FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Contact: Hannah Holliday, [email protected]
Hospitality Union UNITE HERE Philly celebrates Fetterman and Shapiro/Davis victories and honors the hospitality workers who knocked on nearly 1 million doors statewide in PA’s largest canvass
Philadelphia—As John Fetterman secures the U.S. Senate seat and Josh Shapiro and Austin Davis win the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s race, UNITE HERE Philly Local 274 President and “Workers to the Front” Campaign Director Rosslyn Wuchinich issued a statement on behalf of the field canvassers, campaign leadership and union members who made up the largest door-to-door turnout operation for the Democrats in the 2022 Pennsylvania midterms. The program was led by UNITE HERE Locals 274 and 634 in Philadelphia with support from allies across the labor movement.
“We feel immense pride in the voter turnout our canvassing team mobilized in Philadelphia and surrounding counties leading up to this win for Fetterman and Shapiro & Davis. From March through Election Day, our canvassers knocked on 980,571 doors to speak with undecided voters. In Pennsylvania, elections are often determined not by the people who vote but by the people who don’t. That’s why our union focused on connecting with unlikely voters in low-income, Black, and Brown neighborhoods with the most to win or lose.
The voters we spoke with had to overcome tremendous obstacles to participate, including last minute rules instigated by Trump-backed Republicans trying to suppress our votes. In the last 72 hours, we spoke with 3,000 voters who were at risk of having their votes not counted because of technical ballot errors.
Despite these hurdles, people in our communities voted in record numbers and made their voice clear, choosing candidates who offer working people the best chance of improving their lives, whether it’s tackling gun violence that plagues our neighborhoods, attacking the corporate greed that makes daily life unaffordable, or protecting our fundamental rights to vote or make decisions about how and when to grow our families. This midterm election was a battle for the soul of our city and our commonwealth and working people won.”
Campaign Field Director Sheila Silver commented on the uphill battle canvassers faced to inspire participation in the democratic process in neighborhoods neglected by other campaigns. “When we first started talking to voters, we heard frustration, fatigue, and fear. We knew we had to bring our full hearts into our conversations with voters to break through the hopelessness and apathy. Six days a week, through the heat, cold, and rain, we shared our stories with our neighbors and asked them to join us in our efforts to move workers to the front of the political process and ensure our communities are fully invested in so that we and our families can thrive. This is a victory for our candidates, and more importantly, a victory for the working people, People of Color and women who make up most of our city and our commonwealth.
We know that organizing makes the difference in our fight as workers: when we stand up together, we win. This election, we came together as the largest canvassing team in PA, and we made the critical difference to deliver a win for Democrats in the PA midterms. We look forward to working together with our new elected officials on ensuring the needs of working people in Pennsylvania are prioritized.”
