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HOFFA ON OBAMA & THE FUTURE
THE KIND OF CHANGE THAT WORKING FAMILIES BELIEVE IN

IBT General President James P. Hoffa during the recent Presidential campaign with then-candidate U.S. Senator from Illinois Barack Obama. Now President-Elect, Obama will be sworn-in officially on January 20, 2009.

(November 17, 2008) IBT General President James P. Hoffa has commented in depth about the outlook for the Teamsters Union now that Barack Obama has been elected our nation’s Chief Executive. President-Elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office on January 20, 2009. In the meantime, he is building his White House staff and his Cabinet. President Hoffa’s comments were printed on the IBT Website on November 14. They are reprinted below.

TEAMSTER MESSAGE
By JAMES P. HOFFA, IBT General President The change we worked so hard for is already starting to happen. During his Oval Office meeting with President Bush, President-Elect Barack Obama urged immediate help for the troubled auto industry. I took it as a strong sign that our new President cares — a great deal — about jobs.

That’s why the Teamsters put more boots on the ground to elect Obama than we ever have. We were convinced that Obama understands the fundamental importance of good jobs. We looked at his modest background, his belief in collective action and his pro-worker record. We concluded that he’s one of us.

We were one of the first Unions to endorse Obama for President in February. Since then, more than 40,000 Teamsters volunteered to work for him. We made 1.6 million phone calls and sent more than 2.6 million direct mail pieces to our members. I personally barnstormed battleground states, and so did our General Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel.

It wasn’t just the biggest mobilization effort in our history, it was the smartest. We worked hard to understand how to talk to our members about Obama. We told them how he grew up in a single-parent household, how he took out massive student loans to pay for college and law school, how he chose to become a community organizer rather than to go to Wall Street.

OUR MEMBERS LISTENED
Our members listened, and they came out to vote for him. Teamsters tend to be the demographic who weren’t supposed to vote for Obama. The facts tell a different story.

A much higher percentage of Union voters cast their ballots for Obama than did the general public — 67 percent of Union voters compared with 52 percent of the popular vote.

Union members over 65 voted for Obama by a 46-point margin. Compare that with non-union voters over 65. They voted for McCain by 8 points.

White non-college graduates who belong to a Union voted for Obama by 23 points. Among all white non-college voters, Obama lost by 18 points.

HE WILL NEED OUR HELP TO GOVERN
But if Obama won with the help of workers, he’ll need our help to govern, as well.

Many big businesses aren’t interested in getting the economy back on track by creating jobs. They’ve shown over the past 30 years that they’re more interested in rewarding shareholders by cutting jobs.
With the help of working families, Obama can create new jobs. As soon as he takes office, he can push for relief for automakers. We’ll help him. He can pressure Congress to pass a $60 billion program to rebuild our infrastructure. We’ll help him. He can give the middle-class a tax cut. We’ll help him.

We’ll need his help, too, in helping working families realize the American Dream.

We’ll also need to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, which would give workers bargaining power to raise their wages and achieve health care and retirement benefits.

We’ll need to stop passing trade deals that reward multinationals with giveaways and protections while allowing them to kill jobs here. We’ll need to reward companies that keep good-paying jobs in America — and to not reward those that send them overseas.

We’ll need some relief for pension funds that have been hammered by the credit crisis and stock market fall.

Change is more than something to believe in. It’s something to work for — and now the hard work is about to begin.

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GREGOIRE GETS SECOND TERM
THE IBT, JOINT COUNCIL 28, LOCAL 174, AND MANY OTHER JC-28 LOCALS WORKED HARD TO HELP THE EXCELLENT INCUMBENT DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR WIN REELECTION

At a rally during the campaign season, Washington State’s incumbent Governor Chris Gregoire shows Solidarity with fellow Democrat and Presidential candidate U.S. Senator from Illinois Barack Obama.

By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist
(November 5, 2008) Incumbent Democratic Governor Chris Gregoire has won reelection to a second term as Washington State’s Chief Executive. Her victory against her well-funded ruthless mudslinging Business-backed Republican opponent was decisive.

The feisty, indomitable Governor showed admirable determination and grit during a long, frustrating campaign that featured lies, innuendos and misstatements thrown at her constantly. The stench of the Republican hatemongering anti-Gregoire smearfest will take months to dissipate totally. Her blowharding bully opponent’s total lack of respect of her as a person, as a woman, as a citizen, and as an elected State leader was shocking and disgusting.

