Victories

Stand Up For Workers is proud to endorse Senator Ed Markey from Massachusetts running as an incumbent in the U.S. Senate. Representing Massachusetts since 2013, he fights to protect and advance the rights of workers, women, immigrants, communities of color, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Stand Up For Workers is proud to endorse U.S. Representative Cong. Suzanne Bonamici from Oregon running for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Representing Oregon’s 1st District, she fights to help working families get ahead, strengthen public education, and ensure that workers have a voice on the job.

Stand Up For Workers is proud to endorse Senator Bob Casey from Pennsylvania running as an incumbent in the U.S. Senate. As a U.S. Senator since 2006, he is working to cut through the gridlock, stand up to powerful corporate special interests, and make the lives of hardworking Pennsylvanians easier.

Stand Up For Workers is proud to endorse U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego from Arizona, who is running for a seat in the U.S. Senate. As the son of immigrant parents, he represents Arizona’s 3rd District and knows what it means to live the American Dream. He is dedicated to making life better for hardworking Arizona families, including protecting abortion access, housing affordability, and the critical water supply.

Stand Up For Workers is proud to endorse Senator Jacky Rosen from Nevada running for reelection in the U.S. Senate. Serving Nevada since 2018, she is committed to tackling the issues that affect Nevada residents, including supporting U.S. servicemembers and veterans, addressing the state’s doctor and nursing shortage, and working to lower prices for life-saving medications.

Stand Up For Workers is proud to endorse U.S. Representative Bobby Scott from Virginia running for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Representing Virginia’s 3rd District since 1993, he is committed to delivering results for all Virginians, including fighting for workers’ rights, reforming our nation’s broken criminal justice system, and advocating for access to quality, affordable health care for all.

Stand Up For Workers is proud to endorse U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin from Michigan running for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Representing Michigan’s 7th District, she fights for Michigan’s working families, tackling impacting issues such as the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs, creating jobs with dignity, and getting money out of politics.

Sen. Michael Bennet has represented the state of Colorado in the United States Senate since his appointment in 2009. Prior to being appointed, Michael served as the Superintendent of Denver Public Schools. Sen. Bennett quickly established himself as a pragmatic leader and independent thinker, and has been reelected to three consecutive terms including his most recent election victory in November 2022.

Throughout his years in the Senate, Sen. Bennet has been a tireless advocate for workers’ rights and supported judicial nominees committed to defending them. Sen. Bennet has also built a reputation for listening to Coloradans, letting their needs guide his agenda in Washington, and working with Republicans and Democrats to address Colorado and our nation’s greatest challenges—including child poverty, education, climate change, immigration, health care, and national security. Visit bennet.senate.gov to learn more about Sen. Bennet’s work.

Sen. Fetterman was elected the junior Senator from Pennsylvania in November 2022 and was sworn in on January 3rd, 2023. Prior to his election to the United States Senate, Sen. Fetterman served as Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania for 4 years and Mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania for 13 years.

A Pennsylvania native, Sen. Fetterman grew up in York and attended Albright College, where he played college football. Sen. Fetterman has dedicated his life to fighting for Pennsylvania’s forgotten communities that have been left behind, and has proven to be an impressive advocate for workers’ rights and the judicial nominees who uphold them in his young tenure as a US Senator. Visit fetterman.senate.gov to learn more about Sen. Fetterman’s work.

First elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 and reelected to a second term in 2022, Sen. Hassan is the second woman in American history to be elected both Governor and United States Senator, along with fellow New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Sen. Hassan has been a steadfast supporter of workers’ rights in her time in the US Senate, and an important vote in favor of federal judicial nominees committed to upholding workers’ rights in the courts. ‘

Sen. Hassan has prioritized a bipartisan approach to governing throughout her career, and has also worked on federal issues such as infrastructure, climate change, and lowering healthcare costs. Visit hassan.senate.gov to learn more about Sen. Hassan’s work.

