A Message from Business Manager Chris Erikson
Last week, I attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and I can’t tell you how proud I was of the 74 IBEW delegates from across the country who cast their ballots for Kamala Harris to be the next President of the United States. The excitement in the hall was electrifying as was the prominent role the IBEW played, including a shoutout from President Joe Biden himself.
The choice couldn’t be any clearer. Both Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz laid out the agenda for their administration, and it’s clear as a bell that they represent the best hope to move our democracy and our country forward for all Americans.
We are facing a challenge from the MAGA right, spelled out in Project 2025, that will destroy America as we know it and what it stands for. Their agenda will destroy our livelihoods, the Trade Union movement, and the freedoms that Americans have fought and died for. It is our moment now, our time to stand up for our country, for our children and grandchildren, and to protect our cherished democracy. Our freedoms are at risk, and our country is on the cusp of taking a dark turn worse than anything we have ever seen before, including the January 6th attack on our Capitol. They want to turn our government into a dictatorship run by a man who could care less about the working class in America.
The Republican Party of today has been hijacked by extremists who would dismantle the safety net that working Americans have counted on forever. The billionaires and the corporations will rule the roost. Civil rights, labor rights, voting rights, veterans’ rights, and women’s reproductive rights will be gone. NATO and our alliances in the name of strength and security across the globe will be gone. The fight to protect our planet from the effects of climate change will be gone. That is not the America we deserve nor strive to be.
The whole world is watching. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz represent the best of what America can be. We – Democrats, moderate Republicans, and Independents – need to stay engaged to make it happen. It is our turn once again, and history will be made on our watch. Let’s get it done.
