The November 1998 elections are critical for BMWE members, both retired and working, as labor fights to gain a worker-friendly majority in the House and keep a solid core of worker-friendly legislators in the Senate.

We saw the outrageous attacks on Amtrak funding, the Railroad Retirement system, Medicare, safety and health, workers' rights, fair trade policy, health care and other key worker issues after the Republican rout in 1992. Winners in those midterm elections huddled under the so-called mandate of the "Contract on America" as they elevated the concerns of big business and ignored the needs of everyday citizens.

1998 could see a replay of those dark days.

Two years ago, labor turned tables with a strong get-out-the vote (GOTV) campaign where working Americans accounted for one in four -- a quarter -- of those who went to the polls on election day.

Even then, not enough of us voted. In 1996, control of the House was determined by 9,759 votes in 10 congressional districts. If just 1,000 votes went the other way in those races, Dick Gephardt would be leading the House, not Newt Gingrich.

But this year is another round of mid-term elections. And voter apathy is strong as the electorate gets turned off by the Clinton sex scandal and doesn't have the draw of a presidential contest to pull them to the polls. Some analysts are predicting that the number of eligible voters who actually cast a ballot November 3 could fall even lower than the 36 percent seen in the last three midterm elections.

A strong turnout by BMWE members and their families means that their voices could carry more weight. Think about it. If fewer people vote in general, then the ballots pro-worker voters cast are even more important. But that equation only works if we all get off our butts, get off the couch and get to the polls. A low turnout means America's workers will suffer.

Traditionally, wealthy voters are more likely to vote. Strike One. Women, who tend to favor pro-worker candidates, also tend to stay home. Strike Two. The current scandal is energizing conservative, anti-labor groups such as the Christian Coalition, which already has announced a big GOTV effort featuring voter guides, phone banks and other techniques. Strike Three.

But workers can still hit the ball out of the park. We just have to vote -- and vote wisely. Judge candidates on the issues, not the hype. Ask what they'll do and what they have done for workers. That's all that counts.

This is our economic future at stake. YOU HAVE A VOICE...MAKE IT HEARD... Vote on November 3. It's your right and your duty. It's your power. Use it.