UE Western Region: Fight to Maintain Open, Free, and Fair Elections

Election Protection 

The Trump administration has been attempting to take unprecedented steps to deter voters, or make it more difficult for us to vote. President Trump and those in his circle have suggested sending armed ICE thugs to polling places. His administration has attempted to subvert the rights of the states and their citizens to run their own elections, going so far as to attempt to weaponize the US Postal Service against the rights of voters to cast absentee and mail-in ballots, and deputize Postmasters to vet voter rolls and deny people their constitutional right to vote.

Members of UE know and understand that elections and partisan politics rarely move the needle on the causes most dear to workers and labor unions. Nevertheless, to backslide even further on longstanding democratic principles is unacceptable. To move backwards and make it even harder to vote, or to intimidate marginalized people into not voting at all, is the very antithesis of our democratic, worker-run organization.

Furthermore, the fight to maintain open, free, and fair elections, and the work to build a strong resistance to the voter intimidation led and orchestrated by the oligarchs and their puppets in government, is not only necessary to protect what exists of true democracy in our government, but is also an opportunity to bring working people together to build an even stronger force for change in our country and the world.

UE Locals in Wisconsin, in conjunction with other unions and labor organizations, have worked to circulate and collect “Red Line Cards,” which include a list of escalating actions to which the signer can choose to commit. The actions range from simply voting for pro labor candidates and encouraging co-workers to do the same, all the way to committing to participating in an economic blackout in the event that the elections are compromised.

Therefore, be it resolved by the delegates to the Western Regional Council:

1. Calls on the Western Region to:
   1. Support locals in their efforts to get out the vote, participate in constitutional election protection, engage in protest against those who would subvert our elections and democracy.
   2. Encourage members to vote for pro-labor candidates, and to encourage their fellow workers to do the same.
   3. Stand firm on election integrity, and if the federal government, or any other non-democratic entity, tampers with or interferes in our elections by confiscating ballots and/or voter data, or engages in voter intimidation or fraud, will endorse a national economic boycott to show the power we have over our fates by denying the boss our labor.
2. Calls on Locals in the Western Region:
   1. To engage in get out the vote activities including phone banking their membership, door knocking with other GOTV organizations in their communities.
   2. Encourage and help facilitate protests and actions in the democratic rank-and-file spirit of our Union to push back on those who would attempt to subvert, defraud, or otherwise exert undue influence on long standing democratic institutions and processes.
   3. Coordinate with other local labor unions, organizations, and community groups to help voters to the polls, observe elections, and engage in other election defense activities.
   4. Distribute, promote, and collect a version of the “Red Line Election Pledge” card, tailored to the political climate of their locale.