Anna Burger's Campaign Notebook

Anna Burger

In the closing weeks of the 2006 election, Change to Win Chair Anna Burger was on the road, knocking on member doors, attending GOTV rallies, and doing whatever else she could to support the efforts of the thousands of CtW union members working to turn out the vote for pro-worker candidates.  Each day she posted to this campaign notebook, to tell you about the people she met, and the issues that motivated them to be involved in this critical election. 

Today's Entry: You Did It

Posted on November 10, 2006

My last blog is really a thank you letter to the thousands of union volunteers and family and our allies who helped bring about the stunning results we've seen this week -- YOU DID IT!

You helped make this election such a resounding success for working people across the country.

Statehouses.  Governors.  Ballot initiatives.  The House.  The Senate.  We succeeded in places we've never tried before, and replaced anti-worker candidates we've wanted to send home for a long time.  When the Governor of Montana calls me election night to thank us, you know we're doing a lot of things right.

Our own polling showed that not only did the bread and butter economic issues we campaigned on play a significant role in determining people's votes, but when asked about what the new Congress' priorities should be, 60 percent chose focusing on strengthening American families by working to make quality, affordable healthcare available to all Americans, ensuring retirement security, and increasing wages and the number of good paying jobs.

And that's why we can't go to sleep - we need to welcome our new leaders, but with an expectation.  They must do their part to restore the American Dream -- a paycheck that supports a family, affordable health care, a secure retirement and most of all, a better life for our kids.

And that's exactly the message we've sent to the new Congress in a full-page New York Times ad this Sunday, but you can preview it here. http://www.changetowin.org/fileadmin/pdf/nyt_ad.pdf

We have an opportunity to make people's lives better.  Let's work with our new leaders to increase the minimum wage, and then let's move on to help workers join together in a union so they can raise their voices together and change their lives. And once and for all let's win quality, affordable health care for every man, woman and child in America!

Helping elect pro-worker candidates is good.  But making sure they pursue a pro-worker agenda is even better.

Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we take action. We can do it - together.

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