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“People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote – a very different thing.”
- Walter H. Judd

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Filed under: 2008 Presidential election, elections, politics, quotables, rights

There are seemingly countless reasons why political issues should matter to working people (especially union members). So why is there such a disconnect between our livelihoods and the way we think about politics?

I’ve already chronicled various ways the coming U.S. elections could affect working class voters (see here and here for example). Today I’d like to focus a little on how political decisions affect us — specifically in the workplace. It actually comes down to one general scenario.

Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve been less than satisfied with something at work, and say, you filed a grievance? Now let’s say your grievance didn’t work out the way it should have in a perfect world. Have you ever been through anything like that? I have, and I know many of my brothers and sisters who have as well. It’s frustrating at the very least.

Did you know that a presidential candidate’s political views can greatly affect the work environment of millions of Americans? So if you elect a president who believes in less regulation in the workplace (as many Republicans do), chances are that president will make it more difficult to fix problems in the workplace. And if you elect someone who believes in protecting workers’ rights (as many Democrats do), chances are those problems get easier to fix.

It goes beyond legislation like the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to join unions (thereby giving organized workers far more leverage through sheer numbers). It goes all the way to figuring out what kind of judges will decide cases in the NLRB and the Supreme Court. And that goes a long way toward giving your union representatives the legal environment they need stand up for you.

Just remember: Choosing a candidate who believes in your rights at work makes those rights even stronger. Choosing the wrong candidate (as we did in the 2000 and 2004 elections) can all but make those rights disappear. If you believe in your rights, choose accordingly.

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Filed under: 2008 Presidential election, elections, politics, rights