On Thursday, June 4, 2020, members of several different unions in northern Nevada joined together virtually for a phone bank to make phone calls for Natha Anderson, a Democratic candidate for the state Assembly District 30.
Natha Anderson is a second-generation Nevadan and a fourth-generation educator. She has taught at several middle and high schools in the Reno-Sparks area over her career. She is also the current president of Washoe Education Association, a.k.a. the “Teachers Union.” During the No on 3 campaign in the 2018 election season in Nevada, she invited us to present No on 3 to her membership. Their members took the information back to all the teachers at each school. It was a great help to get the NO vote out for ballot measure 3. Natha has received the endorsements not only of IBEW Local 1245 but also the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council and the Nevada State AFL-CIO.
With the help from Northern Nevada Building Trades Council leader Rob Benner of SMART 26, Chris Fuqua of Teamsters 533, and Nevada State AFL-CIO President Liz Sorenson of CWA District 9, we were able to reach out to 247 union households in Assembly District 30 during the two-hour virtual phone bank. Of the total number of calls made, we made contact with 10.93% of our union brothers and sisters.
Our effort helped Natha Anderson receive over 59% of the votes in the primary election on June 9. Anderson will now move on to the ballot for the general election in November as the Democratic candidate for Assembly District 30.
Thank you also to Ielina Guevara and Dennis Walters from the Nevada State AFL-CIO who coordinated setting up the virtual phone bank and the training for it.
–Rita Weisshaar, IBEW 1245 retiree and organizing steward