Automatic Voter Registration Comes to Illinois

In August 2017, Illinois became the 10th state to enact automatic voter registration (AVR). This landmark legislation will reduce voter registration barriers and bring more than one million voters into our democracy, boosting the voter participation of low-income communities, young people, and people of color. This victory was possible because of the leadership and organizing of a diverse and powerful coalition of grassroots organizations who refused to give up after Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed a bipartisan AVR bill in 2016.

Disney Steps Away From Trump

Having ties with Trump’s agenda is toxic is bad for business, and in June 2017, we got one more company to step away from his economic advisory council. When Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris climate accord – his most recent move to put the greed of millionaires over the people – Disney CEO Bob Iger resigned from Trump’s economic council! It’s about time. Now the other Corporate Backers of Hate are next!

Uber Steps Away From Trump

In early 2017, we urged Uber CEO Travis Kalanick to stand with immigrants and drop ties with the Trump Administration, and he listened! Nearly 200,000 customers participated in the viral #DeleteUber campaign, and thousands more reached out to the company through petitions, phone calls, and actions nationwide. Kalanick resigned from Trump’s economic advisory council in early February —a huge victory for Muslim and immigrant families, and proof that when we come together, we can move corporations to be on the right side of history.

Working Families Defend Immigrants at Airports Nationwide

Donald Trump signed an executive order barring immigrants and refugees from seven Middle Eastern countries from entering the United States as one of his first actions as president, and our communities did not stand for it. Our partners across the country helped coordinate and lead protests at airports, raising the profile of this horrific law and bringing it to the country's attention. Because of these actions, a federal judge issued a federal stay against Trump's executive order, protecting immigrants at airports and in transit to the United States. While this didn't stop Trump's ban a month later, it brought our communities together and set us up for the next big fight.

More Than 10 Million Workers Win A Raise In 2016

In early 2016, the Governors of California and New York worked with their state legislatures to become the first in the nation to ensure a $15 minimum wage for hourly workers. And in November, voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and Washington raised their states' minimum wage at the ballot box. These victories are proof that direct action and community organizing are vital for social and economic justice! 

Thousands Win A Fair Workweek Across The Country

2016 was a breakthrough year in the movement for a family-sustaining workweek, thanks to the leadership of our partners and powerful coalitions across the country. In Seattle and Emeryville, tens of thousands of people working in the retail and food service industries won Fair Workweek policies that guarantee them predictable, balanced hours that allow them to plan ahead. And in November, San Jose's historic Opportunity to Work Initiative passed overwhelmingly at the polls!

John Stumpf Resigns From Wells Fargo And The Fed

When it comes to bad banks, Wells Fargo ranks among one of the worst. And under the leadership of CEO John Stumpf, the bank opened nearly two million fraudulent bank accounts at the expense of customers' pocketbooks and credit scores. To make matters worse, John Stumpf also served on the Federal Advisory Council. In late 2016, a coalition of national leaders and our partners won two victories: not only did we get Stumpf to resign from the Fed, we also got him to resign as Wells Fargo's CEO and chairman!

Voting Rights Prevail In Texas And Wisconsin

In July 2016, a federal judge dramatically weakened Wisconsin's voter ID law that would have prevented tens of thousands of voters from casting their ballots in November. And just two days later, a federal appeals court ruled that Texas' voter ID law, the strictest in the country, was racially discriminatory and in violation of the Voting Rights Act. These victories were made possible by voting rights organizations, lawyers, and community activists coming together to fight against restrictive laws that disenfranchise our communities and suppress the vote.

Clinton, Sanders, And Warren Acknowledge Diversity Problem At Fed

In May 2016, 126 members of Congress, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and others released a letter criticizing the Federal Reserve for its striking diversity problem and failure to properly represent and reflect our communities. In response, Hillary Clinton’s campaign released a statement saying that “commonsense reforms” like getting bankers out of the Fed’s governance are “long overdue.” Our Fed Up campaign was largely responsible for this shift in perspective by injecting the voices of working families and communities of color into the debates about America's monetary policy!

Voting Rights Restored to 40,000 Ex-Offenders In Maryland

Thanks to the hard work of our coalition led by CPD Action's state partner Maryland Communities United, in early 2016 the Maryland General Assembly voted to override Governor Larry Hogan's veto and restore voting rights to more than 40,000 previously incarcerated Marylanders. Restoring the right to vote to those with felony convictions strengthens our democracy, public safety, and communities across the country. States from coast to coast are starting to have this conversation, and the movement is growing!

Federal Reserve Board Chairs meet with us, our partners

More than 6,000 members of the CPD Action community signed petitions asking the Federal Reserve to meet with working families to understand how the economic "recovery" is impacting Main Street, not Wall Street. This summer, the Fed Up campaign and our local partners met with Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and the rest of the Fed governors and the presidents of the banks in San Francisco, St. Louis, Kansas City, Boston, Atlanta, and New York.