UNITE HERE Statement on Sen. Cortez-Masto Win: Landmark Victories in NV, AZ and PA a Testament to the Power of Working People
UNITE HERE Statement on Sen. Cortez-Masto Win: Landmark Victories in NV, AZ and PA a Testament to the Power of Working People
The union that ran the largest field operation in NV, AZ, and PA announces plans to build off its general election canvass program in GA for the Senate runoff.
Today, UNITE HERE — the largest field operations in NV, AZ, and PA— celebrates another term of a Democratic Majority in the United States Senate. In response to the Senate results in NV and AZ, UNITE HERE President D. Taylor and Secretary-Treasurer Gwen Mills issued the following statement:
“More than 1200 ordinary people – housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers and other hospitality workers who powered UNITE HERE‘s canvass – achieved something extraordinary in this election season. In total, UNITE HERE canvassers knocked on 2.7 million doors in Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania to deliver landmark victories for working people in the Senate in all three battleground states.
“We did this hard work with the support of our union allies to defeat Trump Republicans and back candidates ready to help working people get through these tough times. In the end, we defied expectations in some of the most difficult and high stakes elections our Union has ever faced.
“Record voter turnout and narrow wins show that talking to people in person is essential. Our organizing with unlikely voters cuts through the noise from mailers and ads and drives people into action. We believe that this is possible in battlegrounds all across the country with the right amount of effort.
“And we’re not done. We are partnering with allies in Georgia to deliver the race for Senator Warnock, building off our general election efforts there to bring the full force of our canvassing program.
“Most importantly, our conversations with thousands of people about their hopes and daily struggles have affirmed for our Union the need to organize beyond election day. In these tough times, the best answers to the challenges our nation faces are the values of solidarity and hope of a vibrant labor movement.”
Background
Nationwide, UNITE HERE’s door-to-door canvassing operations were the largest in the states of Nevada, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, and combined were the largest labor-led program in the nation. In total, UNITE HERE’s program contributed the following to the victories across key states:
- Nevada: 1,000,000 doors knocked (450 canvassers)
- Arizona: 750,000 doors knocked (350 canvassers)
- Pennsylvania: 950,000 doors knocked (400 canvassers)
In 2020, UNITE HERE led a similar field program to defeat Trump in Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and Pennsylvania. 1,700 hospitality workers knocked on over three million doors. Then, the Union participated the Georgia Senate run-off, growing to 1,100 in the field, hitting 1.6 million doors, and helping the broader coalition reach 10 million knocks before the runoffs.