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Air Traffic Controllers Endorse Obama |
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The Air Traffic Controllers union (NATCA) has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president.
NATCA, which represents more than 18,000 employees in the aviation industry, announced its endorsement last night.
NATCA President Patrick Forrey says Obama will fight for the interests of working families and the rights and safety of workers on the job. He pointed to Obama’s sponsorship of the Federal Aviation Administration Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006 as an example of his leadership. Says Forrey:
This has been a historic battle for the Democratic nomination, and we feel extremely proud and excited to throw our complete support behind Senator Obama as we look ahead to the most important presidential election in the history of this nation’s aviation system and the most important for the air traffic controllers.
Obama also has been endorsed by AFGE, the Boilermakers (IBB), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), Plumbers and Pipe Fitters (UA), Postal Workers (APWU) and the Utility Workers (UWUA).
Three unions that initially endorsed former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.)—the Mine Workers (UMWA), Transport Workers (TWU) and United Steelworkers (USW)—also have given their endorsements to Obama.
Thirteen unions have endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton: AFSCME, AFT, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Bricklayers (BAC), Letter Carriers (NALC), Machinists (IAM), Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU), Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Plasterers and Cement Masons (OP&CMIA), Sheet Metal Workers (SMWIA), TCU/IAM, Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the United Transportation Union (UTU). The IAM and IUPAT endorsements of Clinton in the Democratic primaries were accompanied by endorsements of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in the Republican primaries.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the UAW did not make endorsements during the primary season. The Fire Fighters (IAFF) union, which endorsed Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), has not announced a new endorsement.
In August 2007, the AFL-CIO Executive Council said it would not make an endorsement at that time for a 2008 presidential 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. The presidential primary process ended this week with voting in Montana and South Dakota.
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And what is Obama giving us in return for all these endorsements? Did he pledge to repeal Taft-Hartley? Will he repeal NAFTA? Does he support a Single Payer health insurance system? Will he end the corporate occupation of Iraq? Will he cut the bloated ‘defense’ budget and increase funding for education? What exactly does labor get in exchange for working to elect yet another member of the corrupt Democratic Party which has ratified and continued the miserable policies of Bush and Bill Clinton?