The IBT, Joint Council 28, Local 174, and all the other Washington State-based JC-28 Locals look forward to working with Governor Gregoire for four more years on issues important to Teamsters in particular, and working families in general. She has been throughout her long and distinguished career in politics, and continues to be as the State’s top elected official, a great friend of the Teamsters.

Local 174’s leadership will have a lot to say about the Governor’s victory, and about other results in the November 4 General Election, soon. But for now, they are just going to let the Governor express her own feelings about being returned to her job by the State’s voters. She does so quite eloquently in the following official press release, which she sent out to the public today via the Internet.

PRESS RELEASE, NOVEMBER 5, 2008: GOVERNOR GREGOIRE CLAIMS VICTORY
WASHINGTON STATE – Washington voters have selected Gov. Chris Gregoire after the early results have been tallied. While there are still votes to be counted across the State, early totals show Gov. Gregoire winning with an expanding lead. National and local news organizations have called the race for Gov. Gregoire.

“Tonight the voters in Washington sent a message that they want a Governor who shares their values of providing children healthcare, protecting the environment and creating jobs,” said Gov. Gregoire. “We have run a “One Washington” campaign and tonight we are seeing the results across the State. I’m honored to be reelected.”

Gov. Gregoire is leading early in Counties across the State, from Spokane to Grays Harbor and from Whatcom to Clark. She has also increased her margins from the 2004 Election.

Gov. Gregoire closed out the election season by crisscrossing the State on an 11-day, 26-city, “Fighting for Working Families Tour.” On Election Day, Gov. Gregoire met with volunteers in both of Washington’s poll voting Counties, King and Pierce.

“I’d like to thank my family and the thousands of volunteers who have worked so hard to put us over the top,” said Gov. Gregoire. “I’d also like to thank the voters who participated in this historic election.”

Gov. Gregoire enjoyed strong grassroots support. Since the campaign began, more than 7,000 Democratic volunteers made over 2 million volunteer phone calls and knocked on almost 1,000,000 doors. In the last three weeks alone, volunteers called over 600,000 voters and knocked on 250,000 doors.

While Washington State’s results have been positive, the national results have been historic.

“This is an historic day for the entire nation,” said Gov. Gregoire. “I’m looking forward to having a partner in President Barack Obama. Congratulations to the President-elect, Vice President-elect Sen. Joe Biden, and their families.”

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PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
THE TEAMSTERS HAD A LOT TO DO WITH HELPING HIM GET ELECTED

This photo is from “Obama for America,” the official website of the Barack Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign.

(November 5, 2008) The dust cleared, and the winner of the November 4, 2008 Presidential Election by a landslide margin was the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, the young, black U.S. Senator from Illinois. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters had a lot to do with helping Obama achieve his history-making victory. And the Teamsters Union will be working hard with him and his Administration to help rebuild America when he takes office on January 20, 2009. Following are two official IBT statements released yesterday to the public about the election of Obama and how the Teamsters feel about it.

TEAMSTERS MASSIVE ELECTION PUSH FOR CHANGE HELPS LEAD OBAMA TO HISTORIC VICTORY
(Washington, D.C.) – The Teamsters, the world’s most powerful labor union, unleashed its largest election mobilization in history, helping land Barack Obama in the White House and putting worker friendly candidates in key offices at every level in the country.

"Our 1.4 million members demanded change and we marshaled our forces in unprecedented numbers for this historic election,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. “There is no doubt that we made the difference. I congratulate Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden on their well-deserved victory, and our Teamster members who worked tirelessly on their behalf.”

More than 40,000 Teamsters volunteered for the union’s massive member mobilization efforts. Hoffa and General Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel barnstormed key battleground states across the country on multiple trips, talking to Teamster members and motivating them to volunteer and go to the polls for Obama.

Additionally, the Teamsters’ impressive get-out-the-vote push included:

• More than 2.6 million direct mail pieces.
• More than 1.6 million phone calls.
• More than 40,000 volunteers.
• More than 1 million Teamster job sites visited.
• 54,687 Teamsters signed up for election text messaging.
• 4.5 million doors knocked as part of Change to Win.

Also, Teamsters conducted precinct walks, canvassed neighborhoods, drove voters to the polls and countless other activities. The union also incorporated new technology, like text messaging, predictive dialer phone banking, national and targeted-state interactive teleforums and microtargeting of swing voters.

"This is a great day -- a historic day," Hoffa said. "Now let's get this country unified and working for regular, middle-class Americans again. We elected a great man, but we can’t stop here because our real work starts now.”

A VICTORY FOR AMERICA: TEAMSTERS GET OUT THE VOTE FOR OBAMA
(Washington, D.C.) – The Teamsters Union spearheaded a massive get-out-the-vote effort on behalf of Barack Obama in the months leading up to Election Day. That effort paid off, with Obama and his running mate Joe Biden claiming a historic victory.

