CLEVELAND, October 16 — With 22 days to go until Election Day on November 7, the BLET is providing its members with a list of labor-friendly candidates it has endorsed for election.
The November 7 elections are extremely important to the future of all Americans. The races are expected to be among the most contested in recent memory. In the United States Senate, 33 of the 100 seats are up for election. The U.S. House of Representatives has many close races and there are many important state and local elections, including those for 36 state governors.
A list of BLET-endorsed candidates is available in the members-only area of the BLET website at: https://www.ble-t.org/members/2006endorsements.asp. The list will also be published in the October issue of the newsletter. BLET-endorsed candidates, both Democrat and Republican, have shown that they support workers and have been friendly towards the BLET and other labor organizations.
“Please take this list with you when you vote on November 7 and remember to vote pro labor and support union candidates,” BLET National President Don M. Hahs said. “The candidates that our State Legislative Boards have endorsed come from both political parties, but the one thing they all have in common is their support for labor, and specifically, rail labor. We don’t believe that a designation of Democrat or Republican is the most important issue, but we do believe that it’s important to remember who our friends are.”
With less than a month to go before the election, voter registration is closed in 39 states. However, BLET members in the remaining 11 states are urged to contact their local boards of election to register and vote.
“As we have seen in the recent past, the individuals we elect to represent us can have a deep impact on the lives of working men and women. All too often, this impact — unfortunately — is negative,” Vice President and National Legislative Representative John Tolman said. “Many issues that will affect the future of working men and women will be decided by the outcome of this election. Your vote on November 7 can hopefully turn the tides back towards working people and away from the corporate titans who value profits over people.”