Support the right to organize a union. The American social compact is broken and needs to be restored. A sustainable, stable, and fair economy is based on all workers receiving a fair wage. Stronger unions are key to making that a reality. Without passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (E.F.C.A.), and renewed growth through organizing, the private sector unionization rate, now at an anemic 7 percent, will plummet further. A candidate for E.F.C.A. has won half the battle. Unlike McCain, Obama has voted in favor of E.F.C.A. and promises to sign it into law as president.

Help working families send their children to college. Without realistic tax credits for working families and an easier financial-aid process, the success guaranteed by a college education is unattainable. The candidates also need to focus on reliable lending programs for young people.

Support Equal Pay for Equal Work and Paid Family Leave. Working women deserve pay equity and all workers need family-friendly policies to help balance their work and home lives. Barack Obama supports equal pay for equal work and has vowed the full adoption of paid-leave systems, pledging to create a $1.5 billion fund to assist all 50 states with costs-incurred. John McCain has opposed pay equity measures in the Senate, saying he believes women simply need more training to achieve equal pay. While McCain supported the unpaid Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, he opposes the expansion of coverage.

Favor ending Iraq War. There is no other issue, with the exception of the economy, that has consumed working Americans more than the Iraq war. The human toll, directly affecting the children and relatives of these voters, as well as the economic toll, has been staggering. A candidate not advocating withdrawal is, in effect, continuing to cause irreparable harm.

Walk in workers' shoes. The enormous personal success enjoyed by both candidates is not palatable to folks wondering how to put food on the table or meet their monthly mortgage payments. Bailing out banks and Wall Street is not enough. Homeowners need direct help just to keep their homes. The candidates need to demonstrate that they have real solutions to very real problems, spend time with workers in their communities and show that they understand and prioritize the struggles of working Americans.

Carla Katz is the former president of Local 1034 of the Communications Workers of America, the group's largest in the country. Katz also blogs for the Star-Ledger at www.njvoices.com and for the state's largest political website, Polickernj.com at www.politickernj.com. She is also listed as an expert on the innovative video-based website www.bigthink.com.