Sen. Mark Kelly was first elected to represent the state of Arizona in a 2020 special election, and was re-elected to serve his first full term in the 2022 midterm election. Sen. Kelly served in the United States armed forces as a highly decorated Navy combat pilot, and flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. In 1996, Sen. Kelly was selected as an astronaut and made four trips into space – traveling over 20 million miles and spending more than 50 days in space, including commanding Space Shuttle Endeavour on its final flight.

As a United States Senator, Sen. Kelly has prioritized workers’ rights and has worked across the aisle on a variety of issues including rebuilding America’s infrastructure, banning stock trading by members of Congress, and reducing healthcare costs. Visit kelly.senate.gov to learn more about Sen. Kelly’s work.

Sen. Cortez Masto made history by becoming the first woman from Nevada and the first Latina ever elected to the United States Senate in 2016, and was reelected to a second term in 2022. Sen. Cortez Masto previously served two terms as Attorney General of Nevada, where she focused her efforts on breaking up sex trafficking rings, protecting seniors from identity theft, exploitation, and abuse, and cracking down on mortgage fraud in the wake of the 2008 housing crisis.

As a member of the United States Senate, Sen. Cortez Masto has been a reliable vote for workers’ rights and a strong supporter of judicial nominees who are committed to protecting American workers. She has also prioritized federal issues such as childrens’ and womens’ healthcare, veterans’ services, and expanding renewable energy production. Visit cortezmasto.senate.gov to learn more about Sen. Cortez Masto’s work.

Reverend Raphael Warnock was first elected to represent the state of Georgia in the United States Senate in a 2020 special election, and was re-elected to serve his first full term in the 2022 midterm election. For more than 16 years, Sen. Warnock has served as Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the former pulpit of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is the youngest pastor selected to serve in that leadership role at the historic church.

Senator Warnock is a proud graduate of Morehouse College; after graduating from Morehouse, he went on to earn a Ph.D. and begin his career ordained in the ministry. As a US Senator, he has been a strong advocate for Workers’ rights and supported judicial nominees who share these values. Sen. Warnock also serves on the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, as well as the Special Committee on Aging and the Joint Economic Committee. Visit
warnock.senate.gov to learn more about Sen. Warnock’s work.

Sen. Mark Kelly was first elected to represent the state of Arizona in a 2020 special election, and was re-elected to serve his first full term in the 2022 midterm election. Sen. Kelly served in the United States armed forces as a highly decorated Navy combat pilot, and flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. In 1996, Sen. Kelly was selected as an astronaut and made four trips into space – traveling over 20 million miles and spending more than 50 days in space, including commanding Space Shuttle Endeavour on its final flight.

As a United States Senator, Sen. Kelly has prioritized workers’ rights and has worked across the aisle on a variety of issues including rebuilding America’s infrastructure, banning stock trading by members of Congress, and reducing healthcare costs. Visit kelly.senate.gov to learn more about Sen. Kelly’s work.

Senior U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia is one of the first senate candidates  the SU4W PAC supported and is currently being considered for support again as he runs for re-election. 

In his last election in 2020, Ossoff, along with junior Sen. Raphael Warnock, set new “firsts” for Georgia, as Ossoff was the first Jewish candidate, and Warnock the first African-American, to be elected to the U.S. Senate from the state.  Ossoff, whose race has been called the most expensive in U.S. history, defeated Republican incumbent David Perdue in a January runoff election after no candidate won a majority in the general election.  Ossoff’s and Warnock’s victories gave Democrats control of the Senate. At thirty-eight years of age he is currently the youngest senator in office.

Ossoff graduated from Georgetown University‘s Walsh School of Foreign Service with a Bachelor of Science in culture and politics, and earned a Master of Science degree in international political economy from the London School of Economics in 2013. Elements of Ossoff’s background of interest to worker advocates include his serving as intern for civil rights leader and U.S. Representative John Lewis. From 2007 to 2012 he served as legislative assistant for foreign affairs and defense policy for U.S. representative Hank Johnson.

