UE Political Action Updates

The Majority Agenda is a set of policy changes which are supported by significant majorities of Americans and have the potential to improve the lives of millions of working people. The 14 policy briefs which make up the report are all short, clear, and easy to read. They are grouped into three broad categories: good jobs, strong infrastructure, and fair play.

In a poll conducted in November by the MedicareForAll PAC, over 50 percent of voters expressed support for the single-payer “Medicare for All” healthcare system that UE has long demanded. After listening to a robust and balanced description of a government-provided system that noted that taxes would increase for some Americans if implemented, 54 percent of voters supported such a system. The support is especially pronounced among Black Americans (77 percent support), women under age 50 (71 percent support), and those under 30 (74 percent support).

In a move reminiscent of Cold War-era attacks on UE, the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee, fueled by misinformation from far-right political groups, has demanded five years’ worth of financial audits from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). This is a clear attempt to discredit one of the most militant and effective unions in the U.S., and a close UE ally.

In a rare display of bipartisan support for workers, 20 Republicans joined Congressional Democrats last week to buck the Republican House leadership and force a vote on the “Protect America’s Workforce Act,” which passed by a vote of 231-195.

This legislation would restore collective bargaining rights to the more than one million federal workers who lost their union contracts earlier this year. The executive orders canceling the workers’ contracts and collective bargaining rights have been called the largest single act of unionbusting in American history.