Democratic Presidential Nomination
Clinton Obama Edwards Richardson
28 25 21 9
Republican Presidential Nomination
Romney Huckabee Giuliani Thompson
31 15 11 10
U.S. Voters: Latest Polling
This Monday Rasmussen released a poll of likely voters about their presidential choices. The poll was conducted between October 21th and October 24st.
From RealClearPolitics:
NATIONAL RESULTS
Democratic Presidential Nomination
Clinton Obama Edwards
47 19 12
Republican Presidential Nomination
Giuliani Thompson McCain Romney
21 19 14 12
IOWA RESULTS (Rasmussen, October 10-14)
Democratic Presidential Nomination
Clinton Edwards Obama
33 22 21
Republican Presidential Nomination
Romney Thompson Huckabee Giuliani
25 19 18 13
Welcome to CWAVotes.org!
Welcome to CWAVotes.org, the Communication Workers of America headquarters for the 2008 elections. Our goal is to give CWA members a chance to find out where candidates stand on our key issues and to help members make their voices heard during the campaign season. Though we've already jumped into things, we'd like to tell you a little more about the features of the site.
This is the blog, where you can find the latest happenings with the 2008 election. Stay up to date on the issues that matter most to union workers, find out how CWA members are promoting these issues, and get the latest on the candidates' positions.
For information on our top issues and the Presidential candidates themselves, our Issues pages have what you're looking for. The On the Issues page organizes candidates' thoughts on health care, good jobs, and the Employee Free Choice Act. The Candidates page lists presidential contenders along with their thoughts on the big three issues. Some candidates have even posted special video messages for CWA members.
Coming up empty-handed on an issue search? Pose your question to the contender of your choice on the Ask the Candidates page. CWA delivers all questions submitted on this page to the appropriate campaign offices.
You can also share your opinions by taking our 2008 e-Poll. Here you can tell us which candidate you support and why, or if you're undecided, why you haven't chosen a candidate yet. The results of this poll will be used to help our Executive Board decide which candidate - if any - will be endorsed by CWA. We want all of our members to have a say in our endorsement, so please send us your input!
If you want to be more involved with CWA Votes, sign up for our email updates using the form along the right side of the page. We'll keep you informed about the latest developments in the campaign and new ways you can help. For those of you more interested in online outreach, Working People's Voices is another great way to become a member of the CWA Votes team and spread the word about issues that matter to union members.
Thanks for stopping by CWA Votes, and be sure to come back again for everything CWA members need to know about the 2008 elections.
CWA members lead the way in Iowa
CWA members and retirees were working the crowd at Senator Tom Harkin's annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa earlier this month--a crowd that included Senators Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, and Christopher Dodd, and Governor Bill Richardson, as well as 15,000 Iowans.
Speed Matters, CWA's project dedicated to expanding and accelerating the build out of high-speed internet access, was the topic of the day. Members and retirees worked the crowd, spreading the word about why the presidential candidates need to address our country's growing divide between those who have access to high-speed internet connections and those who do not.
Iowans understand this problem. Iowa is a rural state, and Americans living in rural areas are among those most often left behind. Eileen, an at-home accountant from Runnells, Iowa, knows firsthand the disadvantages of living in a community without high-speed internet:
"There are programs I try to download or update for my computer, and I cannot download a lot of updates because the connection doesn't stay strong enough… I don't feel as though it's right for other people to have [high-speed internet] services provided or available to them just because they live in a different area."
Check out what else Eileen had to say by watching her video. And learn more about CWA's Speed Matters project at www.speedmatters.org.
Labor 2007 Hits the Streets in Kentucky
CWA members joined their brothers and sisters from across the labor movement in Louisville last weekend to kick off the effort to elect a governor who cares about the rights of workers in his state.Current Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher has not been a friend to labor. During his term Fletcher has canceled collective bargaining rights for state employees, privatized Kentucky's Medicaid program, and advocated repealing the prevailing wage law. He has also supported implementation of anti-union "right to work" for less legislation.
At the kickoff rally, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka said,
"This is the beginning of the end of the reign of the rich and powerful in Kentucky, because it is the beginning of the end for Ernie Fletcher."
Participants went door to door and made thousands of phone calls to urge union members in Kentucky to support gubernatorial candidate Steve Beshear, who opposes "right to work" legislation, supports safeguarding the prevailing wage, and recognizes the need for affordable health care and good jobs. In addition, he has promised that the next secretary of labor will be a union member.
Make sure we can reach you when events like these happen in your area. Visit www.cwavotes.org/cwavotes/sign_up to add your name to our e-mail list.
