Voting Rights Under Attack

(This article first appeared in the March-April 2018 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine) 

By Legislative & Political Director Judy Beard 

With the 2018 midterm elections rapidly approaching, we must remain vigilant on the barrage of attacks against our voting rights. Our vote symbolizes the values we believe in and supports the leaders we trust to make decisions affecting our livelihood. We unfortunately still live in a time where there are those who want to silence the voices of millions of citizens by making it more difficult, if not impossible, for us to exercise the fundamental right to vote.

The APWU, alongside our sister unions and like-minded community organizations, is supporting proposed ballot initiatives seeking to undo this damage by making it easier for unregistered or disenfranchised people to vote. Below are current ballot measures seeking to expand voting rights, that have either already been certified to appear on the ballot in November or are awaiting certification.

Certified

• Nevada Automatic Voter Registration via Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) Initiative

Awaiting Certification

• Colorado Automatic Voter Registration via Public Entities Initiative
• Missouri Right to Vote Absentee Initiative
• South Dakota Vote-by-Mail Initiative

We encourage you to check with your AFL-CIO central labor council and state federation for more information on voting right ballot initiatives, to learn more about these positive measures and find out what you can do to help with their ongoing campaigns.

Fight Back Against Right-to-Work!

During this session of Congress, we saw the introduction of the National Right-to-Work Act (H.R. 785). To date there are 28 states with Right-to-Work laws. With every new state that passes this disastrous legislation, the federal Right-to-Work legislation gains steam.

We know this legislation will weaken union collective bargaining power and has the proven effect of lowering wages. H.R. 785 currently has 108 co-sponsors in Congress whose positions are up for election this November.

Whether or not Right-to-Work will be on the ballot in your state this November, you can fight back like our union brothers and sisters in Missouri who put in countless hours, energy and resources to have a chance at repealing their state’s Right-to-Work legislation.

Legislative Training

Legislative training is underway. APWU members are gearing up to sharpen their skills to combat the threat against our civil liberties, defend our public Postal Service, and elect individuals who will fight for us. Join our Be Seen, Be Heard, and Vote campaign. Sign the pledge at apwu.org