32BJ member volunteers aim to register 8,000 union voters in Florida, Pennsylvania and Virginia
After Trump and Senate Inaction on Relief Package, Essential Workers Take Outrage to the Ballot Box
Arlington, VA – Urgent financial, racial and health crises are galvanizing 32BJ’s essential frontline workers to register 8,000 union member voters in Florida, Pennsylvania and Virginia which is home to over 6,000 32BJ members. SEIU’s largest-ever voter engagement program will expand the electorate by turning out infrequent Black and Latino voters by combining digital organizing tools with traditional methods to connect with voters, including a robust paid media strategy in multiple languages.
SEIU’s $150 million campaign is expected to reach more than six million voters in eight key battleground states, where member volunteers will engage both union members and non-members.
“While Corporations are rescued by bailout after bailout, essential workers are redoubling their efforts to ensure they won’t be left behind in November,” said Jaime Contreras, Vice President of 32BJ on behalf of over 20,000 essential cleaners, security officers and airport workers in the D.C, area and Baltimore, MD. “This voting block of essential workers is driven by reasonable and urgent demands for essential pay and PPE because it means the difference between life and death, and financial stability and poverty.”
“Donald Trump has been terrible for working people and for unions,” said Kwaku Agyeman, a contracted wheelchair agent at National Airport and 32BJ member who lives in Alexandria, VA. “Trump does not care about us and has done nothing for us but make things harder. He only helps the very rich.”
Essential frontlines workers have been denied repeated attempts to receive hazard pay, while those who are laid off have seen their only lifeline of unemployment insurance whittled down to a thread.
With over 175,000 members in 11 states, including over 20,000 in the D.C, area and Baltimore, MD, 32BJ SEIU is the nation’s largest property service workers union.
###