Graphic Communicator photo by Dennis B. Doris Jr.

GCIU Vice Pres. Lawrence Martinez observes: "The GCIU did a good job. We had volunteers and people out in the field. And we had people getting out the vote, assisting the AFL-CIO, educating our members, and getting out the vote in key states.

To assess the effectiveness of GCIU political action during the 2000 national and local elections, the Graphic Communicator interviewed GCIU Vice Pres. Lawrence Martinez, who chairs the General Board Legislative Committee. The interview follows below:

Graphic Communicator: What do you foresee coming from the Bush administration? Will it be a rough four years for working families?

Martinez: I think there was a quote made some time ago that said it is going to be like a cold war with the Soviet Union. We're going to have to be on our toes and very much involved in the political process, because I think we are going to be facing a slew of anti-worker measures coming up.

I think you are going to see paycheck deception. You are going to see an attempt to reverse the ergonomic standards signed by President Clinton. You are going to see a push to change the Fair Labor Standards Act and the 40-hour work week.

GC: Do you think there are any bright spots that might come about? We did defeat Linda Chavez, who would have been an anti-union secretary of Labor, according to most labor leaders. Now we face Elaine Chao. Do you think this is an improvement?

LM: Well, I think it is a little early to tell. I approve some of her comments about her having worked with (AFL-CIO) Pres. (John) Sweeney and other people in the labor movement when she was with the United Way.

But the positive things we can look at is that with the U.S. Senate at 50 percent a split senate . With people like Hillary Clinton and some of the new people we elected, I think we can turn it around. We can use the tactics the Republicans have shown us for so long are effective, and our friends in the Senate can get up and speak and filibuster much of the anti-worker legislation that will come about. They (the GOP) have used that for many years against us, and I think we can reverse that and use it against them now. So, I think that is a positive part of what we are looking at.

GC: Do you think the GCIU and other unions did all we could though we still lost the presidential race? Or do you think we can do more and build on our gains in the future?

LM: Well, to say we've done all we could would be not be true. I think we did . . . better than we ever have. But I don't think we've done all we can.

Just for an example, union household turnouts in 1992 was 19 percent if you recall that is when President Clinton got elected. In 1996, we had 23 percent union turnout, and in the year 2000, we had 26 percent union vote turnout.

As you can see, we increased that all the time. We did a good job. Quite frankly, the GCIU did a good job. We had volunteers and people out in the field. We had people getting out the vote and assisting the AFL-CIO and educating our members and getting the vote out in key states such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and we had some people in Kentucky. We had people working hard on the election, and I think we did a very good job. Whether it's enough, I don't think so. I think we can do a better job next time.

GC: What does the GCIU and labor plan for the 2002 House and Senate elections?

LM: Well, I think we have to first concentrate on what is going to happen now since the census has been taken. There is changing of various states that are going to increase their numbers of congressional representation. By increasing their representation, they change the electoral vote.

For example, Arizona, which is a right-to-work state, will be gaining two congressional seats. They will have 12 electoral college votes. Florida will increase by two congressional seats. Texas increases two electoral seats, Colorado by one, and California will increase by one. So, there are going to be changes in the geographic location of the seats.

If that weren't the case, I would think that we would win back the Congress in the year 2002. But because of the changing of the geographic makeup of the Congress, it will be a little more difficult. But I think we can still do it.

GC: With the close numbers in the House of Representatives, are we planning anything to attract so-called "moderate" Republicans?

LM: Yes, absolutely. As a matter of fact, there have been some Republicans who have been supported by labor. Many Republicans have been supported. I think because labor has gone out in the forefront and led the charge in many of the elections, I think we are in a better position than we have ever been.

We have shown we can do the job just by increasing the numbers of labor people voter turnout. So, hopefully, we are going to be able to hold on to many of the gains we have made. We are not going to make any new inroads. But I think that if we hold on to what we have, we are going to be all right for these next four years.

GC: Do you think the 50-50 split in the senate that you talked about earlier will make our lives easier in protecting labor legislation?

LM: Oh, absolutely. I think the advocates we have – Senator [Edward] Kennedy, Hillary Clinton – are great; and Mrs. [Jean] Carnahan of Missouri, where we had [John] Ashcroft, is a refreshing change.

The problem is that we have Ashcroft as attorney general. I think that is going to be very bad – not only for us but for civil rights and for women's rights. Additionally, I think Gale Norton, just confirmed for the secretary of the Interior, is going to allow the oil companies free reign on our environment.

GC: What are the GCIU's main legislative priorities over the next four years?

LM: Again, I think it is just a matter of maintaining our 40-hour work week and the ergonomic standards that have been approved because we have a lot of people who do repetitive motion type of work. If we can continue to maintain that and improve on that, I think it would be a great thing.

I think if we can maintain some worker friendly National Labor Relations Board and regional offices, I think that would be important.

I am hopeful that we are going to put together a legislative conference. I have talked to a couple of larger international unions about the possibility of putting a legislative conference together with them and bring in our members and get them involved. That way, our legislative delegates can lobby their local officials so that we can get some politically active legislative districts in areas where the United States Congress or the U.S. Senate is going to make decisions and we can lobby them and write letters to them. I hope that with the better network on the Internet we can do that on the web pages also.

During the Republican control of the House and Senate, during the Newt Gingrich years, we quit our legislative conferences because we didn't feel we could really have an impact with them. But now, with the split in the Senate and with the smaller margin in the House, we feel that now one or two votes can make a major difference and we can make a major impact now. So, we are going to resume our legislative conferences as soon as I get together with the right international unions to try to put it together so that we have a bigger and better one.

Photo courtesy of St. Paul 29C

St. Paul 29C shop representatives receive awards for exceeding goals of the local's Get Out the Union Vote for labor-endorsed candidates project for the Nov. 7 election. From left are: Ray Trombley of E.W. Honsa, Steve Killen of Impact Printing, Jim Miller of Ramaley, and Local 29C Pres. Nick Caruso.