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The Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, led by Democratic powerhouse and union boss John Dougherty, is ready to get people to the polls should the SEPTA strike continue.
They’re calling the effort “voter vans,” and the council says voters “will get picked up by a Philadelphia Building Trades member, driven to their polling place, and driven safely back home after casting their vote.”
The Building Trades is mobilizing a fleet of vans and establishing a phone line for people to call if they need a ride to and from the polls.
“The Philadelphia Building Trades stand with the striking workers of the Transport Workers Union,” Dougherty, business manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, said in a statement, “but we’re concerned that, if the strike continues through Tuesday, many Philadelphians who wish to cast their vote in this important election may not be able to get to their polling place without public transportation.”
The Building Trades emphasized that though they’ve endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, the effort is non-partisan. Hotline numbers will be publicized in the next few days.
Dougherty is also the business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electricians Local 98, which is currently under investigation by the FBI.
