Unions and politics go hand-in-hand. Without legislators (Elected Officials) to make laws to protect working people, our Union efforts would be very difficult to maintain. Unions are outspent 15 to 1 by big businesses trying to marginalize Union protections. Their goal is always to weaken laws so they can get more profits by squeezing their workforce.
But our secret weapon is our votes and numbers. Every year, Unions work with politicians to make laws protecting workers’ rights and preventing worker exploitation.
One avenue that Teamsters Local 853 uses to this end is participation in the COPE Conventions (Committee on Political Education), where labor-related organizations from around the Bay Area assemble and decide how to combine efforts best to further labor-related agendas in politics.
This COPE convention was held last week in Oakland, and one of the agenda items was to determine what politicians Labor will be endorsing for the upcoming Primary Elections in 2024.
So, our message to you, sisters and brothers, is to be active in your union and be aware of the politicians who protect workers in your community. Most importantly, be sure to GET OUT AND VOTE for those politicians both during the primary elections in 2024 and the general election. Without your vote, those politicians cannot help us.
Please stay tuned and watch this space as we will be releasing our political endorsements for 2024.
Pictured at the COPE Convention are Teamsters 853 Recording Secretary and Business Agent Mike Henneberry, Business Agent Cesar Martinez, Business Agent Efren Alarcon, and not pictured but present is Business Agent James Long.
