FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2021
California Labor Federation
Contact: Steve Smith 510-326-4644
ssmith@calaborfed.org

Workers Powered the Campaign to Crush Harmful Recall Effort

Statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski

Tonight our shared values as Californians emerge not just intact, but stronger than ever. By a landslide, Californians rejected calls by right-wing Republicans to roll back decades of progress on worker protections, including the minimum wage, paid family leave, health and safety, and immigrant rights.

Working people didn’t just vote in large numbers to ensure tonight’s outcome, they volunteered like never before to seal this win. When this campaign began, labor unions set a goal of 10,000 volunteers to get out the vote. In the months since, we more than doubled that in total volunteer shifts, walking more than 8,000 miles in support of Gov. Newsom. This was one of the largest field campaigns the state has ever seen.

Volunteers spent countless nights and weekends knocking on doors and on the phone to turn the tide in this campaign, engaging voters personally on the high stakes in this election. The unprecedented ground game powered by unions, community groups and the Newsom campaign is the heart and soul of this victory and its contribution to tonight’s win can’t be overstated.

With the ongoing pandemic and the economic hardship it’s caused, we have major challenges ahead of us. We look forward to partnering with Gov. Newsom to meet the challenges facing workers head on, advancing a nation-leading progressive economic agenda that lifts up all Californians.

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