Let's get out and vote!
This is it - our last chance to make an impact in the upcoming primary election. On Tuesday, Californians will decide who appears on the November ballot.
Local 1000 members and staff have been phone banking and precinct walking to get the word out - that this is the most important primary election in a decade, and we must elect candidates who value state workers and the vital services we provide.
This weekend, Local 1000 will be working all over the state to reach voters and educate them about labor-friendly candidates. So far, 600 volunteers have reached 40,000 households across California.
"This is the first big milestone of the 2012 election cycle - and it is impor- tant we start strong and make sure that the candidates on November's ballot are responsive to California's working families and respect the work our members do every day," said Local 1000 President Yvonne R. Walker. "Because of redistrict- ing, open primaries and term limits, there are going to be a lot more new people in the Legislature. The leaders we elect now will be making decisions that affect our families for the next decade."
Political volunteering is not the only crucial part in this election; state workers must cast their ballot. The candidates who are elected into office will make crucial decisions that will affect us all. For every Local 1000 member who does not vote - state workers lose a voice.
Eric Wiesenthal, a program ana- lyst for the Department of Social Services, spends his Saturdays speaking with other voters while precinct walking in support of Local
1000's endorsed candidates.
"It's really important to vote in the primary election on June 5 and to make sure your voice is heard," Wiesenthal said. "We need to make sure we get candidates elected who are going to support the needs of working families."