SEIU members and worker leaders in the Fight for $15 and a Union spread the word about why their votes are essential in 2020 during Saturday’s National Vote Early Day. From New York City to Detroit to Miami, workers participated in more than 30 actions in over 10 major cities alongside celebrities, including the rapper Common and comedian Patton Oswalt, and elected officials.
“This election is critical for frontline workers because too many of us are not safe at work,” said Wanda Coker, a Burger King worker and member of NC Raise Up/Fight for $15 and a Union. “North Carolina's Labor Commissioner has done absolutely nothing to protect essential workers like me. Electing a new Labor Commissioner is one of the many reasons I am voting early.”
Coker and other NC Raise Up $15 members participated in a march to the polls with community partners and elected officials in Fayetteville.
In the afternoon, SEIU members hosted a star-studded #MyVoteIsEssential Early Vote Day virtual town hall and phonebank. More than 650 members and organizing leaders were joined by Oswalt, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Kamala Harris’ sister Maya Harris and SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry to kick off the largest volunteer event of the cycle. Following the program, more than 400 members were trained to phonebank Georgia voters.
SEIU and its partner organizations had already made more than 28 million phone calls, sent almost 50 million text messages, and by election day will have knocked on more than 2 million doors in order to drive voters to the polls. Their messages of #MyVoteIsEssential will continue throughout of the country from now until election day.
· Read more about Saturday’s actions from Newsweek.
· See more about Saturday’s actions in Boston, Detroit, Miami, Orlando, Chicago, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and Madison.
