Valentine and Unions

Labor unions are some of the most important organizations in America. They have fought tirelessly for humane working conditions: without unions, there would be no minimum wage, no benefits, no 40-hour work week, and no safety guidelines.

My dad has been a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for as long as I can remember. The union doesn’t just guarantee that my dad comes home from work safe, in fact, it does so much more – the union is a family. My childhood memories are full of Easter egg hunts and Christmas parties with my family at the local chapter, and some of my best friends are my friends because our dads are in the union together. Sometimes when I’m walking through the grocery store with my dad, he’ll stop and talk to a random person. When I ask who it is, he just says, “Oh, that’s an electrician.” Unions have done so much for workers across the country, and they won’t be stopping anytime soon.

Although Trudy Busch Valentine has not announced an endorsement from the IBEW, she has gained the endorsement of many other labor unions:

• The National Education Association

• Communications Workers of America

• American Federation of Teachers

• United Auto Workers International

• Missouri AFL-CIO

• Missouri-Kansas-Nebraska Conference of Teamsters

• Missouri State Council of Firefighters

• UA Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562

• United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States

• United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655

Valentine saw the power of unions firsthand when her father worked with the Teamsters to build Anheuser-Busch. She says, “He understood the dignity that comes along with a job that paid fair wages, offered good benefits, and protected the health and safety of employees.” In a way, the union became a part of her family – without the Teamsters, her family business would not have the success it does today. Valentine carries the values that her father instilled in her into her campaign today.

Valentine’s platform clearly prioritizes unions: She states that she will work diligently to pass the PRO Act, which would protect workers’ rights to “communicate about and conduct organizing efforts.” Valentine has communicated multiple times that she values the work of unions, and she says, “I will always keep my door open to organized labor.”

Unions are powerful organizations, not only because of the important work that they do in protecting workers’ rights, but also because of their efforts to mobilize their members. By endorsing candidates like Trudy Busch Valentine and actively participating in the political process, unions send a clear message to their workers that voting is important. On every union page that I visited while writing this post, there was a link to register to vote. While that deadline has passed in Missouri, the election is right around the corner. If you need to request an absentee ballot, vote early, or check where you’ll be voting, you can do it here. Until then, support organized labor, and remember what Valentine said: “We must always remember that unions are the backbone of this country, and our economy.”