Labor Launches Local GOTV Campaign

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

“These next 40 days are critically important to ensuring our state moves forward – not backward,” Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (above, at right) said to hundreds of area union members who attended last Friday’s Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO’s official 2010 Get-Out-The-Vote campaign launch at the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689’s union hall in Forestville, Maryland. “We are in the middle of a battle for our economic survival and economic future,” O’Malley added, “There’s nothing more important than a good job and that’s why we’re focused on doing everything in our power to save jobs, retain jobs and create jobs!” O’Malley was joined by an array of local candidates and elected officials urging area union members to “spend every last bit of time and energy” to help labor-endorsed candidates win in the November 2 general election. “We have a tremendous task ahead,” said MD/DC AFL-CIO President Fred Mason (below, second from right) “We need to drastically increase the levels of voter turnout that we saw in the September Primaries. We need our local unions and members to continue volunteering and participating in weekend walks, placing yard signs, making phone calls and distributing literature throughout the electorate - that’s how we’re going to win!” Lt. Governor Anthony Brown (below, second from left) agreed, saying, “We cannot do this on our own. We need to make sure that we are all unified behind all the Democratic candidates running for election. You are all a huge part of our winning plan!” Click here to see the complete list of local GOTV activities or contact your local union to get involved (click here for a local union directory). – report/photos by Adam Wright; photo (bottom, left to right): Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO President Jos Williams, Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, MD-DC AFL-CIO President Fred Mason and MD-DC AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Donna Edwards