Laborers' union endorses Clinton (LIUNA)

[riversedge]

Source: the Hill





November 24, 2015, 11:29 am



By Ben Kamisar



?itok=sS--94s4
Another national labor group has backed Hillary Clinton's presidential bid, siding with her against rival Bernie Sanders, who has sought to frame himself as labor's champion.


The Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), which represents about 500,000 people, announced its endorsement of Clinton on Tuesday, one day after she secured the backing of the 11 million member International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Ironworkers.


"LIUNA members and leadership believe that Secretary Clinton is the right leader to move our country forward and the most qualified candidate to address the many challenges facing the United States," Terry O’Sullivan, the group's general president, said in a statement.

"LIUNA members are deeply concerned about the direction of our country and are looking for a real leader who will create good jobs, rebuild our country, and grow our economy. Secretary Clinton’s record proves that she is a tough and tested fighter for our nation and for working men and women."

Clinton now has the backing of 15 national unions, compared to just two for Sanders. ...............................



Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/261187-laborer-union-endorses-clinton

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And yet another Congrats to Hillary and her Team.

[NurseJackie]

1. Awesome!

[SunSeeker]

2. Unions overwhelmingly favor Hillary!

[Iliyah]

3. K & R

[BlueCaliDem]

4. AWE-SUMMM!

Fifteen national unions endorsing her shows her strength for labor and the American worker. They've done their homework. They know who will be there for them.

This is excellent news. Thanks for sharing, riversedge!

[KamaAina]

5. Could sellouts like this explain why labor has lost so much influence in this country?

[oasis]

9. KamaAina old pal

Unions have lost so many members in the last 30 years because manufacturing and textile jobs have packed up and left the country. Those remaining, have to back who they believe to be "winners".

My postal union prematurely backed the champion of unions, Senator Tom Harken of Iowa, against Bill Clinton for his first term. During the 90's, Clinton probably would have had more gusto in his support of the US Postal Service against the Cato institute and Speaker Newt's privatization mobilization, if we had supported him early on. Who's to know.

The postal unions did have strong supporters in congress, two of whom you possibly know;The late Sen. Daniel Akaka, had a daughter who was a liason with he and the National Association Of Letter Carriers (NALC); and then, Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who bragged he was on Newt's "hit list" which was, "a badge of honor".

Abercrombie addressed NALC membership at numerous national conventions and was fully versed on our issues by our National President, Vincent Sombrotto.

We backed Gore in 2000, Kerry in 2004.

The NALC announced their endorsement of Hillary Clinton in Sept. of 2007 more than a year before the first Democratic primary. I'm sure that fact wasn't lost on Axelrod and the rest of Obama's crew going into the White House. Obama never took to the bully pulpit when the Republican congress forced the Postal Service to prepay billions in revenue into its retirement funds.

In closing, unions have to protect their membership by backing who they believe to be winners. There is no such thing as a "moral victory" if your candidate loses and you are left with zero.

[Helen Borg]

15. They are clueless!

They did not HAVE to endorse anyone!

[brooklynite]

16. Here's an SAT question:

UNION LEADERSHIP is to SELLOUT as SHERROD BROWN is to:

A) THIRD WAY
B) DLC
C) COWARD
D) MAINSTREAM DEMOCRAT
E) THE ANSWER CANNOT BE DETERMINED FROM THE INFORMATION GIVEN

[KamaAina]

17. The SAT is culturally biased.

So there!

edit: I suspect that Brown, being from Ohio and all, may be bucking for VP.

[brooklynite]

18. It's very unlikely that a US Senator will be the VP candidate...

...it puts the Dems effort to win back the Senate at too much risk.

[KamaAina]

19. He's not up for reelection until 2018

but yeah, Kasich would get to pick his successor, unless, of course, he's the nominee.

[oasis]

6. 500,000 members. Plenty union families will be working

neighborhoods in the general election.

[riversedge]

8. These union members will be out pounding the strees GOTV

[bvar22]

7. I doubt they polled the rank & file Union Members.

These "endorsements" come from Union Management,
most of whom have long ago forgotten where they came from.
They are used to their Management Salaries and the Corporate Jets and meeting and dining and golfing, and weekend retreats at High End playgrounds with the BIG Honchos to discuss "business".


Most Union Management has SUCKED since Reagan.

[INdemo]

12. Thats correct..The LUNA executive board might have endorsed Hillary but the

General membership has not. The same goes for the Carpenters union and other construction trade unions.
The Iron workers union endorsed Bernie Sanders.
So Hillary don't expect a lot of door knockers from this union ..it wont happen

[bvar22]

21. I'm old, and worked all my life.

I have NEVER seen Union Management poll their members before making a political endorsement.
This has caused resentment inside the rank and file members,
many of whom have voted Republican simply because they were pissed at Union Management for misrepresenting them.
I'm not saying that is smart.
All I'm saying is, it happens.

Over the last 30 years, there has been a gap opening between the rank & fileand Union Management. Believe me when I tell you they don't "hang out" together. They seldom even see each other.
Union Management has become too used to $1000 suits, private jets, expensive vacations, and "Party Weekends" paid for by the RICH.
It has been a LONG time since these Union Execs have ever gotten their hands dirty.

Instead of romancing corrupt Union Management for "endorsements", the Democratic party SHOULD be romancing the Rank & File...even if they have to tell the Workers that their Management is corrupt.

[Gamecock Lefty]

10. I see a pattern here . . .

Unions that endorse Hillary are sellouts and mostly upper management. Unions that endorse Sanders are the will of the working membership.

Got it.

If this endorsement had been reversed, their headlines would have been as follows:
Sanders union endorsement STUNS Hillary!

[murielm99]

11. Not only would it STUN Hillary,

there would be six threads about it on the front page, with hundreds of recs for each thread.

[riversedge]

13. Instead we have about Killer Mike threads on front page with hundreds of recs

[murielm99]

14. Now I know who he is.

I have to decide if I care.

[Omaha Steve]

20. Well Hillary flip flopped on the Keystone XL and is against it

This particular union WANTS the pipeline built. What did she tell them she didn't tell the other unions that don't want it???

[INdemo]

22. Are you a Union member Gamecock Lefty?