Proposition 32: Labor Gets Out the Vote to Protect the Voice of Working People
In a decisive victory, Labor held its ground as Prop 32 was defeated in California by 12 points, according to preliminary returns. In opposition to Prop 32, the California labor movement mounted its largest “get out the vote” effort in history, contacting millions of voters. The effort included areas with dense Latino populations, where more than 600,000 voters in those areas alone were contacted and urged to oppose Prop 32. Union members and supporters spent countless hours phone-banking, canvassing and spreading the word.
Moving forward, Unions can continue to allocate contributions collected through payroll deductions toward political speech on behalf of the working families they represent. It remains to be seen whether Unions will develop alternative methods for collecting money for political action.
For now, California’s working families can be proud their voices, and their votes, are not for sale.