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AFT Endorses Clinton for President |
After a broad outreach to members, AFT has endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in the 2008 presidential race.
The AFT heard from its 1.4 million members through a seven-month process of individual surveys, regional caucuses and You Decide 2008, an interactive website. The union’s executive council sent questionnaires to all announced candidates and met with many of them for a question-and-answer session, where candidates answered questions submitted by AFT members. In addition to Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) accepted the invitation to answer members’ questions.
In announcing the endorsement, AFT President Edward McElroy said:
Our members have told us that they want a leader they can trust to strengthen public education, increase access to health care, promote commonsense economic priorities and secure America’s place in the world. Hillary Clinton is that leader.
The candidates we met with have an impressive depth of experience and commitment to strengthening America. With so many strong candidates focused on the needs of America’s working families, it was really an embarrassment of riches. In the end, our members and leaders determined that Hillary Clinton is the strongest leader to advance these causes.
This is the sixth endorsement for Sen. Clinton from an AFL-CIO-affiliated union. She also has won the endorsement of the Bricklayers (BAC), the Letter Carriers (NALC), Machinists (IAM), TCU/IAM and the United Transportation Union (UTU). (IAM’s endorsement of Clinton in the Democratic primary was accompanied by an endorsement of former Gov. Mike Huckabee [R-Ark.] in the Republican primary.)
Edwards has won the support of three unions: the Mine Workers (UMWA), the United Steelworkers (USW) and the Transport Workers (TWU). The Fire Fighters (IAFF) union has endorsed Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.).
In August, the AFL-CIO Executive Council said it would not yet make an endorsement for a 2008 candidate, freeing AFL-CIO unions to endorse candidates for the caucuses and primaries. The AFL-CIO will continue the Working Families Vote 2008 campaign to help elect a worker-friendly Congress and president.
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As a member of AFT I am deeply embarrassed, disgusted and angered by the Executive Council’s endorsement of H. Clinton.
She is no friend of labor or the working class. She was on the Board of Directors of Wal-Mart Corp.! That should disqualify her from even being considered for union endorsement.
Why are the “leaders” of most unions so out of touch with life outside of the beltway? Maybe because they get paid way too much and are too chummy with the politicians, lobbyist, etc. there.
We need to focus on organizing workers, not wasting time and money on supporting sell-out “Democrats”!
For all of my AFT sisters and brothers who are class-conscious, I apologize for this travesty. Maybe it is time to vote these union office-holders out…oh, yeah, I forgot, we don’t get to vote on the AFT national office-holders!
In Solidarity with all real Union Sisters & Brothers!
I respect the decision of the AFT. It’s a tough choice, but I think it’s only fair to remind your membership of Clinton’s votes against Labor.
S. 3569—The Oman Free Trade Agreement expands the failed model of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Like NAFTA and CAFTA, the Oman agreement does not contain adequate environmental protections or enforceable protections for such core worker rights as the freedom of association. Oman is not a democracy, and its workers are unable to form independent unions or to bargain collectively. At the same time, the agreement allows any company incorporated in Oman to sue the U.S. government, undermining the ability of state and local governments to protect public health, strong communities and the environment. The bill passed June 29, 2006.
H.R. 6—The overhaul of the nation’s energy policy (H.R. 6) is expected to create thousands of jobs through the construction of pipelines, power plants and new nuclear power facilities. It also would allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve the construction, expansion or operation of any facility that imports or processes natural gas, including liquefied natural gas. The Senate passed the conference report on the bill July 29, 2005.
S. 2020—As part of the budget reconciliation process, which included tax cut and spending cut legislation, the Bush administration and congressional Republican leaders were seeking $70 billion in tax cuts, mostly for the wealthy, paid for in part by huge cuts in vital working family programs. After some changes, the Senate passed a $60 billion tax cut bill, with more than three-quarters of the benefits going to families with $100,000 or more in annual income. The bill passed Nov. 18, 2005.
H.R. 2739—U.S. and international labor and human rights activists long have fought to include strong and enforceable workers’ rights standards, including the freedom of association, in trade agreements. The U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement negotiated by the Bush administration did not include enforceable core labor standards. The agreement also contained a new temporary guest-worker program for professional workers entering the United States from Singapore. The bill passed July 31, 2003.
H.R. 2738—U.S. and international labor and human rights activists long have fought to include strong and enforceable workers’ rights standards, including the freedom of association, in trade agreements. The U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement negotiated by the Bush administration did not include enforceable core labor standards. The agreement also contained a new temporary guest-worker program for professional workers entering the United States from Chile. The bill passed July 31, 2003.
H.R 3295—The Help America Vote Act overhauls our nation’s election system by creating minimum national standards for voting machines, provisional ballots and statewide voter registration lists. The conference report passed Oct. 16, 2002, 92-2.
Here’s where my candidate stands on education: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1188772002385213252&q=John+Edwards&total=8685&start=20&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2
Like I said, I know it’s a tough choice. I hope you’ll join me in making the right one.