Kerry to nab UAW endorsement Friday while in Michigan

[Feanorcurufinwe]

The United Auto Workers union is expected to endorse presumptive Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry on Friday during his campaign swing through southeast Michigan, two sources close to the campaign said Thursday on condition of anonymity.

The UAW, which has 675,000 active members and another 500,000 retirees nationwide, decided at its quarterly board meeting last November not to endorse a presidential candidate. But it's throwing its support to Kerry now that he has won enough delegates to effectively lock up the Democratic nomination.

The endorsement should help Kerry in battleground states such as Michigan, Ohio, Missouri and Pennsylvania. In Michigan alone, the UAW has 250,000 members and 100,000 retirees.

<snip>

The U.S. senator from Massachusetts is scheduled to meet with UAW officials Friday afternoon before heading to a 6:30 p.m. EST event billed as a "rally for jobs and prosperity for America" at the UAW Region 1 office in Warren. He also will deliver a major economic speech at 12:30 p.m. at Wayne State University's Community Arts Auditorium. Kerry already has the endorsement of Michigan's largest teachers union, the 157,000-member Michigan Education Association, as well as various other unions.


http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw95101_20040325.htm

[5thGenDemocrat]

1. My guess is that it isn't a hollow endorsement, either

My buddy Mike B, who's been an auto worker since 1975, says politics is the main topic of discussion around Saginaw's Delphi Plant 3 of late and that practically NOBODY is supporting Dopey. They hate him on the line.
John
In 1980 and 84, a lot of these guys were the Reagan Democrats (not Mike -- Mike is a DEMOCRAT Democrat) you've heard so much about. It really seems that they're coming to the fold. Better late than never, I guess.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Great to hear, 5thGenDemocrat! Thanks for posting this.

As Dubya himself once tried to say..."Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!"

[mobuto]

3. UAW will be huge

If the UAW can deliver Ohio and Michigan, John Kerry may well be the next President of the United States. And its a great union.