Working America

Working America is the political organizing arm of the AFL–CIO.^[2] Its membership is made up of non-union individuals.^[3][4] It is the largest non-employer based affiliate union and workers' group in the United States, with a self-reported membership of 5 million individuals.^[1] Working America advocates for progressive policy issues. The organization recruits people in working-class neighborhoods on their doorsteps in an effort to persuade them to support labor-backed candidates at election time.^[5][6][7]

Working America

Founded	2003
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Location	United States
Members	5 million[1]
Key people	Matt Morrison, executive director
Affiliations	AFL–CIO
Website	workingamerica.org

Overview

The organization started as a two-state pilot project of the AFL–CIO in 2003.^[8] The organization was launched nationally that fall, as a national directly affiliated labor union that would "not be employment-based or workplace-based in any way." Instead, it was to be a "neighborhood-based, membership organization affiliated with the labor movement... [that] will give working Americans who do not belong to unions the platform and the tools to join together and have their voices heard... canvassers will go door-to-door to educate, recruit members, and mobilize working families around important national, state, and local issues such as jobs, health care, and education".^[9] The organization's founding director was Karen Nussbaum.

In October 2005, the organization announced that it had enrolled 1 million members.^[10] It reported a membership of 2.5 million by the fall of 2008.^[11] As of October 2024, they report a membership of 5 million.^[1]

Campaigns

Working America undertook its first nationwide activities in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. It organized a "Show Us The Jobs" bus tour of workers throughout the Midwest. The tour was critical of President George W. Bush's policies.^[12][13]

Senator Russ Feingold signing up as a member of Working America on August 4, 2008

Working America was active in the 2006 midterm congressional elections.^[14][15] Working America activists were credited by the press and Democrats for helping to deliver federal and state victories in Ohio and Pennsylvania.^[16]

In 2007, Working America began a campaign to build support for universal health care. The group established a "Health Care Hustle" website on which consumers could post stories about how lack of health insurance or under-insurance led to significant financial, health or other problems. Working America promised to launch a campaign against the organization or corporation which received the most "horror stories." The effort built upon a previous campaign by Working America in mid-2006 in which the organization asked the public to submit stories about "bad bosses."^[17]

In 2015, Working America led a "massive get-out-the-vote effort" to elect Democrat Jack Conway as Governor of Kentucky. Conway was defeated by Republican Matt Bevin.^[18][19]

Policy positions

Working America opposes social security privatization.^[20] It supports the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion.^[21] The organization advocates for an increased minimum wage and universal health care.^[5]