Public Employee Press

Political Action 2008
Green Machine helps win key primaries

800 DC 37 activists hit the streets Sept. 9

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

District Council 37 rolled out the big Green Machine in the Democratic primary Sept. 9. Activists staffed phone banks, handed out campaign literature and made a big difference for most of the candidates the union endorsed.

Clarise Graham, a Job Training Program participant who works at Canarsie Park in Brooklyn, was one of the army of 800 volunteers DC 37 fielded. “I thought that it was very important to be here today and help out the union,” said Graham. Then she grabbed a bag of campaign literature to distribute and headed out from the busy Brooklyn headquarters of incumbent Congress Member Edolphus Towns, who defeated his opponent decisively by 11, 520 votes.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts visited several campaign headquarters to lend her support, including the command center of Bronx State Assembly Member Carl E. Heastie, who won his election handily. Heastie had strong support from DC 37 activists, including Elizabeth M. Wood, a retiree from Local 371 and a resident of the neighborhood for 40 years. “I love to be able to volunteer,” said Wood, who has worked in several voter registration campaigns.

Facing his first primary challenge in over two decades, veteran Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver took a hefty 68 percent of the vote to overwhelm a pair of challengers.

That night at union headquarters Silver spoke to a huge crowd that included hundreds of volunteers from Lifeguards Local 461 and Lifeguard Supervisors Local 508. “This is my home union,” he said. “I appreciate DC 37’s support and all the work you did on my behalf.”

Still registering voters
OTB Local 2021 President Lenny Allen, who chairs DC 37’s Political Action Committee, praised Silver for playing a pivotal role in saving 1,500 union jobs. “Shelly did not let us lose our jobs and we did not let him lose his,” said Allen.

In two other key races, Brooklyn state Sen. Kevin Parker (District 21) defeated his challengers and Bronx Assembly Member Michael Benjamin (District 79) won his re-election bid. On Staten Island, Michael McMahon (District 13) won his congressional primary.

Now the union will focus its efforts on the November presidential election, said DC 37 Political Director Wanda Williams. “For us to be successful, the name of the game is field operations,” she said. “That means massive voter registration and going door-to-door to talk to our members to get out the vote for Barack Obama.”

The deadline to register to vote is Friday, Oct. 10. If you are not registered, mail in the postage-paid form on page 3 of this PEP. Please notify the Political Action Dept. at 212-815-1550 when you send in your form.

“It’s very important that we take nothing for granted and work to get out the vote,” said Williams. Members can still volunteer by calling the number above.