John,
It’s been a busy November, with voters for hundreds of our endorsed candidates going to the polls, and our activists and members continuing to boldly organize for the changes our country needs.
There’s a lot to catch up on since our last roundup, so let's get to it!
WFP CHAMPIONS WIN RACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
On Election Day, voters from coast to coast turned out for WFP champions and powered some historic victories.
In Philadelphia, WFP’s Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke won both minority party seats on the City Council — seats that before Kendra’s 2019 win had only ever gone to Republicans. The message was clear: Philadelphia is now a two-party town: Democrats, and the Working Families Party.
.png "Photo of Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O'Rourke celebrating their wins")
While elsewhere in Pennsylvania, climate champion Sara Innamorato toppled the party machine and became the first woman to be elected as Allegheny County Executive, and Dan McCaffery was elected to the PA Supreme Court, bolstering the pro-democracy majority ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
In Virginia, we helped flip the House from Republican control and kept the Democratic majority in the state Senate, putting a stop to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s entire right-wing, anti-abortion agenda. Our work included electing WFP-endorsed State Senators Danica Roem, Aaron Rouse and Stella Pekarsky, and Delegates Nadarius Clarke, Josh Thomas, Josh Cole, Michael Feggins, and Kelly Fowler.
In Ohio, we threw down and helped push Issue 1 — which guaranteed the right to an abortion in the state constitution — across the finish line in a resounding win.
In New York and Connecticut, hundreds of our champions won key mayoral and local races, including new mayors in New Rochelle and Ithaca, NY, our entire NYC City Council Slate, and two members of the Hartford City Council on the WFP ballot line.
And we won more victories for WFP candidates in Georgia, Colorado, New Jersey, California, North Carolina, Arizona, Washington, Texas, New Mexico, and more — effectively growing our movement across the country and building strong infrastructure ahead of the 2024 elections.
These wins and more could not be possible without members like you, who sent 6 million texts, knocked on 600,000 doors, called 540,000 voters, and sent 30,000 postcards to help elect WFP champions and win victories that will resonate now and for years to come — and which will make a real difference in the lives of working people.
CONTINUING THE PUSH FOR A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN GAZA
A four-day truce is not enough. We’re continuing to build powerful momentum in the effort to achieve a real and lasting ceasefire in Gaza — with 47 members of Congress now officially calling for an end to the violence. Check our tracker here for up-to-date information on which congress members have joined the ceasefire movement.
This is thanks in part to our fellow WFP members, who have sent more than 8000 emails to their representatives, completed more than 2000 calls to their offices, and finished nearly 500 shifts at one of our Ceasefire Now phone banks.
.png "Demand Ceasefire Now. Keep calling. Keep writing. Keep up the pressure.")
We can’t let up the pressure now. If you haven’t contacted your representatives yet, join the letter campaign to send an email to your congress member here, then text CEASEFIRE to 30403 to call their office.
FREE HOLIDAY POSTCARDS FOR YOUR LOVED ONES
This holiday season, our sibling organization Working Families Power is launching a new project to let you deliver delight and democracy to the people in your life by mailing them a free, personalized new year’s postcard!
Your holiday postcards will feature your photo, a wish for a happy new year, and a call to action in 2024.
.png "Image of holiday postcard. Reads \"Wishing you a Happy New Year full of Peace and Democracy. Sending joy and love, Maurice Mitchell.\" Photo of Maurice.")
The best part? Your postcards are completely free and so simple to make — just upload a photo and make a list of your friends and family in an easy app, and Working Families Power will handle the rest!
To get your holiday postcards, you can sign up for an upcoming virtual postcard event, host an in-person postcard party, or get instructions to send on your own schedule!
WGA, UAW, and SAG-AFTRA UNIONS WIN MASSIVE VICTORIES
Following a Hot Labor Summer, we’ve firmly entered Find Out Fall, when some of the nation’s largest corporations are discovering that when organized workers stand together against unfair treatment, these corporations have no choice but to finally negotiate contracts that treat workers with respect.
