Maine AFL-CIO Endorses Rep. Allen for Senate

by Seth Michaels, Oct 30, 2007

At their state convention last weekend, members of the Maine AFL-CIO unanimously endorsed Rep. Tom Allen (D) in his campaign for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

With the union movement  in Maine committed to fighting hard in the 2008 elections, the Maine AFL-CIO’s endorsement is the beginning of a large-scale mobilization of the state’s 30,000 union members.

Eddie Gorham, president of the Maine AFL-CIO, says:

Congressman Allen has consistently championed the interest of Maine’s working families. On trade, jobs, health care and worker rights to organize, he has led the way.

Gorham and others pointed to Allen’s 96 percent lifetime voting record in support of working family issues, as tracked by the AFL-CIO,  and contrasted it with the 34 percent lifetime voting record of incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, whom Allen is challenging.

Collins regularly has joined with President Bush and Republicans in Congress in supporting anti-worker legislation. In June, she was part of the Senate minority who blocked a floor vote on the Employee Free Choice Act. Allen was a co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act and voted for it in the House.

Political observers in both parties consider the Maine contest one of the top Senate races in the country. For more information on the 2008 elections, visit Working Families Vote 2008.

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