Organized labor scored a huge victory in California on November when voters defeated a proposition that would have crippled the ability of unions to participate in elections.
Proposition 32, deceptively known as the “Stop Special Interest Money Now Act,” sought to stifle union’s political financing and organizing efforts, but have little or no impact on unlimited spending by Big Business and the wealthy.
“In California, residents aren’t interested in one-sided efforts at reform,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a former union organizer. “By now the message should be clear: Don’t try to muscle hard-working Californians.”
“At the end of the day, this election was about a choice between two very different visions for our nation,” said AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka. “One vision rewards hard work and the people who do it, while the other benefits only those at the top — and voters got it.”
Proposition 32 was defeated by 12 percentage points.
