"The Democrats do fine in presidential elections; their problem is they can't get out the vote in the midterm elections." 
The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg

  The August Primaries are upon us and we here at WeCAN want to make sure you are registered to vote! Let the words of Justice Ginsburg inspire you to bring TWO FRIENDS to the polls with you this election season and create the change we want to see in our Brave Little State. Did you know that as of January 1, 2017 eligible persons may register to vote on any day up to and including the day of the election in the state of Vermont? Registration is available during all normal business hours of your town or city clerk's office in the days running up to the election AND during polling hours on Election Day. You may also register to vote online and you can find more information here. 
Is this your first time registering by mail or online? If you are registering to vote in Vermont for the first time by mail or online, you must include a photocopy of an acceptable form of ID. Acceptable forms of ID are:

• Valid photo ID (driver’s license or passport)
• Current utility bill
• Current bank statement
• Another government document

Vermont Voter Application

We look forward to seeing you at the polls!

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"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

     There are many new submissions for this week's email, including graduate capstone presentations, a volunteer opportunity with a local campaign, a Climate Change solidarity action, and a discussion about local economies and economics. Take a look and find a new topic to explore near you! 

*JUST A REMINDER*: The last day to vote in the Vermont Primaries is this Tuesday, August 14th. Make your voice heard by casting your vote! You can find your local polling place here: 2018 Primary and General Election Polling Place Listing. 

“The genius of impeachment lay in the fact that it could punish the man without punishing the office.”
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.,
Pulitzer Prize winning American historian, social critic, and public intellectual

When we asked you to show up and vote in the August 14th Primaries, fellow Vermonters, you sure did show up! 

Thank you for all that you've done to contribute to our Democratic process, Windham County Voters! We can't wait to see you at the polls in November.

"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Supreme Court Justice and co-founder of the Women’s Rights Project of the ACLU

     As you enjoy this Labor Day with family friends (or at work, like many of us), we'd like to share with you some facts about this holiday in the hopes that you'll take this knowledge and spread it far and wide:

THE FIRST LABOR DAY CELEBRATION WAS SEPTEMBER 5, 1882 IN NEW YORK CITY. On that Tuesday, 10,000 citizens marched for labor rights down the streets of Manhattan. During this time the average American worked 12 hours a day, six days a week. It wasn't until the Adamson Act passed on September 3, 1916 that our modern eight-hour work day was established.

LABOR DAY IRONICALLY CAUSES SOME OF THE LONGEST WORKING HOURS FOR RETAIL WORKERS. Labor Day weekend is notorious for having crazy sales, but unfortunately, this means retail workers (a faction that makes up 6% of the country's employment system) have to work longer hours on a day specially dedicated to labor appreciation. In fact, many other professionals are expected to work on Labor Dayas well including correctional officers, police officials, firefighters, nurses, and more. While most people interpreted this as recognizing the day as a national vacation, Congress’ proclamation covers only federal employees.* It is up to each state to declare its own legal holidays.+

LABOR DAY CONTROVERSY. There’s some controversy as to who started Labor Day. Some say it was Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. Other say it was Matthew Maguire a member of International Association of Machinists. The controversy continues with no declared official winner. What we do know is that President Grover Cleveland signed it into law in 1894.  By the way, Labor Day came about more than two decades BEFORE the US Department of Labor existed.#

WHITE AFTER LABOR DAY? Historians say the expression “no white after Labor Day” comes from when the upper class would return from their summer vacations and stow away their lightweight, white summer clothes as they returned back to school and work.^

16.3 million The number of wage and salary workers age 16 and over represented by a union in 2016. This group included both union members (14.6 million) and workers who reported no union affiliation but whose jobs were covered by a union contract (1.7 million). Among states, New York continued to have the highest union membership rate (23.6 percent), and South Carolina had the lowest rate (1.6 percent).~

* https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a10318921/history-of-labor-day/
+ http://theconversation.com/have-we-forgotten-the-true-meaning-of-labor-day-64526
# https://www.adoramapix.com/blog/2016/09/05/15-fun-facts-about-labor-day/
^ https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-labor-day
~ https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2017/09/04/labor-day-numbers/630958001/

Have a happy and safe Labor Day, friends! We look forward to seeing you at an event soon. 

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