Fred Redmond, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to provide his thoughts on Tuesday’s mid-term election.
Redmond discussed union members’ voter enthusiasm, the role of labor's ground game, the federation's election-protection effort and the priorities the AFL-CIO executive council was setting for the lame-duck session of Congress.
- Redmond said union members’ enthusiasm for voting was the highest he has seen, and that working people across party lines sent a message that they want a different direction. He said Sherrod Brown's return to the U.S. Senate shows that Ohio workers respect his policies.
- Redmond said labor's advantage over big spenders is direct contact, including conversations at work, at the door, by mail and by phone. He credited thousands of organizers with bringing the effort across the finish line.
- Redmond said the AFL-CIO fell short of its 50,000-person election protection goal but had more than 30,000 people in the field. There have been no reports of drastic voter suppression so far, but they will keep people in place until every vote is counted. Looking ahead, the executive council was setting priorities for the lame-duck session of Congress, including a major concern about possible cuts to the Affordable Care Act.
Redmond on Union Voter Enthusiasm
Fred Redmond, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast for First Friday with Fred, his monthly segment on the first Friday of each month. The conversation focused on Tuesday's election results and their impact on union members going forward.
Asked if voter enthusiasm among union members – reportedly 10 points higher than 2022, according to an AFL-CIO pre-election survey – paid off, Redmond said it did. During his travels, taking part in rallies and talking with members, he found people were ready to vote, bring their families and talk with other union members. The enthusiasm was higher than he had ever seen, he said.
Redmond on Tuesday Night
Redmond called Tuesday night a great night. Working people throughout the country, not just Democrats, made a loud statement that they want to go in a different direction, he said.
Redmond on Sherrod Brown and Union Candidates
Asked whether any race surprised him, Redmond said he was thrilled to see Sherrod Brown going back to the Senate. While that race did not surprise him, it showed that workers throughout Ohio respect Brown, his policies and what he has done for workers. Returning Brown to the Senate was a huge victory for workers, Redmond said.
One candidate he was rooting for was union member Angie Nixon in Florida, a former schoolteacher who Redmond said fought a good fight and ran a good race. He described her as a good fighter and a young woman who will run for office again.
Other union members were on numerous ballots, including a firefighter who ran for a congressional seat in Pennsylvania, Redmond said. Win or lose, the candidates are proof that when organized labor hangs together and pulls in the same direction, it can make things happen, he said.
Redmond on Money and Boots on the Ground
Asked about the amount of money spent in this year’s races and the potential influence of a small group of billionaires, Redmond said he hoped the results provided a lesson, but he would not count on it. Organized labor knows how to put boots on the ground and has an advantage over most, he said.
Union members can talk in the workplace, at their front doors, by mail and by phone, Redmond said. They know how to reach their fellow members and have discussions, he said, adding that talking with people directly about issues that affect them and their families has a huge impact, and that labor proved it during this election.
Redmond gave a shout-out to the thousands and thousands of “boots on the ground” union members, including everyone who made phone calls, passed out literature and knocked on doors. He called them the real heroes, and the results on Tuesday night happened because they brought the effort across the finish line.
Redmond on Election Protection
Asked about the AFL-CIO's plan to send people to polling places, Redmond said the federation did not quite reach its goal of 50,000, but had more than 30,000 people in the field. He said the AFL-CIO received complaints from the U.S. Department of Justice about people coming into polling places and from ICE, but people were determined.
Redmond said the lawyers the AFL-CIO collected were great and many issues were settled by phone with the polling place or the Democratic Party. The federation has not yet received reports of anything drastic that suppressed the vote, and he admitted he was surprised there was not more disruption at the polls.
Since election results have not been certified yet, the federation still has people out there, and Redmond said they will stay until every vote is counted. The AFL-CIO's executive council, its governing body, will meet to review the election protection plan and the election as a whole.
Redmond on the Lame-Duck Congress
Asked whether any legislation stands out for the lame-duck session of Congress, Redmond said the executive council will identify the federation's priorities for that period at its next meeting. The AFL-CIO has a major concern about the potential for cuts to healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, he said.
The executive council will also set new policy objectives and meet with newly elected representatives and allies who have supported labor all along, Redmond said, adding that the aim is to set priorities that will benefit working families.
More information on the AFL-CIO is available at aflcio.org.
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