Last month, the Writers Guild of America ratified their contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, winning livable wages, increased job security, protections against replacement by AI, and more. This ended a strike of 148 days — a duration that was only possible because of the solidarity shown by union workers and supporters.
Their strike was joined in July by the union actors at SAG-AFTRA, whose members began voting on a new contract last week. This $1 billion-plus contract would increase residual payments (which were often only pennies at a time), fairly count performance on streaming platforms, and enact new protections against digital likenesses of actors being used and manipulated without consent.
Lastly, the United Auto Workers ratified new contracts with the Big Three automotive companies (Ford, Stellantis, and GM) earlier this week. UAW workers won pay raises and cost-of-living adjustments, the elimination of wage tiers, and commitments to create thousands of jobs building electric vehicles and batteries.
Unions have transformed our country for the better for over a hundred years — from these recent victories to the creation of the weekend. If you’re interested in bringing this worker power to your job, check out our guide on how to create a union here.
KICKING OFF THE 2024 CYCLE WITH CONGRESSIONAL CHAMPIONS
Following huge victories in 2023, we’re kicking off the 2024 election cycle by re-endorsing some of our most boldly progressive leaders in Congress, including Summer Lee and Cori Bush.
Summer Lee overcame millions of dollars in right-wing PAC money in 2022 to become the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania — and has since proven herself as one of the most progressive members of Congress to ever serve her state. She has led with a commitment to fighting for people over corporations and communities over special interests.
Cori Bush has put the working families of St. Louis and the entire country front and center. She’s a relentless advocate for racial, social, health care, and environmental justice — as well as one of the first leaders to courageously stand up and call for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine in order to save lives.
Now, both Summer and Cori are facing primary challengers as well as massive spending from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group funded by Republican megadonors who will do everything they can to attack our champions and elect people who put their donors’ interests before the people they’re elected to represent. If you can, split a donation of $10 or any amount now between Summer Lee and Cori Bush’s campaigns as they prepare for the fight ahead.
Support Summer and Cori
SPOTLIGHT ON WFP MEMBER MARISA SALAS
.png "Photo of Marisa Salas")
My name is Marisa Salas.
I have been an organizer for more than 18 years. Organizing is my passion because when people come together to change things that one cannot change alone, the power of our voices resonates strongly and changes occur.
I had the opportunity to collaborate at WFP talking to voters and listening to their problems and concerns and it was a very inspiring experience. And even more so that we talk about people like Nic and Kendra who care about the problems of our working class.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Deliver Delight and Democracy Postcard Parties:
You can join Working Families Power’s next Deliver Delight and Democracy Postcard Party on Thursday, November 30 at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT or 6 PM ET/3 PM PT! At the party, organizers will guide you through how to use the easy app to build your list of card recipients and upload a picture to feature.
Check out the full list of upcoming virtual postcard parties here.
RSVP: Postcard Party
Or, click here for instructions on how to send postcards on your own time!
Send Postcards Any Time
WFP Study Group: Reading for the Revolution:
On Tuesday, December 12 at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT, the WFP Study Group returns to discuss How the South Won the Civil War by Heather Cox Richardson — one of The Washington Post’s 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction in 2020. In the book, Heather Cox Richardson explores how the system that had sustained the South continued to weave itself into our nation’s fabric and identity.
Together, we’ll discuss what we’ve read and how we can apply those lessons to our own advocacy work. RSVP now to join the study group.
RSVP: WFP Study Group
WFP Welcome Gathering:
Our next WFP Welcome Gathering will be Thursday, December 14 at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT!
These gatherings are our chance to build community with other WFP members, old and new, and talk about how we’re building the party and the country of our dreams. Join us!
RSVP: WFP Welcome Gathering
As we celebrate our victories and spend time with our loved ones, we’re always looking ahead to the next big fights to build a country for the many, not the few.
Can you make a contribution today to power our movement as we prepare for 2024?
Pitch in
In solidarity,
Team WFP
