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Steelworkers, Mine Workers Back Edwards for President |
At a Labor Day rally in Pittsburgh, the United Steelworkers (USW) and Mine Workers (UMWA) both offered their endorsement of former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) in the 2008 presidential race.
The two unions make up the largest bloc of union support thus far for a 2008 presidential candidate.
USW President Leo Gerard said Edwards stands out among presidential candidates as the most “forceful advocate” for the values of working families, pointing to his support for health care reform, fairer trade policies and workers’ freedom to form unions. Edwards was one of four candidates to speak at the Steelworkers’ presidential forum in July. Gerard said:
Sen. Edwards is committed, as he has been throughout his life, to going to bat for everyday Americans and to changing a broken political system that leaves millions of Americans without a voice in their government.
UMWA President Cecil Roberts said Edwards focuses attention on working family needs rather than those of corporate elites. Roberts said:
We need a president who cares about ordinary working people instead of the richest Americans and the big multinational corporations. We believe John Edwards is that person, and we will work as hard as we know how on his behalf anywhere and everywhere we can.
In August, the AFL-CIO Executive Council said it would not yet make an endorsement for a 2008 candidate, leaving AFL-CIO unions free to endorse candidates in caucuses and primaries.
Last week, the Machinists (IAM) endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.). Clinton also won the endorsement of the United Transportation Union (UTU), while the Fire Fighters (IAFF) have endorsed Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.). More union endorsements are expected.
In the coming months, the AFL-CIO will continue its Working Families Vote 2008 campaign, an unprecedented effort that will mobilize millions of union members across the nation to elect a worker-friendly Congress and president.
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I’m glad to see Edwards getting some union support. Ibelieve that he is truly the best candidate for working people issues as well as strengthening our right to organize and strike. He is the only candidate to openly oppose the use of striker replacements!
I have been voting in presidential elections since the early 1960’s. In the beginning, it was easy to make a choice by the person’s experience and character. Since the 1980’s, I have had to make my choice by trying to figure out who would do the least damage in the next four years. Not easy to do, but necessary. I believe that in the current list, Edwards would do the least damage and would be the most likely person to carry through on his campaign promises. The steelworkers’ and mineworkers’ unions have obviously done the same analysis.
I have read too much about the underhanded and dirty dealings during the Clinton administration to ever trust Hillary. She will say what she thinks her audience wants to hear, so what the IAM heard won’t be the same as her speeches to corporate America.
I hope someone will post copies of her speeches to corporate America here, it could be a real eye-opener!
I love the union presidents’ quotes! My feelings exactly! I’m a housewife come from a union family and married to a union man. We see this primary as the most pivotal in in our lifetime. Edwards is the best, strongest candidate for the people. His heart is truly with us. VOTE EDWARDS!
I also like Kucinich. He’s a dark horse candidate with an incredible vision for the future of this country. He believes in an integrated green system of government with policies that affect all governmental departments. He is the only candidate, to my knowledge, who has clearly stated he would completely scrap NAFTA, and would stop the resource wars, and would end the war in Iraq. I think his policies could change the way America does business and would enable unions to flourish.