Political Director’s Report – July 2020 

We are just about three months away until the General Election on November 3, 2020. Please make sure you are registered to vote. If you’re old school and want a voter registration card mailed to you, call the Pasadena office, and request a voter registration card. We are happy to mail it. The easiest way to register is by visiting www.registertovote.ca.gov. It is fast and secure.

Vice President Joe Biden is the presumptive democratic nominee. And yes, IBEW has endorsed him. Let me be transparent, I did not vote for Biden during the Primary Election but am enthusiastically looking forward to voting for him in November. Why? Because Trump has been a disaster. If you are a Trump support, I respectfully disagree with you. If you are not a Trump supporter, but unhappy about voting for VP Joe Biden, I hear you. But let’s think about what’s at risk if Trump wins a second term. Trump will get more appointments to the Supreme Court, more appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, and will continue appointing former lobbyists and board members of corporations, and billionaires to fill his Cabinet. This is not okay. So, what’s at risk? Voting rights, civil rights, women’s rights, worker rights, and so on.

Before the pandemic began, I was planning on campaigning against Trump in Arizona. It’s a battleground state that’s not a big hassle to travel to. Clearly, that’s not happening anymore. My plans have shifted. I invite you to join me in helping to register Local 11 members to vote, elect Assembly member Christy Smith to Congress out in the Antelope Valley and mobilize on social media and job sites. It is important to make sure everyone within our jurisdiction is registered to vote because of all the local city councils, school boards, etc. that will be on the ballot in November. Those positions are important too, and the next election is not just about who will be the next President of the United States. Assemblymember Christy Smith is running in California’s 25t^th Congressional District. That includes most of the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita Valley. Winning that seat is a priority for Labor because Mike Garcia, the Republican that is presently there already, voted to repeal the Davis Bacon Act and voted against an estimate d $1.5 trillion transportation infrastructure bond that would have created many jobs for us. Make no mistake about it, those votes directly attacked us and the building trades.

So, what’s next? We’re hosting a political update on Thursday, August 6th at 5 pm and another on Saturday, August 8th at 10 am. Both presentations will be the same. Call or text me to RSVP and get the login information. If you have ever asked, “How can I help? This is it. I will have a presentation but also want to hear from you. Safety healthy.

Antonio Sanchez
IBEW 11 Political Director