Building Union Power With Our Ballot

If you’ve been involved in contract negotiations, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the phrase: If you’re not at the table then you’re on the menu.

As a union, we feel similarly about politics and elections.

The decisions made by elected officials impact our power at the bargaining table. To pass laws that support or strengthen our bargaining power, we must first have a majority of elected officials in state or federal government who share our pro-union values.

Without these majorities in state or federal government, pro-worker bills won’t make it to the desk of your governor or the President of the United States (POTUS), who has the unique ability to either sign the bill into law, or veto it, which would send it back to the legislative branch for further consideration

Therefore, getting pro-union bills signed into law also requires either a governor or POTUS who supports the bill at question.

Additionally, we should note that vetoes can be overridden in Congress and most states if 2/3 of lawmakers in both legislative chambers disagree with the executive (i.e. the governor or POTUS).

We hope this very simplified outline gives insight into why workers should take elections seriously.

After all, high turnout of union voters could return a pro-worker majority to Congress, as well secure our ability to advance worker-friendly policies with governors and state legislators who share our values.

Download our printable “Are You at the Table” flyer that we created to help members make this often-overlooked relationship between politics and union power.  Download this flyer and post it in your workplace, local union hall or elsewhere to educate fellow USW members about how we are building union power with our ballot.