IUE-CWA members visit the Capitol to see 'how unions and politics coincide.'

By BERRY CRAIG

AFT Local 130

IUE-CWA Kentucky State Political Action Campaign Lead Ashley Snider says it's important to get rank-and-file union members to Frankfort so they can "see where real legislation is passed that can help or harm the working class."

Hence on Wednesday, she helped host a lobby day for IUE-CWA members from across the state "to show them how unions and politics coincide."

Snider, who's also vice president of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO, said about 55 of her union brothers and sisters attended. "Most were from Louisville, but they also came from Madisonville, Leitchfield, Paducah, Elizabethtown-- they were from all over."

Snider said some of the participants had never been to the Capitol. So she rounded up some union veterans to show them around. They included State AFL-CIO President Bill Londrigan, Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Wiggins, Political Coordinator Liles Taylor, Bill Finn, state building trades director; Josh Swiney, CWA Kentucky State Legislative-Political Director, Jason Devaldivielso, CWA LPAT for Kentucky; and some rank-and-file members who had lobbied before. 

The union members had appointments to visit their own state representatives and senators--Democrats and Republicans--"about pending legislation that directly impacts the lives of working people in Kentucky," Snider said. "We don't care what party a legislator affiliates with. We just care if they vote to support working people and our issues.

"After their lobby visits, members had the opportunity to meet Kentucky's new governor, labor-endorsed Andy Beshear, and learn more about how he has used his new office to fight for working families on his first day on the job."  

Beshear posed for a group photo with the union men and women. "Many of the members in the room door-knocked, phone banked and canvassed their colleagues from the break room to the shop floor to help get Beshear elected this past November, and it was an exciting moment for them to see what happens when working people build political power."

Added Snider: "Elections have consequences and our members worked hard to get Beshear elected. Seeing him at the statehouse was living proof that when we organize, we can really make things happen."

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