Senders Communication Group - Demo Site

Night after night leading up to the Nov. 4 election, phone banks across Los Angeles were bursting with enthusiastic community college students calling voters in California and battleground states. These children of working class families understood what was at stake in this election – and were delighted to participate.

Leading the charge was Salvador Sanchez, a political science instructor at LA City College, who directed the students’ efforts. Calling his work with the students "inspired" and "one of the union’s finest achievements," Guild Political Director John McDowell said the both the Guild and the students got much out of participating in the historic experience, including learning about the American political process.

LA Labor chief Maria Elena Durazo agreed: "Thank you to the hundreds of community college students who volunteered on our phone banks during the two months leading up to the historic Nov. 4 election. They showed up at all of our locations evening after evening. They made phone calls on behalf of working class issues – calling into battleground states for Obama, on Measure J for community colleges and Measure R for LA transportation infrastructure.

"Their dedication and energy was inspiring. They are the children of our working men and women so they believe in the same issues the labor movement fights for everyday. They are the next generation of labor union activists. Our hats off to them and AFT 1521 for seeing the value in getting our youth involved in the issues that are going to impact them and our communities. We couldn’t have pulled out such a terrific victory without them."