LeftNet is a digital activism organization that produces left-of-center petitions and letters. The organization circulates petitions for signatures with assistance from the Action Network, an online tool created by Brian Young, former digital director for U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry during his time as a U.S. Senator, to organize, fundraise, and circulate petitions for left-of-center causes. ¹

PRO Act Petition

LeftNet connects viewers to a petition created by the Economic Policy Institute, a research institution funded, chaired, and promoted by labor unions. ²  The petition urges Democratic U.S. Senators and Representatives to support the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a bill that would force employers into collective bargaining agreements, prevent employers from discussing the drawbacks of unionization with workers, and eliminate state right-to-work laws. ³

The petition in support of the PRO Act referred to the unionization election at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, where workers overwhelmingly voted against unionization,⁴ as an example of an alleged “broken union election system.” The petition also made unsupported claims that the unionization campaign in Alabama failed as the result of “a wide range of legal and illegal tactics” on the part of Amazon. ⁵

For the People Act Petition

LeftNet encourages its viewers to sign to a petition listed on the Action Network and created by the left-wing Daily Kos. The petition urges U.S. Senate Democrats to support the “For the People Act,” a bill that the petition alleges is necessary to “fix” our democracy⁶ by overruling state election integrity laws and regulations and implementing a left-of-center, federalized set of policies for election administration. ⁷

The petition was organized and funded by a number of labor union funded nonprofits, environmentalist organizations, election law organizations, and organizations that support left-of-center policy on race and gender. ⁸

The labor union-funded Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund, the Alliance for Retired Americans, and Jobs With Justice all supported the petition. ⁹ Environmentalist organizations, including the Climate Reality Project, Corporate Accountability, Beyond the Bomb, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network Action Fund, and Climate Hawks Vote, were also listed as participating in the organizing efforts. ¹⁰

Some of the largest left-of-center electoral advocacy organizations got behind the petition as well. These include the California Clean Money Action Fund, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, 20/20 Vision PAC, Declaration for American Democracy, Decode Democracy, DemCast USA, Expand the Map, Fix Democracy First, Four Directions, Native Vote, Free Speech For People, and Public Citizen. ¹¹

CODEPINK, the Juggernaut Project, Marked By COVID, MPower Change, the Other98%, Progress America, and Common Cause Consumers United for Fairness also supported the effort to pass the For the People Act. ¹²

D.C. Statehood Petition

LeftNet connects viewers to a petition listed on the Action Network and created by the Progressive Reform Network.  The petition urges all U.S. Senators to work together and pass legislation that would make Washington, D.C. a state. ¹³ The petition attempts to frame the question of statehood for the District of Columbia as a race-related social justice question because the plurality of citizens in the District of Columbia are African American. ¹⁴

1. “Brian Young” Netroots Nation. https://www.netrootsnation.org/profile/brian-young/
2. “Tell the U.S. Senate: We must strengthen unions by passing the PRO Act.” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-we-must-strengthen-unions-by-passing-the-pro-act/
3. “Tell the U.S. Senate: We must strengthen unions by passing the PRO Act.” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-we-must-strengthen-unions-by-passing-the-pro-act/
4. Herrera, Sebastian “Why Amazon Workers in Alabama Voted Against Union” The Wall Street Journal. April 10, 2021. Accessed July 5, 2021. https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-amazon-workers-in-alabama-voted-against-union-11618066800
5. “Tell the U.S. Senate: We must strengthen unions by passing the PRO Act.” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-we-must-strengthen-unions-by-passing-the-pro-act/
6. “Sign and send the petition: Demand the Senate pass the For the People Act and rebuild our democracy” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-demand-the-senate-pass-the-for-the-people-act-and-rebuild-our-democracy
7. “Sign and send the petition: Demand the Senate pass the For the People Act and rebuild our democracy” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-demand-the-senate-pass-the-for-the-people-act-and-rebuild-our-democracy
8. “Sign and send the petition: Demand the Senate pass the For the People Act and rebuild our democracy” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-demand-the-senate-pass-the-for-the-people-act-and-rebuild-our-democracy
9. “Sign and send the petition: Demand the Senate pass the For the People Act and rebuild our democracy” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-demand-the-senate-pass-the-for-the-people-act-and-rebuild-our-democracy
10. “Sign and send the petition: Demand the Senate pass the For the People Act and rebuild our democracy” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-demand-the-senate-pass-the-for-the-people-act-and-rebuild-our-democracy
11. “Sign and send the petition: Demand the Senate pass the For the People Act and rebuild our democracy” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-demand-the-senate-pass-the-for-the-people-act-and-rebuild-our-democracy
12. “Sign and send the petition: Demand the Senate pass the For the People Act and rebuild our democracy” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-demand-the-senate-pass-the-for-the-people-act-and-rebuild-our-democracy
13. “Tell Congress: The time for D.C. statehood is NOW!” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-the-time-for-dc-statehood-is-now-2/
14. “Tell Congress: The time for D.C. statehood is NOW!” Action Network. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-the-time-for-dc-statehood-is-now-2/