Over the weekend, 28 rank-and-file union members representing 23 local unions from across all sectors of the labor movement gathered for a two-day immersion course where they learned the nuts and bolts of building, coordinating, and winning an election campaign. Students are running for offices from the local to state level and received expert instruction in subjects such as volunteer recruitment, fundraising, campaign planning, campaign research, public speaking, targeting, voter contact, get-out-the-vote, resource management, message development, and media relations, and digital strategies.
The Labor Candidates School was held from August 10-11, 2013 at the union staffed Rutgers University Inn and Conference Center, and continues our organization’s long tradition of preparing and educating rank-and-file union members to run for elected office. The New Jersey State AFL-CIO Labor Candidates Program has achieved groundbreaking success around the state by helping labor candidates to achieve 732 election victories since 1997. On Election Day, November 5, 2013, a total of 70 first-time and incumbent labor candidates will be on the ballot – the largest number in the history of the Labor Candidates Program.
We sincerely congratulate the graduates of this year’s school and look forward to working with them to pave a road to victory in November. By electing our union brothers and sisters to represent us in state and local governments, we can work together to enact the policies which benefit all working families in New Jersey.
CLICK HERE to see photos from the 17th Annual Labor Candidates School.