Americans have elected Senator Barack Obama as their President.
This is a historic moment indeed, one which millions around the world have watched and hoped for.
Obama’s election represents the triumph of hope over fear. He inherits a country embroiled in war. A country in economic crisis. A country in which millions do not have health coverage, where in recent years the rich have become richer and the poor, much poorer.
We applaud the efforts of American trade unionists and others who worked so hard to elect Obama.
He represents hope for peace. Hope for principled leadership by the US internationally. Hope for a new approach to global trade deals. And hope for a return to an automatic certification system and the rebuilding of the American labour movement.
Above all, Obama’s victory represents a historic turning point. A racial barrier has fallen, and Americans and people throughout the globe are inspired.
We wish him well.
Paul Moist
National President
Claude Généreux
National Secretary-Treasurer