For more information contact:
Jonathan Kissam, UE Communications Director
(802) 343 1745 | jkissam@ueunion.org
In a statement released on Friday, UE’s General Executive Board called on working people to recognize the importance of the upcoming midterm elections for preserving democracy.
Entitled “Defending Workers’ Interests in a Rigged System,” the statement recognizes that “we are prevented from exercising democratic control over our society and economy by a corrupt two-party system that is fueled by corporate cash, and enabled by divisions among working people and increasing cynicism about democracy itself.”
The statement details how, on the one hand, “the Democratic Party establishment … has proved itself willing to go to any length” to defeat pro-worker politicians such as Bernie Sanders and Summer Lee who run on its ballot line, and on the other hand, “the Republican Party is moving further and further down the path of extremism and blatant contempt for democracy.”
Nonetheless, the statement concludes that “While direct action and forming our own political party are the only long-term solutions for working people, we cannot ignore electoral politics in the short term, including the federal, state and local elections taking place this November,” and points out that “As distasteful as it is to vote for corporate Democrats, in many if not most races they are the only viable candidates opposing extremist Republicans. … In effect, democracy itself is on the ballot in November, and working people must show up at the polls to defend it.”
The full statement is available at https://www.ueunion.org/political-action/2022/defending-workers-interests-in-a-rigged-system
UE’s General Executive Board consists of rank-and-file workers who have been elected as delegates from UE’s geographic regions, along with the officers of the national union and the regions.
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