Hillary Clinton:
UAW Made 'the Difference' in Elections

Story by Jennifer John

The evening had all the energy and warmth of a Hollywood opening night--except this was Washington, D.C.--and the star attraction was none other than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.

More than 1,500 delegates to the UAW’s 2002 Legislative Conference roared with applause before the former first lady delivered the keynote address on Jan. 27 at the Hilton Washington Hotel. There were even cheers of “Hillary for president.”

Relaxed and confident, Sen. Clinton touched on myriad issues, including homeland security, the Enron scandal, privatization of Social Security, health care and the economy.

Clinton, notably the first first lady elected to the U.S. Senate and the first woman elected statewide in New York, also serves on the Senate Labor Committee. She had high praise for the UAW and outgoing President Stephen P. Yokich, who is retiring in June, noting his role in negotiating Election Day as a holiday in many UAW contracts.

“The UAW made the difference in the 2000 elections, especially in Michigan, Missouri and New York. I only wish you had a few more plants in Florida,” joked Clinton.

Before the tragic events of Sept. 11, Clinton said, working Americans were faced with issues such as the economy and creating jobs, reasserting organized labor’s voice regarding OSHA and work rules, and health care. Since then, America’s focus has been on fighting the war against terrorism at home and abroad.

“When it comes to national security and homeland security, we’ll speak with one voice,” she said. “But on those other issues, we have disagreements and must provide economic security to the people of this country.”

Clinton closed with a story about her heroine, Harriett Tubman, who escaped slavery, made her way to the North and founded the Underground Railroad.

She quoted Tubman, who returned to the South more than a dozen times to help others flee: “Tubman said, ‘Once we get started, there’s no going back.’ …The challenge of today is to keep going.”