As we head into the final week before the election we urge tradeswomen to vote - like your health, your job, and a just and equitable economy and country is at stake. Because it is! Our country is in the midst of major crises and this election will decide the course of action taken to address them.

As tradeswomen, we might compare this election to choosing which job site to work at. Do we go for the job where we are treated fairly, regardless of our gender or race, where it is common policy to strive for equity and inclusion, safety and health are prioritized, and the rights of workers to organize and collectively bargain are protected? Or do we chose the site where the owner, or contractor, superintendents, and crew leaders looked the other way at the racist and sexist graffiti or a noose hanging from a beam, tried to undermine our union contracts, or push us to work in hazardous conditions while stripping us of personal protective equipment and the health care we bargained for? Our job sites aren’t democracies, and there we don’t have an opportunity to vote for the perfect job site, but our country does have an electoral process to make our voices heard and our choices matter.

So what’s at stake in this election? Our health and well-being, our equality under the law, our economy working for us, our right to organize for safe and fair workplaces, our environment – in many cases, our very lives.

Elections have consequences and leadership at all levels of government matters. Your vote matters and will impact working people and our families in our country and across the world. Vote for leaders that will work and strive for:

·         A universal plan to address COVID-19 based in science

·         Universal access to affordable and accessible health care

·         Comprehensive strategies, policies, and resources to redress racial injustice and inequities

·         Economic equity and security for women and communities of color – especially those hit hardest by the economic impact of COVID-19

·         A government that protects a woman’s right to control her own body and fights for paid family and sick leave

·         Protection of labor rights, including the right to safe and healthy workplaces, to organize unions and expect wages that offer economic security in all occupations

·         Provisions for a safety net that ensures that no one will be unsheltered, or unable to provide basic provisions for their families in the time of their greatest need

Voting is the privilege and responsibility we all have to make our voices heard on these critical issues. So when you vote, think about voting for the job site we know would give tradeswomen an equal opportunity to learn a trade, earn a living, and lift up a family and community. Vote for our country as if it is the job site that gives all workers, regardless of gender or race or immigration status, fair treatment, and that prioritizes health, safety, equity and inclusion, and fair pay with benefits that provide family economic security. We encourage you to not only vote but also to organize in your community to ensure your families, co-workers, and friends are educated about what’s at stake and how important their vote is. Remember, what’s at stake in this election is our very lives, the economic security, equity and safety of all working people, our families, and communities.