Massive Turnout by Voters of Color and Essential Workers Will Fight For Workers’ Rights and Justice

32BJ SEIU Made 2 Million Calls into Battleground States, As Part of a Record-Breaking SEIU Program

New York – After running one of the largest programs in this election cycle to engage and turn out infrequent voters, 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) formally congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their decisive victory. Today, the union representing 175,000 service workers up and down the east coast, celebrated a Biden/Harris ticket following a wave of support by voters of color, many of whom have been essential workers during the pandemic.

“I really believe in democracy, and watching those numbers go up this morning I felt like this is OUR victory. We did this, here in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection! I just want to say how proud I am to have played a role in this historic election with my union. Together we turned out our members and their communities like never before and it’s so rewarding to see all these phone calls and volunteer hours pay off,” said Audra Traynham, a Philadelphia office cleaner and 32BJ SEIU.

32BJ members played an essential role in electing Biden, Harris and progressive candidates in PA and VA, and raising the wage to $15 in FL. 32BJ members who have been essential workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, organized their communities and showed up in record numbers to cast their ballots for new leadership who will reform our democracy, rebuild our country and fundamentally transform our economy.

32BJ SEIU Voter Outreach Efforts by the Numbers:
·       2 million phone calls into battleground states
·       5 million texts to battleground states
·       6,000 members registered
·       150,000 doors knocked in PA and FL

“Essential workers of every race and background have kept our communities fed, clean, safe and healthy during the pandemic. We are essential and so are our votes. We voted, and with a unified voice, we chose Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to lead our country through this crisis,” said Kyle Bragg, President of 32BJ SEIU. “Now, we will continue to mobilize, march and demand that our newly elected leaders take action bold enough to meet this unprecedented moment and to respect, protect and pay us what we deserve.”

SEIU, one of the most diverse unions in America, has run one of the largest programs this election cycle to engage and turn out infrequent voters in battleground states. SEIU’s political engagement strategy centered around making sure that people who are too frequently left out or not engaged in the process — particularly infrequent voters of color — felt the stakes and turned up at the polls.

Essential workers and their communities voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for a better future – and now the work to secure that future begins.

With over 175,000 members in eleven states and Washington, D.C., 32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country.