<i>Just Work</i>: Barack Obama is the Fundamental Change Working America Needs

For people like me, the prospect for real change in America is not just a trendy news story. It's about building a real future for our families, and guaranteeing economic security for those of us who work hard and play by the rules.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

Today, when my union--the Service Employees International Union--endorsed Barack Obama for President--I felt that same surge of excitement that has been sweeping the nation: the time to reclaim the American Dream for workers is now, and Barack Obama is our ticket.

I work for the Cleveland Municipal School District, and just like millions of other working class Americans, I know what's at stake in this election. Everywhere I look I can see the consequences of a country out of balance and badly off course. While those at the top enjoy substantial pay raises and tax cuts, I find myself digging further into debt just so that I can put food on the table, afford rent, and get a basic medical check up. The cost of health insurance, gas, food, housing, and education continue to go up, and the profits are enjoyed by an ever richer and ever smaller minority of elites.

While workers suffer here at home, we continue to throw away billions of tax-payer dollars on a war with no end. Just here in Cleveland, Ohio we've lost hundreds of young men in Iraq and Afghanistan, and thousands more men and women have returned to their communities hurt, unable to work or support their families, and forgotten by the government that promised to take care of them.

The costs of the Bush administration's failed vision for America are staggering. The past seven years have left too many of us broke, living hand to mouth, and feeling the weight of the world on our shoulders.

Today, it's time to leave that despair behind.

For people like me, the prospect for real change in America is not just a trendy news story. It's about building a real future for our families, and guaranteeing economic security for those of us who work hard and play by the rules. It's about creating a government that works for us and understands that we are only strong when every voice is heard. Change is about reclaiming our sense of patriotism and clearing the good name of a country once regarded as the richest and strongest in the world.

Electing Barack Obama as President of the United States will break more than one glass ceiling--it will challenge the entire economic and political system that has kept so many of us working-class Americans fighting over the crumbs here at the bottom.

America needs a fundamental cure, not just a band-aid. We need creative solutions, not just the same old partisan gridlock. We need leaders who represent every person in America, not just those with the most political clout or the deepest pocketbooks. We need reforms that challenge the status quo, not just slight alterations that barely scratch the surface.

Barack Obama has proven through a life of community organizing and political leadership that he is committed to giving a voice to the voiceless. He's reached across generations, ethnic groups and communities of diverse economic backgrounds to remind us all about our most sacred shared ideals: equality, freedom, and justice for all Americans.

Barack Obama will restore the promise of America because he is the promise of America.

Today, I join with 1.9 million SEIU healthcare workers, janitors, security officers, public sector employees, and other service workers to pledge our commitment to work side-by-side with Barack Obama to bring the fundamental change to Washington that America needs so desperately. We will go door-to-door, join rallies nationwide, and share with our friends and neighbors the message: YES WE CAN. We can create a new American Dream.

Lynn Radcliffe is a public sector worker with the Cleveland Municipal School District and a member of SEIU Local 1199WOK. A single mother of two, Lynn is a dedicated union members and a long-time political activist who has seen how politics can change lives. In the coming weeks, she looks forward to speaking with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers about supporting Barack Obama, bringing real change to Washington, and restoring the American Dream for all workers.

Just Work is a series presented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to give a voice to working people to discuss their daily struggles to balance work, afford life and participate in a more just society. SEIU welcomes submissions to Just Work! Please send your story (600 words or less) to ali.jost@seiu.org.

About SEIU: The 1.9 million-member SEIU is the fastest-growing union in North America. SEIU members are winning better wages, health care, and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers, not just corporations and CEOs, benefit from today's global economy.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot