Yet Another Union Endorsement for Edwards: Transport Workers Union
Today, John Edwards received his fourth union endorsement: the Transport Workers of America. Edwards has more union support than any other presidential candidate. With the addition of the Transport Workers Union, which represents over 200,000 workers, he has now been endorsed by unions representing over 2 million members.
The Transport Workers Union is a national union based in New York City. Hillary Clinton may have expected to get this endorsement, based on the location of their headquarters, but instead it went to Edwards.
"Some candidates seem to be figuring out how to best triangulate on campaign issues," said TWU President James C. Little. "John Edwards takes on subjects such as job security, health care, retirement and the growing gap in wealth between the rich and the middle class in a straight forward way that the country and working families desperately need."
Almost half of the Transport Workers Union's members live in states that will vote on or before February 5, including 8,000 active and retired workers in Nevada. This adds to Edwards's powerful organizing presence in the early states.
"I'm proud to stand in New York with members of the Transit Workers Union, who keep the city moving and help keep New Yorkers safe," said Edwards. "The men and women of the TWU serve on the front lines of our country's homeland security, protecting public transportation users, the nation's railways, and skies. These are the workers who get us to our jobs and our families.
"For too long, these good union men and women and millions of other working families have been ignored by a broken system in Washington. I'm looking forward to campaigning with them in early primary states and key general election battleground states, and as president I'll fight for them every day, so we can honor their hard work and make our transportation infrastructure safe and secure."
John Edwards has also been endorsed by the Carpenters Union with 520,000 members, the Steelworkers Union with 1.2 million members, and the Mine Workers Union with 105,000 members.
Check out this awesome video from the Steelworkers Union!
Edwards endorsed by Steelworkers and Mine Workers Unions
Today, John Edwards won the endorsement of the Steelworkers and the Mine Workers Unions. I have previously reported that the Steelworkers Union was set to endorse Edwards today, but the Mine Workers Union came as a pleasant surprise. These two great organizations join the Carpenters Union in endorsing Edwards. This makes him the candidate with the most union support so far. These three unions combined represent almost 2 million workers.
"I am especially honored to receive the support of the Steelworkers and Mine Workers unions," said Edwards, "These are the workers who built the middle class in America, and they are the backbone of the American labor movement. They understand how important it is to fight back when jobs, safety, standards and our values are at risk—and they know what's at stake in this election."
"These workers have felt the negative impact of a broken system in Washington that is rigged against America's working families for far too long—whether it's the tragic lack of oversight in mine safety, trade agreements written to benefit multinational corporations while they ship American jobs overseas, or the millions of working Americans who still can't afford health insurance," added Edwards. "As president, I will proudly lead the fight on behalf of working families with their support—and together we will win."
Check out what the union leaders had to say about Edwards:
"Senator John Edwards is committed, as he has been throughout his life, to going to bat for everyday Americans and to changing a broken political system that leaves millions of Americans without a voice in their government," said Steelworkers President Leo W. Gerard. "Edwards is right on the issues that matter to us, and he's the candidate with the best chance of winning in the general election. The big corporations don't need another president who does their bidding. It's time we had a president who will fight for working people—and that's what John Edwards will do."
"Senator Edwards' positions on the issues of importance to UMWA members make him the best fit of all the candidates for president," UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. "We need a president who cares about ordinary working people instead of the richest Americans and the big multinational corporations. We believe John Edwards is that person, and we will work as hard as we know how on his behalf anywhere and everywhere we can."
I'd like to thank these great unions for supporting John Edwards, the best candidate for president of the United States. Happy Labor Day to everyone!
"Our endorsement is based on the Senator's outspoken support for all of organized labor and his focus on America's working families," said Carpenters President Douglas J. McCarron. "In addition to his support for labor, our leadership was particularly impressed with the Senator's strong stand on trade."
"We also believe that Senator Edwards will have a great appeal in a general election," McCarron continued. "He has the ability to reach out to moderate voters, including the members of our union, and to address their very real concerns about jobs, health care and the economy."
Their formal endorsement will come on September 8th, at a rally in New Hampshire.
Edwards has made support for unions a key feature not only of his campaign, but of his advocacy for many years before his campaign. I'm glad to see the unions are recognizing his work. These endorsements are well deserved.
