Electing Barack Obama president wasn't the end of labor's fight; it was only the beginning. The battle continues for America's middle class this November when we go to the polls and choose the candidates who are either for or against the labor movement.

It's that simple. Big business is spending big money to put its agenda forward. But we can win, if we continue to put strong pro-union candidates into office.

The ripple-down effects of our actions are critical, as we see in this one example. For years, the airline and rail industries operated under a system where union elections were strongly biased against the labor movement because each non-vote was counted as a vote against representation. After Obama gave the National Mediation Board a 2-1 Democratic majority, union officials requested a change in policy and the procedure was changed so that only those votes cast will be counted, a move that eliminates major obstacles to union elections in two important industries.

State politics operates the same way: the people in charge set the tone and push the legislation that directly impacts us. Governor Pat Quinn has demonstrated his pro-labor stance; electing him to a full-term as governor is the smart way to go.

It's equally important to keep the Illinois house and senate under the control of the Democrats. We don't want to revisit the nightmarish days when Lee Daniels and Pate Phillips ran rough shod over the Republican-dominated legislature and tried to make Illinois a right-to-work state. Too much is at stake.

We can make our voices heard. Sign up. Make the calls. Ring the doorbells. Promote the candidates who support labor's cause.

We need leaders who work to create jobs, not to take them away. We deserve leaders who protect working-class families.

Who you support and vote for this November will make a difference.