Posted on November 1, 2006

I grew up in working class Pennsylvania in the 1950s, so it was great to be back in my home state yesterday and spend time in Pittsburgh. I met the newest generation of Change to Win union activists from the Teamsters, UNITE/HERE, SEIU who are out there working together, supporting each other, doing politics with an energy I haven't seen in years.

These workers are supporting Bob Casey for new leadership in the U.S. Senate, and Jason Altmire in the 4th Congressional District. Once seen as an impossible seat to challenge, he is now running neck and neck with incumbent Melissa Hart. He cites labor volunteers for getting the word out about her horrible track record on workers issues; they credit Jason for standing up for what matters most: good jobs and health care!

I had a chance to talk to seasoned veterans that I go back years with like Pam, an SEIU member I've knocked on doors with cycle after cycle. She began as a volunteer and now is leading whole crews on canvasses. Seeing her reminded me of my roots and how I got my start.

My mom was a nurse, working the 3 to 11 shift at a nursing home. My father, a Teamster truck driver, was permanently disabled in a terrible accident when I was nine.

Back then, one in three workers was in a union, and a union job raised up whole families, whole communities, whole generations.

I became a case worker and joined SEIU, and soon after, went on my first strike to improve our workplace conditions. Dad had some good advice: "Whatever you do, Anna, stick to the union. It's what makes a difference for working people like us." He was talking about the American Dream. It meant my sisters, brother and me were able to live decently, go to college, and have a better life than our parents.

But now, that dream is slipping away, especially in Rust Belt states, where politicians and business strike deals and fail to provide solutions for workers from the manufacturing era to contribute to and benefit in the new global economy. What's good for GM is no longer good for the country; now Wal-Mart is the largest employer and that company model is destroying good jobs with a paycheck that support a family.

But with the right changes and new strategies, my dad's words still ring true: Unions work. They can allow ordinary working class Americans like me to join my strength with the strength of a truck driver, a hotel porter, a retail worker, a nursing home worker, a carpenter - and become a bridge to the middle class in the 21st century. Build the power to make politicians work for us. That's the Change to Win story, that's the hope we came together to deliver.

And we're already beginning to see results in PA. CtW unions, in support of low- wage workers, leveraged their collective strength to crack down on anti-union, race-to-the-bottom contractors, setting the stage for suburban janitors to join their downtown counterparts who have united to win decent pay and improvements on the job. The hope it gives to private sector suburbs in the industry everywhere!

CtW members and leaders here are all excited about the opportunities in which they can use their power for one another, and they are determined to run a winning program for November 7 -- and beyond. These folks here aren't going to sleep after Election Day. Just ask Marlo, a Pittsburgh rank-and-file organizer,  who is focused on holding elected officials accountable on issues like health care, the freedom to form a union, and making real change for working families.

Winning an election is only an opportunity; we must make them ACT on our agenda once in office for it to be an accomplishment. After all they work for us -- and if they don't remember that, it's workers' job to remind them. It's time to restore the American Dream.