Working America Kicks Off Summer with Health Care Canvass

Opportunity will be knocking at the door of thousands of working Americans this summer, in the form of a powerful way to have a say in the issues that affect their lives.

Working America — the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO for people who don’t have unions — is launching a huge canvass this summer to meet and talk to thousands of Americans in nine states who have been left out of the economic debate in this country. Already at 1.6 million members since its founding in 2003, Working America plans to reach 2.5 million by Labor Day 2008. By joining together, these virtually disenfranchised workers can send messages their elected officials can no longer ignore.

Members of Working America don’t fit any profiles of stereotypical progressives. Forty percent consider themselves political independents. Sixty three percent do not have a college degree; 32 percent own guns and 41 percent attend church at least weekly. And they are natural allies of labor unions in the fight for social and economic justice.

Already Working America has made a huge impact on state policy and national elections. For example, Working America’s field campaign was instrumental in defeating tax initiatives in Oregon that would have hurt working families.

In the 2006 election cycle, for example, Working America launched the ‘Final Four’ campaign, adding 600 staff members who knocked on 153,000 doors in Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania to get out the vote in those crucial days before the election. That effort helped put candidates who support working people over the top in several key electoral districts.

This year Working America’s members have overwhelmingly chosen health care as the most important issue. This summer’s campaign will focus on educating people about ideas to provide quality, affordable health care to all Americans and about what each of the presidential candidates says they will do about health care.