Watch UNITE HERE Activist Gloria Craven’s Speech at the DNC

August 27, 2008

Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention a former Pillowtex worker from North Carolina and leader of the Southern Region of UNITE HERE, Gloria Craven, addressed the convention during primetime. You can watch her speech here.

From her speech:

"There used to be a time in America when you felt like there were people in government who were looking out for people like me. But not the last eight years. I know I can't stand another four years of George W. Bush. But John McCain will be no different. When he said a few months ago that we've made great progress economically, it made me wonder: who does he mean by "we?" And then, I read he owns seven houses, and it was clear that "we" didn't include "me."

But Barack Obama has made me believe again. I get the feeling he cares about people like me and will create an America where things like hard work and loyalty mean something again."
Read the rest on Daily Kos.com

Many of you will remember Gloria as one of the driving forces behind UNITE HERE's Train the Trainer program for health and safety. She recently introduced Senator Obama at a rally he held in Raleigh which inspired the campaign to fly her to Denver to speak at the convention as part of their "Renewing America's Promise" themed Tuesday night program.

Follow the convention with UNITE HERE's Daily Kos blog posts at http://elana-levin-of-unite-here.dailykos.com/. Additional labor coverage of the convention can be found at Change to Win's blog CtW Connect.

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UNITE HERE at the Democratic National Convention

August 22, 2008

UNITE HERE will be in full force at the Democratic National Convention supporting Barack Obama for President. As the first national union to endorse Obama for President, UNITE HERE is taking an active roll in the convention with members and union leadership including President Bruce Raynor serving as delegates.

25 percent of DNC delegates are members of a union but labor won’t just be at the convention to vote. Members of UNITE HERE’s Rocky Mountain Joint Board are integral to convention attendees’ stay-- cleaning their hotel rooms, fixing their drinks and making their stay enjoyable at the Hyatt Regency. At the Pepsi Center and Denver airport joint board members will be selling concessions to thirsty delegates.

On Tuesday night Anna Burger, the Chair of the Change To Win Federation will be addressing the convention floor between 8-9pm EST.  On Sunday Bruce Raynor will speak at Turn Around America, a joint labor rally of union delegates and members at the Convention Center between 3-5 MT. For regular online updates from UNITE HERE at the convention read our diaries on the Daily Kos blog.

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