AFL-CIO Delays Making Endorsement In Democratic Presidential Primary

[Purveyor]

Source: TPM

BySARA JERDE Published FEBRUARY 17, 2016, 3:46 PM EST

In a win for Bernie Sanders, the AFL-CIO is delaying making it's endorsement in the surprisingly close Democratic presidential primary.

The news of the decision came in an email from Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO, to the union's executive council. It was first reported by The Huffington Post Wednesday. A vote had been expected next week at the union's annual winter meeting in San Diego.

"Following recent discussion at the AFL-CIO’s Executive Committee meeting and subsequent conversations with many of you, I have concluded that there is broad consensus for the AFL-CIO to remain neutral in the presidential primaries for the time being and refrain from endorsing any candidate at this moment," Trumka said in the email.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has broad union backing, with endorsements from most unions. The AFL-CIO holding out was considered a win for Sanders.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/afl-cio-vote-endorsement

[roguevalley]

1. she has broad backing from union leadership. The union membership not so much and they aren't

voting for her the way their bosses wanted or she would win.

RV, former union boss

[lsewpershad]

2. Union leadership

This what "establishment" means Ms Hillary.

[noretreatnosurrender]

3. I agree with you...

I think they have the same problem with the Culinary union in Nevada.

[roguevalley]

4. agreed. one of the first things you learn as a boss is to NEVER tell a member what to do

about politics. EVER.

[OrwellwasRight]

16. Actually unions don't have "bosses"

they have democratically elected leadership. Unions exist to fight bosses for more money & benefots & better working conditions.

[roguevalley]

18. we've been in unions since they started and my g.pa

Helped build train unions. There are bosses and those are the s.o.b.s who don't poll membership. You words are true but in theory but often wildly untrue in practice. Jimmy hoffa?

[George II]

5. Not true - check the methodology used in determining the endorsee of many of the major unions.....

...that have endorsed Clinton.

On the other hand, it's interesting that putting off the endorsement is considered a "victory" for Sanders.

[thesquanderer]

6. Which major unions have polled their members about which candidate they want to support?

I've read about instances where the membership was not polled, or where they were polled generically about issues but not about specific candidates, but not where a union endorsed HRC because the members voted for a HRC endorsement. I'm not saying you're mistaken, but since this is news to me, I'd honestly like to know which unions they are. Can you name a couple?

[George II]

8. Check out their methodology. I've been through things like this before, I (or someone else)....

.....presents the details and then is assailed about those details.

Most, if not all, of the unions that have endorsed Clinton have details on their websites on how they arrived at their decisions.

And just to recap union endorsements, Clinton has the endorsement of unions representing more than 16 million members, Sanders less than a million.

[thesquanderer]

9. If you make the assertion, it is helpful to have links to back it up.

You really expect that people are going to go hunting for things just because you say, "trust me, the information is out there"?

I'm willing to believe your assertion, but I'm not going to cast about for the evidence of it if you don't have it yourself.

[Omaha Steve]

13. George have you ever been in a union?

AFSCME endorsed Hillary. Do you see me caucusing for her next month?

The UAW has held off on her because of her flip flop on TPP. That is one half of a million workers. As long as Bernie is in the run, he can pick them up.

Many of the unions endorsed long before Bernie became a real threat to Hillary in their eyes. The earlier the endorsement, the more weight and return favors from the candidate is the theory.

The CWA for Bernie 700,000 workers ALONE. Postal Workers for Bernie 250,000. The NNU 185,000. Just those 3 equals more that a million.

Then you need to look over the list of locals that turned their back on the national union endorsement and face fines for doing it.

BTW I have been fired twice illegally and reinstated by two different unions 25 years apart. The GAU (now part of the Teamsters) & AFSCME. My case set a precedent that still is protecting workers since 1983. It was affirmed by the Appellate Court in St. Louis.

My case in PDF: http://apps.nlrb.gov/link/document.aspx/09031d45800b8166

OS

[George II]

14. Yes Steve, I've been in several unions, and I come from a family with a strong history.....

....of union support and membership over 8 decades.

Me (disclaimer, the actual names of the unions below may have changed over the years):

Local 1199 United Healthcare Workers
The New York Hotel and Motel Trades Union
New York Taxi Workers Alliance

I have three siblings who have belonged to unions, including my brother who was a long-time member of CWA and retired 20+ years ago and thankfully still has full, free healthcare coverage.

One of my uncles belonged to UFA (Uniformed Firefighters Association) of Greater New York
My mother belonged to an office workers' union in NYC, I can't remember the actual name or local

The one family member, and union to which he belonged, that I'm most proud of was my father, who in the 1930s was one of the first non-African American members of the historic Pullman Porters.

Finally, my grandfather and one of my uncles in Canada were union members in the Toronto area.

[Omaha Steve]

15. Good to know

Thanks.

[tokenlib]

7. How can you see the devastation wrought by free trade and endorse Hillary??

Honestly!! You educate your members on the damage from NAFTA and free trade and then your union leadership goes and endorses Hillary? WTF?? Bernie is the one who has the back of the unions and deserves their endorsement... I'm speaking of those endorsements Hillary already got.
The other unions need to get some backbone and support Bernie.

[okasha]

19. You seem confused about which Clinton is running this year.

[Omaha Steve]

10. Union Endorsements: When Members Decide - It's Bernie; When Leaders Decide - It's Clinton

FULL post here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511053512

[Kittycat]

12. Thank you for sharing.

Great information.

[PatrynXX]

11. I roll my eyes when I see one line

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has broad union backing, yeah only if you like Faux news

[OrwellwasRight]

17. She does have broad "official" union backing

Though she may not have the votes of union members in the primaries. Endorsements in primaries are less effective on members, in my opinion, because they may have multiple candidates with positive attributes. In generals, the endorsements are more persuasive because all too often the other candidate has a platform of basically destroying unions.