"I stood on the picket line and marched with workers at the Congress Hotel in Chicago last week," Said Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, Saturday, July 21, 2007, in Des Moines, Iowa. "I had marched with them four years earlier..." "...When I left I told them if they were still fighting four years from now, I'd be back on that picket line as president of the United States and we'll get the Congress Hotel organized." AP storyOrganized people -vs- Organized money!!!
by, Lorenzo Jones and Robert Rooks
At 12:00 p.m. today (January 9th) the Culinary Workers Union in Nevada announced their support for Barack Obama’s Presidential candidacy. The endorsement was on behalf of the Culinary group and its parent union, UNITE HERE. UNITE HERE claims 450,000 active members; its endorsement is Obama's first from a major national union.
Seeing organized labor in Nevada not only publicly endorse Obama but to go as far as demanding respect for him from other people in Nevada is an organizing shot across the bow to any Obama opposition in Nevada or otherwise. This is evidenced in the statement by UNITE HERE president, Bruce Raynor who stated, "Our organization and our members will do everything in our power to see that he reaches the White House this fall, because we know he will bring working Americans with him,".
The leadership of the Culinary Workers union (Local 226) representing their 60,000 person membership announced their endorsement at a new conference in Las Vegas Wednesday. The announcement came the day after Obama narrowly lost the New Hampshire primary to Hillary Clinton. Culinary Secretary-Treasurer D. Taylor praised the senator's work with a sister union in Chicago and said Obama would appeal across the union's diverse ranks.
In the world of comedy there’s an old saying, “the funny comedians can make comedians laugh”. In the organizing world a similar rule applies, simply, organizers know and respect organizers. If you claim to be an organizer, organizers will test you and only organizers can brand you an organizer. This rite of passage is a process rooted in the biblical principle that ‘iron sharpens iron’.
In an election that reinforces the truth that power comes in two forms: organized people (Obama) and organized money (Hillary), Obama’s strategy to position himself as an agent of change and Hillary as an agent of the state seems to be working.
Barack Obama rallys and addresses Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2007.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GwRJwkLTV-k
4 comments:
You are right. Organizers know organizers. Obama may not have "White House" experience, but he knows real accountability. We don't need another Clinton in the White House. Look at what happened to us when another Bush got in. Bill Clinton talks about fairy tale speeches and false promises, what a joke. Bill Clinton was the first one to sell low-income and working class American fairy tales. The difference here is Obama won't go to sleep at night if he doesn't uphold to his word. Obama knows that if he doesn't do what he promised he will be held accountable. Bill Clinton went to sleep every night and not just in his own bed. The Clinton's never thought about us once they were in the White House. What makes America believe that this time around it will be different. Again, I refer to the Bushes. The second time around was worst then the first.
Obama just doesn't talk to America about poverty, paycheck to paycheck living, high medical insurance, no working class housing, etc. Obama has experienced it for himself. Experience is the best teacher and the greastest understander. Obama has both, so yes he can and will get America back on track.
What's up organizers. Where you at? Obama needs us to go register everyone who said that they had no reason to vote or that their vote didn't matter. Well now is the time to get out there and support one of our own. Obama brings life back to American families.
As organizers we all know that power comes in numbers of people. The question is will organizers begin to expose leaders to the electoral process? The process is deeper than registering people to vote. Poor people need to understand why they should vote and it is our job as organizers to educated them on the process. With that said if you are an organizer you have alot of work to do...Let's organize
I agree with the last comment however I'm watching this debate real close. I'm concerned that we do not get caught up in the hype and end up getting a compromised candidate. You know how we get a bill passed but then realize that we need to get some more legislation with it in order to accomplish our total goal. How we never get all we want just a little bit at a time. Well I'm interested in knowing who's or should I say which one is actually endorsing Voting Rights and Drug Policy Reform.
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