Union Politics & Power: Labor Activists Are Organizing to Have Impact on Election

By Karen Juanita Carrillo | New York Amsterdam News | Word In BlackPhoto illustration by AmNews; photo courtesy of 1199SEIU(WIB) – “We get on the bus early in the morning, and put on our purple gear so everyone knows that we are 1199,” says Brookdale Hospital patient service associate Dianne Dixon. “We get in groups, and we go to neighborhoods and knock on doors and then speak to voters, reminding them of the importance of getting out there to make a difference.” Dixon is a member of& 1199SEIU’s Weekend Warriors –– union members who voluntarily canvass various neighborhoods, and sometimes other states, to help boost voter education and registration for the upcoming elections.Local unions like 1199 recruit volunteers and bus them to battleground states in ongoing efforts to encourage voter participation. Union members say they are compelled to get information to voters about this year’s candidates and what the results of this presidential election could mean to union families.Dixon addresses the person opening the door she just knocked on with “Hi! How are you today? We’re here reminding our community that it is important to vote and we’re speaking about Kamala Harris. Have you heard of her?”She’ll get a few...