“I could not be more proud of the effort that the Teamsters Union and our politically active members put into this historic election,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “More than 40,000 Teamsters volunteered in this campaign, and when you look at the final numbers, there is no doubt that we made a big difference.”

Those 40,000 Teamster volunteers racked up some impressive numbers during the hard-fought campaign. More than 500,000 rank-and-file Teamsters were visited at their work sites—and many of those in swing states were paid a visit at work by Hoffa himself, or Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Tom Keegel, or an International Vice President.Teamster volunteers also conducted precinct walks, weekend work site visits, canvassed neighborhoods, drove voters to the polls and countless other activities.

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WHY BARACK OBAMA NOVEMBER 4TH
THERE ARE MANY REASONS TO VOTE FOR OBAMA FOR UNITED STATES PRESIDENT, AND MANY REASONS TO KEEP McCAIN OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE

International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa with Presidential candidate U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois).

(November 3, 2008) Why has the Teamsters Union endorsed U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) for President? With only a day left before the November 4 General Election, it is a good time to review the reasons. The following article consists of comments by IBT General President James P. Hoffa and the IBT Communications Department made over the past few months about not just Obama, but also about his opponent, U.S. Senator John McCain (R, Arizona). They appeared in news releases and the Teamster Magazine.

THE FUNDAMENTALS
Our next President must restore dignity and rights. Our Union has worked hard to reinvigorate the American Labor Movement, and this year we will elect a President who will join us in our battle to rebuild America. We are fighting to end policies that benefit Big Business but punish its workers. Policies like the Bush Administration’s plan to sidestep safety rules in their effort to open U.S. highways to Mexican trucks.

We want a President who will end the so-called “free trade” agreements that do nothing but give big businesses access to cheap foreign labor at the expense of the U.S. worker. In this global economy, we must help other countries push for better working conditions. By turning a blind eye to countries with lax or no labor standards, we allow U.S. companies to exploit cheap foreign labor, which benefits only their portfolios.

We want a President who wants “Made in the USA” imprints on goods to overtake “Made in China” labels. We want a President who believes in strong workers’ rights, where everyone is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. We want a President who will not just talk about change, but will come in on day one and focus on workers’ rights, fair trade agreements and universal health care. We need a President who will sign the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) into law, which would allow employees, off of company grounds, to form Unions after a majority of workers sign cards for Union Representation, and it would require companies to remain publicly neutral.

These are the changes our next President must bring to Washington to rebuild America.

WHY VOTE FOR OBAMA
On November 4 nearly 1 million Teamsters will vote for change. Add your vote to the strong voice of American workers by voting for Barack Obama — and his Vice Presidential candidate, U.S. Senator Joe Biden (D-Delaware).

Obama has the courage and experience to restore the American dream for the working people of this country. He is the change America needs. We need a President and Vice President who will put the interests of workers first.

WHY VOTE AGAINST McCAIN
Sen. John McCain deserves our respect and gratitude for his service to our country. But he should not get our vote. McCain is completely out of touch with the problems faced by working families. If elected President, he will continue George Bush's policies that led to job loss, huge deficits and inflation. Though McCain served in the Military more than 25 years ago, his understanding of serious foreign policy matters is often shaky.

Looking at the problems facing our great nation, and the Presidential candidates who will inherit eight years of disastrous policies, a crisis on Wall Street and neglect of working families, one thing is clear — McCain is not the person who will right the wrongs of the Bush Administration.

McCain has demonstrated countless times that he is clueless about the economic realities in America today. Time and again he's demonstrated his disinterest in helping ordinary people, often to the benefit of his wealthy cohorts. Wealth and privilege shaped McCain's view of public policy. He believes that the rich should be rewarded, even at the expense of working Americans.

His Senate voting record — almost identical with the Bush Administration's policies — should disturb any working American. So should the dozens of lobbyist friends who advise him on his campaign. Among the many votes McCain cast at the expense of everyday working Americans were:

ANTI-WORKER AGENDA
That McCain is out of touch with the concerns of ordinary people is clear from his anti-union, anti-worker agenda. In fact, his record speaks volumes about what he thinks of unions, workers forced out on strike, workers who want to organize, and collective bargaining rights. His votes include:

McCain had government health care almost his entire life, but he doesn't want you to have it. His health care plan would leave families at the mercy of big insurance companies. Worse, he would tax your health benefits and motivate employers to eliminate benefits.

