Posted on 09/03/2007 1:02:33 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is getting the endorsement of two unions, the United Steelworkers and the United Mine Workers of America, on Labor Day.
Edwards is scheduled to be in Pittsburgh, home of the Steelworkers' international headquarters, for a Monday rally and will accept the endorsements there.
"The members of the Steelworkers Union and the Mine Workers union are some of the country's hardest-working, bravest, most courageous workers," Edwards said. "It is their tireless hard work which has helped build a stronger America that benefits all of us. I honor what they do every day."
The former senator from North Carolina, who has worked hard to get labor endorsements, has also secured the backing of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
The steelworker and mine worker endorsements mean that Edwards now has more labor endorsements than any of the other Democratic presidential candidates.
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has been endorsed by the United Transportation Union and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd has been endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters.
The United Steelworkers is the largest industrial union in North America, with 850,000 members and retirees in the metals, mining, rubber, paper, oil refining, chemicals and service industries.
The mine workers union has been in the news recently, advocating for increased safety for coal miners. The union, which includes coal miners, clean coal technicians, health care workers, truck drivers and school board employees, claimed more than 86,000 members on its 2006 Labor Department disclosure forms.
The Steelworkers endorsed former Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt in the 2004 primaries until he dropped out, and then threw their support behind the failed presidential candidacy of Democratic Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.
The Steelworkers gave $2.4 million, all to Democrats, in the 2006 House and Senate races in which the GOP lost control of Congress. In the last presidential cycle, the Steelworkers gave almost $1.2 million to federal candidates, with 99 percent of the 2004 money going to Democrats.
In 2004, the mine workers union gave $510,100 to federal candidates, with 93 percent of it going to Democrats. The United Mine Workers gave $496,050 in the 2006 elections, with 97 percent of it going to Democrats.
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On the Net:
United Steelworkers: http://www.uswa.org
United Mine Workers of America: http://www.umwa.org
John Edwards: http://johnedwards.com
just how out of touch these unions are with their membership: i do work for a union shop electrical contractor. in the last presedential electrical cycle, i would say that easily 60% of their members supported “w’ over lurch, and this business is located in nyc.
The unions still use the John L. Lewis business model in the 21st century. I can’t believe the membership allows this.
Oh boy, those union endorsements sure mean a lot these days.
NOT.
What’s wrong with them? Don’t they realize that it’s Hillary’s turn to be president?
Union thugs endorse rat = dog bites man. The head thugs get fat pockets and the rank and file members get worries about their jobs and pensions. See unionfacts.com.
John Edwards is not a working man’s man.
Most guys I know in the Steelworker’s Union wouldn’t be seen with Edwards at a NASCAR race, much less vote for him as President.
Go Figure!
The rat party is the reason stupid people shoulden’t vote. There is no cure for stupidpity.
Insofar as the union workers vote Dem, they will vote for Edwards with or without encouragement from the union leadership. The alternatives being Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
I’ve been saying since 2004 that he’ll be the ‘08 nominee. He’s in the race with a dark horse they put in for color, not quality, and an old nag with the fattest jockey in history on her back. Edwards can win this on training wheels.
What about the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union?
No offense to the rank and file but the union bosses took one look at the lying shyster and recognized BreckGirl as "their kind of people" immediately.
Herself will NOT be pleased.
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