MTA Applauds Biden-Harris Victory
MTA Applauds Biden-Harris Victory
The MTA issued the following statement today on the election of Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice president:
The election of Joe Biden and the defeat of Donald Trump represent a triumph of compassion over narcissism, racial justice over white supremacy, and democracy over kleptocracy. Although the margin of victory was smaller than we had hoped for, the historic turnout — despite attempts at voter intimidation and suppression — showed the will of the American people to protect their right to vote and make sure their votes are counted. About two-thirds of Massachusetts voters supported Biden over Trump, approximately the same ratio as favored Hillary Clinton over Trump in 2016.
The election of Kamala Harris as vice president will feed the dreams of girls and young women across the country, particularly girls and women of color, just as the election of Barack Obama as president gave new hope to people of color everywhere. We congratulate the vice president-elect wholeheartedly.
We also congratulate U.S. Senator Edward Markey and the entire congressional delegation from Massachusetts on their victories, along with the many MTA-backed state legislators who won election or re-election. We are disappointed that more U.S. senators who share our values were not elected in other states. The results mean that the MTA and other NEA affiliates will have to work even harder to win the national policies that educators across the country support.
This is a moment made for unions such as the MTA, which turns 175 years old on Nov. 24. With this election, we in the labor movement will have to redouble our commitment to defend the rights, interests and values of working people, attack systemic racism and stand up for the common good. Labor unions, allied with progressives of all types, will insist on passage of a Green New Deal, fair taxes to support public services and a public health system based on science rather than macho posturing. As public education advocates, we must continue our fight to promote equal opportunity for all students, regardless of their racial or ethnic background, immigration status or socioeconomic status.
Communities and labor must stay united to ensure that the Biden-Harris administration acts swiftly and boldly to implement an agenda that truly serves the common good. Our nation was on the verge of becoming a third-rate oligarchy, and huge divisions remain. We need courage coupled with compassion to realize the promises of our democracy that have yet to be achieved. People on opposite sides of the vote must find a way to build a country based on liberty and justice for all.
Today is a time to celebrate, but soon the hard work will resume to make sure that campaign promises become our nation’s new reality.