5 Questions for Esther Hernandez-Kramer
You’re Farmingdale Federation of Teacher’s third vice president, but you’re also its political action chair and NYSUT’s Nassau County Political Action Chair for Senate District 8. With a presidential election on the horizon, how are you getting out the vote and spreading the word about union endorsements?
We do phone banks, canvassing and we send out texts on behalf of endorsed candidates and about important issues. Here on Long Island, we’re very focused on winning Congressional races. We’ve also been going on lots of labor walks with other area unions, through the Long Island Federation of Labor, and speaking with members.
What do labor walks entail?
We go out into local neighborhoods, knock on doors and talk to members about issues and candidates. Meeting people face-to-face and having friendly conversations with them is the best way to find common ground and get people to think about who and what they support. Conversations like that have a chance of changing someone’s mind as opposed to just posting something online.
What challenges do you face when doing this work?
A big one is helping members overcome the perception that NYSUT only supports Democrats and liberal issues. NYSUT supports candidates who support pro-labor and pro-education issues. We want to send pro-education, pro-labor representatives to Washington so we can get important legislation passed to benefit these causes.
NYSUT recently launched its Common Ground Over Chaos campaign to highlight the importance of moving beyond partisanship to pass legislation that benefits all Americans. Has this campaign been helpful in getting members to overcome the perception that the union is partisan?
Common Ground Over Chaos is a very easy message for people to get behind. I don’t think people enjoy being this polarized. They don’t want to be arguing on Facebook or at Thanksgiving dinner, they want to be able to have disagreements about issues and not have things become hate filled. We have real issues to deal with, and if we can cut to the heart of what people really care about, they’ll be motivated to get to the polls.
What are some of the big voter concerns in your area?
Fiscal concerns and women’s rights are big ones. I sit on the Long Island Federation of Labor’s Executive Board, and it’s enlightening to hear what other unions are fighting for. Everyone wants good working conditions and to earn good pay without paying crazy taxes — Long Island is a very expensive place to live. In New York state I think we’ll also get lots of people coming out in support of Proposal 1 [the New York Equal Rights amendment]. Whether they’re Republican or Democrat, all women need equal rights! Our members also care about Fixing Tier 6 and many worry about losing their pension. Fiscal issues are important.