America's Labor Movement Endorses John Kerry for President

[Feanorcurufinwe]

John Kerry: Working Families’ Choice for President

Feb. 19—The union movement endorsed Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) for president today at a meeting of the AFL-CIO General Board. After the endorsement vote, Kerry joined workers and several hundred union members and federation and affiliated union staff and leaders at a rally at the AFL-CIO in Washington, D.C. “Every place I have been in this campaign, I have seen the wreckage of the Bush economy....Jobs on the run....Every single year George Bush has promised to create jobs and every year he’s ending up losing them,” said Kerry, as union members waved colorful placards and signs in support of Kerry for president.

Four workers who have lost or risk losing jobs and health care also spoke at the rally, and Kerry vowed to take back the nation for them and all working families.

“Just last week, the White House promised to create 2.6 million jobs. But yesterday, George Bush said he couldn’t be held responsible for knowing the numbers of new jobs because he’s not in charge of numbers. Well it doesn’t take a lot of fuzzy math to count to zero. We’re going to put America back on track, back on the road to prosperity, the road of fairness, the road of jobs,” Kerry said.

Kerry’s endorsement by the AFL-CIO General Board shows “the union movement is united in making sure that the next president of the United States is one who puts working families’ priorities first—issues like health care, good jobs and a strong economy,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

The General Board represents the democratically elected leadership of the union movement, including the leaders of all 64 member unions, the
AFL-CIO Executive Council, representatives of AFL-CIO state federations and trade departments.

Kerry Backs Overtime and Jobless Protections

Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 1984, Kerry has compiled a 91 percent lifetime AFL-CIO voting record in favor of important working family issues. In 2003, Kerry voted to protect workers’ overtime rights from the Bush administration’s assault on the Fair Labor Standards Act that could cost 8 million workers their overtime pay protection. He backed the extension and expansion of federal unemployment insurance benefits for long-term jobless workers and voted to protect millions of retirees from the loss of their employer-provided prescription drug coverage as part of the recently passed and seriously flawed Medicare prescription drug program.


Other highlights of Kerry’s legislative tenure include addressing the nursing shortage, increasing the minimum wage, expanding early childhood development and children’s health insurance coverage, increasing law enforcement funding and providing assistance to families of Vietnam veterans who were victims of Agent Orange.

As president, Kerry said one of his first priorities will be to restore the nearly 3 million private-sector jobs—including 2.8 million manufacturing jobs—that have disappeared under the Bush administration.

Kerry will fight to roll back President George W. Bush’s tax cut for the wealthy while expanding tax breaks for the middle class. Kerry told the Feb. 19 crowd he supports repeal of tax breaks and loopholes that reward “any Benedict Arnold CEO or corporation for exploiting the tax code to export American jobs overseas.”


Kerry: Long-Time Supporter of Freedom to Form Unions

Kerry has a long record of support of workers’ freedom to form unions and supports card-check and employer neutrality in which employers recognize workers’ choice if a majority of workers sign authorization cards asking for union representation. He also is co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act (S. 1925) and supports measures to restore the bargaining rights of hundreds of thousands of workers in the Defense and Homeland Security departments that are under attack by the Bush administration.


http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/politics/ns02192004.cfm

[MaineDem]

1. I think the support of these unions is a good thing

Granted, lately these endorsements have lacked some of their former luster but it's still a good thing for the Kerry campaign.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. This is the biggest endorsement yet.

