UNITE HERE at Yale A Big Part of Primary Victories in New Haven September 17, 2011

Fed up with a political leadership unresponsive to the needs of working people, thousands of New Haven Democrats voted on September 13th for aldermanic candidates supported by a broad coalition of organizations, including UNITE HERE at Yale.  Fourteen of fifteen of these candidates won their primary elections—some by overwhelming margins—in a stunning citywide call for change.  With very few of them facing challengers in the general election in November, they are poised to take office in January.

Among those who ran were six leaders of our unions—Brian Wingate, Tyisha Walker, and Frank Douglass from Local 35, and Brenda Jones-Barnes, Adam Marchand, and Sarah Saiano from Local 34 (Sarah lost her primary).  Dozens of members of our unions canvassed during the weeks before the primaries and turned out supporters to the polls on September 13th.  It was the largest mobilization of union activists in local electoral politics in recent memory, both locally and nationwide.

Adam Marchand, who won a narrow victory in Ward 25 in the Westville neighborhood, attributed his success to the hard work of his team of volunteers, made up of colleagues from Local 34 and of neighbors from his ward.  “We are now in a position not only to wish for a stronger neighborhood and a better New Haven, but to come together as a community and make it happen,” he said.

Stay tuned for updates on next steps for this group of leaders once they take office in January.