McCain is the staunchest advocate of free trade in the U.S. Senate. He voted for every disastrous free trade agreement since NAFTA. He strongly supports a trade deal with Colombia. He's a leader in the effort to open the border to dangerous trucks from Mexico.

"If I were President, I would negotiate a free trade agreement with almost any country," McCain said in a speech in 1999. Last year he said he knows NAFTA was a “good idea.”

McCain's Cronies
During the 1980s, the McCains were befriended by Arizona banker Charles Keating. Keating frequently flew them to his vacation home in the Bahamas on his private jet. McCain later said he'd paid for the use of the jet, as required by ethics rules, but the receipts were never found. Between 1982 and 1987, Keating donated $112,000 to McCain's campaigns for the House and then the Senate.

McCain's relationship with Keating erupted into a major scandal in 1989. Keating and his cohorts looted Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, causing the most expensive savings and loan failure in U.S. history. Federal regulators wanted to seize control of the failed bank, but McCain intervened to try to prevent that from happening. McCain, along with four others involved in the scandal, became known as the Keating Five. He was rebuked by the Senate Ethics Committee for his role in the affair.

Taxpayers ultimately bailed out the bank to the tune of $3.4 billion. In the decades since the scandal, McCain continued to side with his wealthy cronies at the expense of ordinary people.

Close Lobbyist Ties
His current campaign for President is essentially run by lobbyists with close ties to the big oil companies, Fannie Mae, UBS and Blackwater. FedEx Corp. founder and CEO Fred Smith is a close friend who McCain views as a perfect candidate for U.S. Secretary of Defense.

McCain's anti-worker bias resulted in an atrocious voting record during his 26 years in Congress.

McCain voted to give tax breaks to companies that send American jobs overseas. He voted against overtime pay, against Davis-Bacon protections, against union-only Project Labor Agreements and against extending unemployment insurance.

John Herbert Hoover McCain
McCain spent eight years in the Senate marching in lockstep with George Bush. Median household income actually fell by almost $1,000, or by 2 percent, during the Bush Administration. Only 5.6 million jobs were created during Bush's Presidency — less than a third of the jobs created by Bill Clinton in the 1990s. A million homes are now in foreclosure — more than ever in U.S. history. Gas prices have never been higher.

During the past decade, the U.S. economy turned in its worst performance since the Great Depression. Though candidate McCain now tries to distance himself from George W. Bush's mismanagement of the economy, Sen. McCain voted with the Administration 90 percent of the time. McCain said he voted with Bush 100 percent of the time on the important issues. "I — the fact is that I'm different but the fact is that I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed," McCain said on Meet the Press on June 15, 2005. "And on the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I've been totally in agreement and support of President Bush."

McCain mirrors Bush in another important way: his indifference to the plight of Americans who fall victim to disaster. He voted twice against creating a commission to investigate the botched response to Hurricane Katrina — and later said he'd voted for every investigation into Katrina's aftermath.

On January 31, 2008, McCain crossed a Writers Guild of America strike line to appear on the Tonight Show. McCain will continue George W. Bush's failed economic policies. Again and again he has sided with corporate special interests instead of the middle class. This country desperately needs a new direction, and John McCain is not the man to take us there.

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2008 LEGISLATORS’ PRO-LABOR VOTING RECORDS
YOU SHOULD KNOW THE PRO-LABOR VOTING RECORDS OF THE INCUMBENT MEMBERS OF THE WASHINGTON STATE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

By BILL McCARTHY, Communications Specialist

The Capitol Building in Olympia, Washington

(October 29, 2008)  The Tuesday, November 4, 2008 General Election is almost here. In less than a week, Washington State citizens will head for the polls — that is, those who haven’t already voted by absentee ballot. Of course, most of the attention in our State has been focused on the extremely crucial U.S. Presidential and Washington Governor’s contests.

But there are many other important races in Washington State, too. Many of them are in the Legislature. If you happen to live in a Legislative District featured an incumbent State Senator or State Representative, you ought to you know their voting records as regards issues of concern to Organized Labor.

The Washington State Labor Council carefully tabulates the legislators’ votes on Labor issues throughout the Legislative Sessions, and publishes them at year’s end. The WSLC’s 2008 Labor Voting Records have recently been released. You can have a look at them by using the following links:

ENDORSEMENTS OF LOCAL 174 & JC-28
In case you have forgotten or are unaware, below are printed the names of the Washington State Legislature candidates endorsed by Local 174 and Joint Council 28 for November 4. The incumbents are identified by asterisks, and their records appear in the 2008 WSLC Vote Tally referred to above.