Sunday, May 23, 2010

For Immediate Release

Contact: Ryan Gavin Ryan.Gavin@Maine.edu

In an open letter to College Democrats of America President Katie Naranjo on   May 12, Maine College Democrats Vice President Pete Christopher called on the CDA leadership to create National CDA Labor Caucus. Read VP Christopher’s full letter below.

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May 12, 2010

Dear President Naranjo,

Congratulations on a successful year. I hope this letter finds you well. The past few national events have been very successful and set out various, attainable goals that college students across the nation will work tirelessly for throughout the summer and into the fall 2010 midterm elections. There were great discussions that took place with a wealth of knowledge and passion throughout a range of issues. With finance and healthcare reform on the forefront of policy there was little room for much else. With our historic victory on health care reform and the economy reviving, we can now move other issues into our scope. Among these issues, need to be labor policy. With the economy still not one hundred percent, it is important that we start to promote the benefits of legislation like the Employee Free Choice Act. Labor issues have always been at the heart of what the Democratic party stands for and as College Democrats it is our responsibility to promote these issues to our peers.

The strong relationship between Democrats and labor unions has lasted generations and to this day we continue to enjoy the support that they give to us. This winter, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the special election between Martha Coakley and Scott Brown tested this relationship and exit polls seemed to show that the bond was weakening. With that election in the rear-view mirror we need to start thinking about ways to rebuild this relationship. Democrats continue to represent labor's best hope for advancing their goals and expanding membership. We need to push for reform so that another generation of Americans sees us as the fighters for the working class that we have been for decades. College students need to be informed of the central role that unions play in our society and College Democrats need to take the lead on these issues.

We take the lead on many important issues that face our great country, and labor should be no different. College Democrats should start a Labor Caucus, as a vehicle to get ideas and discussions off the ground that would allow us to properly advocate and promote these issues across the nation. Labor issues need to be given the utmost consideration because of how deeply they affect the middle class that built this great country. As leaders on campuses across America, we owe it to our party and our peers to give it our utmost consideration.

Please consider my request to form a Labor Caucus within the College Democrats of America. With any questions please e-mail Pete Christopher at psc617@gmail.com or call at (857)201-9183.

Pete Christopher

Vice President- Maine College Democrats

Cc: Jamarr Brown, Dana Cronyn, Joe Day, Analiese Eicher, Jen Johns, 
Aarti Sheth, Lee Drake, Kathleen Digan, Jonny Ortwein