Local 4340 Legislative News

2008 Endosed Candidates List Presented by CWA Local 4340
Cuyahoga County
Lake County
Summit, Medina and Portage Counties

A comparison between Obama and McCain - focus on the domestic issue - the economy - most important to our members and all Americans

Walk with International Secretary Treasurer Rechenbach & D4 Vice President Rosen

Labor Walks '08 - Help us Get Out the Vote. Support the candidates who support labor

"The American Promise" - Senator Barack Obama's speech

Time for a Change - A Comparison of the two Presidential candidates

CWA President Cohen to Convention: This is Our Time! Declaring that "this is our time" CWA President Larry Cohen called on delegates to the 70th annual convention to imagine life a year from now - a nation led by President Barack Obama, the Employee Free Choice signed into law and affordable, universal health care within reach. This is our time and it rests on three things - our unity, our strategies and our focus," Cohen said, calling on the nearly 2,500 attending the Las Vegas convention to return to their locals and inspire CWA members, retirees and families to work harder, and dream bigger, than ever.

Retiring CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling Speaks In her final convention speech as a national officer, Easterling urged delegates not to underestimate their power to change the world. "Brothers and sisters, our voice has never been more important than it is today," she said. 'During the past seven years, the Bush administration took dead aim at all of us in this room. Well guess what? We're still standing, stronger that ever. And together we can once again make history by electing Barack Obama president and changing America.

Excerpts from Barack Obama Addressing the CWA Convention Quoting Barack Obama: The stakes could not be higher. Families across this country are feeling like the American dream is slipping further and further out of reach. Folks are working harder for less. The cost of everything from a tank of gas to a bag of groceries, from health care to tuition, is going up and up. It's getting harder to save and harder to retire.

But it's not an accident that hardworking families are struggling so much. It's because, for eight long years, we've had a White House that's been hostile to workers and a Washington that's been beholden to the special interests. It's not just that this administration hadn't been fighting for you - they've actually tried to stop you from fighting for yourselves. This is the most ant-labor administration in our memory. They don't believe in Unions. They don't believe in organizing. They've packed the labor relations board with their corporate buddies.

And that is why we cannot afford to let John McCain serve out George Bush's third term. Now let me be clear, Senator McCain can legitimately tout moments of independence from his party in the past - but such independence has not been the hallmark of his campaign.

It's not change when John McCain stands with George Bush 95 percent of the time as he did in the Senate last year.

It's not change when he sides with George Bush and the business lobby to say "no" to workers' rights, "no" to organizing, and "no" to the Employee Free Choice Act. It's not change when he offers four more years of Bush economic policies that have failed to create jobs at a living wage, or insure our workers, or help Americans afford the skyrocketing cost of college - policies that have only succeeded in lowering the real incomes of the average American family, widening the gap between Wall Street and Main Street, and leaving our children with a mountain of dept. That isn't change.

Change is building an economy that rewards not just wealth, but the work and workers who create it - it's understanding that the struggles facing working families can't be solved by spending billions of dollars on more tax breaks for big corporations and the wealthy CEOs.

Change is a universal health care plan like the one I've proposed; a plan that guarantees insurance to every American who wants it; brings down premiums for every family who needs it; cuts costs for business and their workers by picking up the tab for some of the most expensive illnesses and conditions; and that stops insurance companies from discriminating and denying coverage to those who need it most.

Change is having a president who's been an organizer and knows what it's like to walk with you on the picket line; and who lets unions do what they do best and organize our workers.

That's what change is. And that's the choice this election.

But it's not going to be easy, CWA. And that's why I need your help. I know you're making a commitment to mobilizing and organizing in this campaign like you've never done before. And I need you to keep standing with me for these next five months; and if you do - if you keep marching with me and knocking on those doors, and making those phone calls, and registering voters, and talking to your friends and co-workers and neighbors; and if you vote for me, then I promise you this: we will win the general election and then - you and I - together are going to change America and change this world.

A Call to action from CWA 4340 and the Legislative Committee This may be the most important election of your of your life! Our middle class life style is in jeopardy. Take a look around are you doing better after four more years of George Bush? I think not. Now is the time to take action! Join the legislative effort and lets fix this country together. Call the hall and sign up for some of the upcoming walks or phone banking. Those that have participated have enjoyed being part of the solution.