From 2013 to 2021, Ossoff was the managing director and chief executive officer of Insight: The World Investigates (TWI), a London-based investigative television production company that works with reporters to create documentaries about corruption in foreign countries. The firm produced BBC investigations about ISIS war crimes and death squads in East Africa. He invested a previously received inheritance of an unknown amount to the TWI venture.

Ossoff ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2017.  Though he lost, The New York Times reported that he “produced probably the strongest Democratic turnout in an off-year election in at least a decade“, “brought a surprising number of irregular young and nonwhite voters to the polls,” and nearly doubled youth turnout in the 6th district from the 2014 midterm election, in a district where Republicans far outnumber Democrats.

Ossoff won the support of our PAC by his pledge respecting federal judicial appointments, that if elected he would vote to approve only judicial nominees who have stated their openness to and support of the rights of workers; and by his avowals of commitment to endorsing and promoting legislation that broadens or strengthens worker rights.  Along with SU4W PAC’s endorsement, in the 2020 race he also won the endorsement of the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund.

As senator, Ossoff has been active in a variety of areas, but pro-worker legislation has not appeared to be a major focus for him.  He initiated the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act, which was passed by the senate in 2022, and which held the promise of more manufacturing jobs.  It was incorporated into the Infrastructure and Jobs Act.  He also sought more control over the U.S. postmaster general in the wake of a mail service meltdown.  Earlier this year the Associated Press noted Ossoff’s bipartisan work with Republicans, advancing the interests of Georgia’s farmers and military bases.

Ossoff voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and has supported legislation that significantly benefited workers along with others, including the Affordable Care Act and the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.  He has also called for the repeal of “wasteful, anti-competitive special interest subsidies that make it hard for entrepreneurs to raise capital …  [and] create jobs … .”  He describes his support for the LGBTQ community as “unwavering” and supports comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship for immigrants not currently documented.

In 2022, he blocked a proposed titanium mine in the Okefenokee Swamp after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service warned of severe potential damage to the wildlife refuge. The mine was proposed by Twin Pines Minerals LLC in 2018.

Alongside his votes supporting workers, however, Ossoff’s Senate record also appears to include at least one less-than-supportive item.  The United Farm Workers and the S.E.I.U. union report that he joined forces with a Republican, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina,  to introduce a bill delaying a five-percent wage increase for H-2A Visa workers for nine months. A March 2022 statement from Tillis announced that Ossoff had joined him in sponsoring the legislation to support farmers.  Ossoff, who the unions note also supported legislation raising the federal minimum wage to fifteen dollars, denies favoring wage cuts for farm workers and points out that he has been a champion for paid leave and for the right to join a union.  Agriculture represents more than five percent of  Georgia’s economy, so it may not be surprising that Ossoff joined in that bill, and it may be that this bipartisan step explains why in one recent poll of voters, Ossoff was supported by some twenty percent of Georgia Republicans.

In the final analysis, living in a democratic system of government calls for pragmatism and compromise.  While Ossoff may not prioritize workers’ rights as highly as advocates may wish, his record overall is almost certainly preferable to the Republican candidate (whoever that turns out to be) for the seat.

Reverend Raphael Warnock was first elected to represent the state of Georgia in the United States Senate in a 2020 special election, and was re-elected to serve his first full term in the 2022 midterm election. For more than 16 years, Sen. Warnock has served as Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the former pulpit of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is the youngest pastor selected to serve in that leadership role at the historic church.

Senator Warnock is a proud graduate of Morehouse College; after graduating from Morehouse, he went on to earn a Ph.D. and begin his career ordained in the ministry. As a US Senator, he has been a strong advocate for Workers’ rights and supported judicial nominees who share these values. Sen. Warnock also serves on the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, as well as the Special Committee on Aging and the Joint Economic Committee. Visit
warnock.senate.gov to learn more about Sen. Warnock’s work.