Reprinted from the St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune, Oct. 9-15, 2008 edition:

Coalition of Labor Union Women says
“When women vote, Dems win”

St. Louis--They met to amplify the voice of women in the workforce and to continue the fight for goals established more than 30 years ago, but this political season the Coalition of Labor Union Women pushed “Working Women Vote 2008.”

On a Saturday in September, more than 50 members of CLUW’s National Executive Board, including St. Louis Metro CLUW Chapter President Alice Moore-Jones and other women, met at a hotel downtown to strategize and reach out to as many working women as possible before election day to make sure they support candidates who support issues important to working women: economic security, healthcare, education, Social Security and retirement, energy, equal pay for women, jobs with livable wages, and an end to the war.

Beth Barton, President of Missouri Women in Trades said women workers in Missouri with a bachelor’s degree earn $37,000 annually compared to men who earn $52,000.  She spoke of her efforts to break through the “men-only mentality” among construction trades, and said less than 2 percent of workers in construction are women.

Barton said as a carpenter, she earns about $65,000—a good wage for a working woman. She said MoWIT is working to bring this information to more women looking to earn a decent wage.

Robin Wright Jones, the keynote speaker, candidate for state senator from the city of St. Louis, urged all women to vote in the Nov. 4 general election so their voices will be heard.

Keynote speaker Robin Wright Jones, a former Missouri state representative, and now a candidate for state senate from the city of St. Louis, said working women—and all women—need to vote in the Nov. 4 general election so their voices will be heard. She said to imagine what could happen if all women could be motivated to participate in the democratic process?

Surveys of the 2004 election show that 60 percent of married women went to the polls compared with only 37 percent of unmarried women.

“When women vote, Democrats win,” said Wright Jones, identifying herself as a political and union activist. “We have the ability to make change in November. Help us spread the word, that it’s time for change; that it’s time for women.

“As women—mothers and grandmothers—we have the ability to elect Presidential Candidate Barack Obama.”

 “Our governor, Blunt, came in with a slash and burn policy,” Wright Jones said. “We are a heartbeat away from complete disaster in Missouri unless we see change.”

Clara Faatz, treasurer of St. Louis Area Jobs with Justice said her organization, working with the broader “WE CAN” coalition, won a tremendous victory when the so-called Missouri Civil Rights Initiative failed to turn in signatures which would have placed a constitutional ban on affirmative action on the November ballot. She said women can also make a huge difference in this upcoming election.

CLUW President Marsha Zakowski told the conference that, “One thing is certain about the 2008 Presidential Election: Women, as they have since 1980, will be a majority of the electorate.”

Shannon Lynberg, National Director, Younger Women's Task Force, National Council of Women's Organizations addresses guests at the recent conference held in Downtown St. Louis.

Shannon Lynberg, national director of the Younger Women’s Task Force, National Council of Women’s Organizations, said younger women are being hurt the most in this struggling economy with low wages, the high cost of living and the high cost of college tuition.

Lynberg said some women with bachelor’s degrees work at Starbucks, but to get a master’s degree and a better job, tuition costs are out of reach. She said a survey conducted by the Younger Women’s Task Force found “that while violence against women and reproductive choice remain high on the list of concerns, working women in their 20s and 30s care the most about ending the war, pay equity, the cost of education and access to health care.”

Lynberg said about 22 million younger women did not vote in the 2004 Presidential election. The unrealized power, potential and voice of these younger women can greatly impact this year’s election and change the world for the better. In the past, it was not uncommon for young women to not be involved in politics. Young women have felt disengaged, but in this election, we can make a difference.”