Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Alaska Union Members Win Big in Local Elections

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Union member candidates scored a series of victories in local elections held Oct. 5 in Alaska. Seven union-endorsed candidates won their elections, including Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Bryce Ward (IUOE) and three other current and former union members. The Alaska AFL-CIO led a strong ground game, knocking on nearly 800 doors and making thousands of phone calls to voters in Fairbanks. Elections were also held in Juneau and Kenai Peninsula. Political action is growing in Alaska, which is a battleground for passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.

“Building union power starts by getting our members elected at the local level and driving program from the ground up,” said Alaska AFL-CIO President Joelle Hall (UFCW). “We are thrilled to have elected a strong slate of pro-worker candidates to public office, especially in a town like Fairbanks with a long, storied history of worker power. We will continue to work hard to build a political movement in Alaska that’s rooted in the Workers First Agenda.”