VOTING OUR JOBS is how we make real progress in this nation for working people! This means prioritizing the issues that impact us as union members––in the workplace, at the bargaining table, at home, and in the communities that we serve as public employees.

That means voting for freedom, dignity and opportunity, the very tenants of the labor movement!

Certainly, there are an array of issues and points-of-view that impact how every American casts a ballot on Election Day. But making sure that our elected officials represent our UNION VALUES is key to growing the labor movement for generations to come. And it’s vital to ensuring that public employee union members––and their hard-fought union contracts and benefits––thrive, not just for union workers, but for every hard-working American. Read more about why OCSEA members are voting their jobs and their union HERE.

How do we know if a candidate is worthy of our union vote? Many candidates offer a lot of lip service when it comes to supporting workers and middle-class families. But on Nov. 5, we must remind politicians that they work for us. If VOTING UNIONS is one of your top priorities, we urge you to put each candidate on your ballot through this Union Values Test:

• Will they protect MY UNION VOICE on the job?
• Do they SUPPORT PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, the vital public services I provide, and my right to civil service protections?
• Will they fight for affordable HEALTH CARE and protect my union-fought benefits?
• Do they have an economic plan that focuses on BUILDING UP WORKING PEOPLE and the middle class?
• Will they address the public employee STAFFING CRISIS?
• Will they fight for my RETIREMENT SECURITY?

Over 70 percent of Americans support labor unions and these union values*. But how do we make that connection with voters? Fighting to elect politicians who put working people at the forefront. This means standing up against political forces––from the Freedom Foundation to the Heritage Foundation––that work to dismantle union voices and public services. That’s a major step in growing and protecting union rights. Union members are a force! Voting union values is key to electing politicians who value public employees and an economy for working people. 

*Gallup labor union survey, August 2024