By Tom Boensch
Michigan Building Trades Council

A few affiliates have inquired about holding a labor rally this fall at the State Capitol.

As I explained at the March Michigan Building Trades Legislative Conference, the upcoming elections will be the most important of the decade for the labor movement. Consider what 5,000 members at a labor rally means in terms of time and money; at least 40,000 work hours and over $1 million dollars in lost wages and benefits. Estimates put the number of rally participants at a far higher figure. Let's capture that energy this year for a more significant purpose.

That is why I am asking Michigan Building Trades members to contribute any resources they would have directed to a rally to their local communities. For example: contribute a day to a local candidate by staffing telephone banks, registering voters, putting up yard signs or going door to door in your neighborhood with a candidate. Donate a day's wages to a candidate's campaign fund. These resources will impact the political process far more than any rally can.

Recent polling indicates that the next President of the United States will be elected by voters in five states. Michigan is one of them! Your help in getting building trades members registered and to the polls will mean the difference between electing a President who will not have Labor's best interests at heart or a President who supports the working people in our nation.