June, 2012

This week in Wisconsin, workers made historic strides.

Though we fell short of recalling Governor Scott Walker, people all across the country are realizing that when workers band together to fight for their rights, they are not a force to be taken lightly.

Up against an avalanche of corporate money, workers pushed Governor Walker to the brink of defeat.

They may have more cash, but we will always have more crowds. Our power is our people and our potential is limitless.

It was people power that occupied the statehouse in Madison.

It was people power that gathered nearly 1 million signatures to remove Scott Walker from office.

It was people power that knocked on doors, made phone calls, helped get out the vote, and ultimately won back the Wisconsin Senate so that it favors working families – not corporations.

UFCW Local 1473 Members Frank Therrion and Bob Remiker

Two of those people knocking on doors in Wisconsin were Frank Therrion and Bob Remiker, invaluable members from UFCW Local 1473.

From late April to the election on June 5th, Frank and Bob knocked on at least 200+ doors a day, amounting to an awe-inspiring 9,528 total doors.

 Frank, who bought new shoes soon after joining the recall effort in late April, walked so much that on June 5th the tread on his shoes was completely worn down.

Frank Therrion’s Shoe Tread After 9,528 Doors

Frank and Bob are the definition of people power.

Thanks to their dedication and the hard work of hundreds of other UFCW members across the nation, we made real progress.

 Fifteen months ago, Scott Walker was carrying out his reign of terror on Wisconsin workers. This week, Wisconsin workers came within 200,000 votes of removing him from office and there is now a Democratic Senate holding him in check.

Make no mistake. The recall election made Scott Walker weaker and it made our movement stronger.

With members across the nation like Frank and Bob, there is nothing we can’t do.

A message from UFCW International President and Change to Win Chair Joe Hansen on last night’s election results in Wisconsin:

“Scott Walker leaves this recall bruised and weakened. And he will now have a Democratic Senate holding him in check. Walker will try to spin last night’s outcome as an endorsement of his anti-worker policies. Nothing could be further from the truth. In Ohio and now Wisconsin, we’ve seen the great possibilities when ordinary citizens band together to fight for their rights. Collective bargaining is a fundamental right like free speech, not some line item in a budget to be cut. Politicians across the country should take notice that if they attempt to take this right away from workers, they will be in for the fight of their lives. I want to commend the people of Wisconsin for their extraordinary efforts over the last 15 months. I have no doubt that they will finish the job on Scott Walker in 2014.”

UFCW has a long history of fighting for policies and elected officials that reflect the values and priorities of the people who make America work – and that fight will continue undeterred. To learn more about our work in the halls of Congress and at the voting booth, visit UFCWAction.org.