Originally posted Nov 08, 2012

America re-elected President Obama and Vice President Biden—giving them added strength in the fight to create jobs and opportunity. The voters have given a mandate to protect vital programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid, end tax cuts for the wealthy and strengthen the middle class.

It’s not just the Presidential contest that we’re celebrating today, either. From Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, to Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin, to Chris Murphy in Connecticut—working people have strong new allies in the U.S. Senate. And we won key ballot initiatives. We defeated Proposal 1, the “Local Dictator Law,” in Michigan and beat back an attempt by corporations to hijack our democracy, called Prop 32, in California.

We won because of more than 65,000 AFSCME members who rallied, made phone calls, knocked on doors and drove people to the polls.

Please WATCH this short video—a tribute to all the AFSCME sisters and brothers who made a difference.

You can also read more about the election results in this special AFSCME report “Main Street’s New Moment:What Election 2012 Means for America’s Working Families.”

Make no mistake though, as sweet as Tuesday’s victories are, we must continue fighting. Next week, Congress will reconvene to consider many important budget issues that will determine America’s priorities—and just like in the election, we’re going to need AFSCME members on the frontlines of the fight.

Thanks for everything you’ve done and continue to do to protect public services and the middle class.

In solidarity,

LEE SAUNDERS LAURA REYES
President Secretary-Treasurer