Manchester, NH- History was made this month when AFSCME Local 298-backed candidate Joyce Craig was elected as the first female mayor of Manchester, NH. Mayor-Elect Craig won the November 7th election handily with a 53% to 47% margin over incumbent Ted Gatsas, who has led the city since 2010.
After coming within 64 votes of unseating Mayor Gatsas in 2015, voters made it clear in September's primary that they were ready for a change. Joyce Craig beat the incumbent mayor by over 800 votes, marking the first time in five consecutive elections that Gatsas was not the top vote getter and setting up the historic Election Day victory.
AFSCME Local 298, which represents municipal employees throughout the Queen City, was instrumental in Joyce Craig's election victory. Getting actively involved in this year's local election, the union was eager to flex its political muscle by engaging in a robust member-to-member education program that included mailings, member conversations, and worksite visits.
The day before the election, Joyce Craig joined AFSCME Local 298 leadership in rallying the membership to get the vote out on Election Day.
Local 298 President Dennis Bourgeois understood the importance of his union and its members getting involved in these local elections, "Very rarely in life are you given the opportunity to elect your bosses. The hardworking men and women of AFSCME Local 298 sent a clear message to the toxic Gatsas Administration by wholeheartedly supporting the only clear choice for Manchester- Joyce Craig."
The union got involved because of the terribly-strained relationship between Local 298 and the current administration. Bourgeois was happy to announce that "the destructive tactics of Ted Gatsas will no longer be welcome in our city."
On her decisive victory, the Craig had this to say, "Thank you to the men and women of AFSCME for your support in this election and your service to Manchester. AFSCME members knocked doors, made phone calls, sent emails, and talked to their friends and neighbors about the importance of this election - and it really made the difference. I'm honored to serve as the next Mayor of Manchester and I look forward to working with the hard-working men and women of AFSCME to build a stronger Manchester."
In addition to endorsing in the mayoral race, AFSCME Local 298 participated in an extensive and exhaustive endorsement process for Alderman candidates as well. Through this process, ten candidates were endorsed. Four of AFSCME Local 298's endorsed candidates for Alderman won as did the endorsed unopposed candidate for Alderman at Large.
The AFSCME supported winning candidates are:
- Ward 1 Alderman: Kevin Cavanaugh
- Ward 4 Alderman: Chris Hebert
- Ward 10 Alderman: Bill Barry
- Ward 11 Alderman: Normand Gamache
- Alderman At Large: Dan O'Neill
The 2017 Manchester Municipal Elections were part of an ongoing effort by Council 93 to encourage and assist local unions across its four-state region to get more actively involved in local elections. Municipal governments are directly involved in the day-to-day lives and well-being of tens of thousands of AFSCME members and that involvement is most evident in the elected officials who sit across the bargaining table from us.
AFSCME Council 93 Executive Director Frank Moroney, who stressed the importance of active involvement in municipal elections at the Council's November 3-5 Biennial Convention, was elated with the victory. "It is imperative that we are active in advocating for candidates that understand the needs and concerns of our members and respect the work we do," Moroney said. "I want to congratulate Local 298 for having the courage to get involved and most importantly, following up on their endorsements with the hard work needed to make a difference. We look forward to duplicating this model in cities and towns throughout our four-state region."