We are always blessed in the state of Missouri to be a battleground/bellwether/toss-up, pick your favorite, state. As Missouri goes, so does America. Well, not really. For whatever reason you can pick, we fell off our bellwether status last election by picking a Democrat for Governor by 19%, but picking a Republican for President by .oo1%, or fewer than 4000 votes out of 3.2 million cast. But, once again, we find ourselves right in the thick of things this election cycle. Missourians have a chance to pick up a Senate seat, as Christopher "Kit" Bond rides off into the sunset. Not to say he has never done anything for us, but the closest thing I can find was his efforts with Senator Dodd from Connecticut to get FMLA passed- no small feat, but I'm sure if there is an anti-Union clause anywhere in it, Bond put it there.
The Democrats have put forth a great candidate in Robin Carnahan, our current Secretary-of-State, and the holder of the dubious distinction of being the office holder elected with the largest vote total of any candidate EVER in Missouri. To say she is popular would be an understatement. So, how's she doing in the polls? 47-45, 48-46, 44-41- depends on who you are reading. The main point is that neither candidate has more than 50%, so that leaves a lot of people who just plain old cannot make up their minds.
Robin needs us, and Robin needs Labor as a whole, to get where she wants to be. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 70-72% of Labor households will vote for Robin, I am confident. What we must insure is that we exercise our right to vote in greater numbers than the general public. Maybe there is something to this anti-incumbent fervor going on, and those people will not support Blunt. Or maybe they will retreat to where they usually vote from, and we shall have a real fight on our hands.
Right now, along with myself, I have been able to get Anthoney Mitchell and Kevin Holmes released to work directly with the AFL-CIO for this election cycle. Anthoney, Branch President for 827 Independence, is also the Northwest District President, and was previously released for Labor campaigns. He is working with the Central Labor Council of Kansas City, and coordinates all their Labor Walks and Workplace Flyer Campaigns.
Kevin Holmes, Missouri State Vice-President, is also the State Legislative Liaison, and is President of Branch 5050, Ballwin (Charlie Cook Branch). Kevin works with the St Louis AFL-CIO office, and does a great amount of workplace, or jobsite, leafletting. He also coordinates all Labor Walks, Phone Banks, and is in charge of the Missouri E-Activist mailings. He was also release staff for Labor2008.
It is my hope that we will receive additional letter carriers to be released after Labor Day; I am hoping to get carriers in both out-state (think Springfield/Joplin area) as well as St Louis and Kansas City.
Come join your Union Brothers and Sisters in a Labor Day parade. We will be marching in the St Louis parade with the members of 343, as many of us as possible sporting our "5 Day is the Wrong Way" T-shirts. Come join us!