This isn't one politician, one union or one newspaper -- it's:



* Actors and Artistes of America, Associated (4As)
Actors' Equity Association (AEA)
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)
American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA)
American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA)
Hebrew Actors' Union Inc.
The Guild of Italian American Actors
Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
* Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)
* Air Traffic Controllers Association, National (NATCA)
The NATCA Voice
* Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
ATU Locals
* American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
AFGE Locals
* American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM)
AFM Locals
* American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA)
* American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
AFSCME Affiliates
* American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
AFT Locals

* American Postal Workers Union (APWU)
APWU Locals
* American Radio Association (ARA)
* American Train Dispatchers Department (ATDD)
* Asbestos Workers, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and (AWIU)
AWIU Locals
* Association of Flight Attendants (AFA)
AFA Locals
* Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM)
BCTGM Locals
* Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers, International Brotherhood of (IBB)
IBB Local Lodges
* Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE)
BLE Affiliates
* Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE)
BMWE Lodges
* Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS)
BRS Locals
* California School Employees Association (CSEA)
Region, Area, Committee and Chapter Sites
* Communications Workers of America (CWA)
The Newspaper Guild
CWA Affiliates
* Federation of Professional Athletes
* Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union (GMP)
* Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU)
GCIU Locals
* Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees International Union (HERE)
HERE Locals
* International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes (IATSE)
IATSE Locals
* International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers
Iron Workers Locals
* International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
* International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
IAM District and Local Lodges
* International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
IBEW Locals
* International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
Trade Divisions and Conferences
* International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)
IFPTE Affiliates
* International Longshoremen's Association (ILA)
International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots
ILA directory
* International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU)
ILWU Affiliate links
* International Plate Printers, Die Stampers and Engravers Union of North America
* International Union of Allied Novelty and Production Workers
* International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC)
BAC District Councils and Locals
* International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC)
IUEC Local Unions
* International Union of Journeymen Horseshoers and Allied Trades (IUJHAT)
* International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
IUOE Locals
* International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
IUPAT District Councils and Locals
* International Union of Police Associations (IUPA)
IUPA Locals
* Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)
Regional LIUNA
National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU)


NPMHU Locals

* Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association (MEBA)
* National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)
* Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU)
OPEIU Locals
* Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association of the United States and Canada (OP&CMIA)
OP&CMIA Locals
* PACE International Union
PACE Locals
* Seafarers International Union of North America (SIU)
SIU Halls
* Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO (SEIU)
* Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA)
SMWIA Locals
* Transportation Communications International Union (TCU)
* Transport Workers Union of America (TWU)
TWU Air Transport Division Locals
* UNITE
* United American Nurses (UAN)
Constituent Member Associations
* United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA)
UA Locals
* United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America International Union (UAW)
UAW Locals
* United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO (UFW)
UFW Regional Offices
* United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)
UFCW Locals
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU)
RWDSU Locals
* United Mine Workers of America (UMWA)
* United Steelworkers of America (USWA)
* United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers
District Councils and Local Unions
* Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA)
UWUA Locals
* Working America, a community affiliate
* Writers Guild of America, East, Inc.
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutunions/unions/

[maddezmom]

5. AFL-CIO represent 13 million working men and women n/t

[Nazgul35]

2. yea!!!! Look how much it helped

Gephardt and Dean! Wooohooo!!!!

I love it when the unions supports someone who voted for NAFTA and GATT....really shows they are principled. How long before members of unions come on here to talk about how much this flies against what the rank-and-file feel?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. You are accusing the AFL-CIO of being unprincipled?

What is the supposed motive for this 'unprincipled stand'? lol

PS, I love your sig!
"If 1.25 million Dems give $5 a week for 32 weeks, we will have $200 million for the eventual Dem nominee...Put your money were your mouth is!"

-- excellent advice!

[maddezmom]

3. UAN President Cheryl Johnson, RN, Votes to Support Sen. Kerry in 2004

UAN President Cheryl Johnson, RN, Votes to Support Sen. Kerry in 2004 Presidential Race; Positive Stand on Nurses', Workers' Issues Key Factors in Decision

2/19/04 3:50:00 PM


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: National Desk

Contact: Suzanne Martin of the United American Nurses, 202-651-7133

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- UAN President Cheryl Johnson, RN, joined other AFL-CIO affiliate union leaders in unanimously voting to endorse Sen. John Kerry for president of the United States in the upcoming November election. The AFL-CIO General Board voted to endorse Sen. Kerry at a meeting this morning.

"We believe that Sen. Kerry has taken a strong stand on issues important to the 100,000 staff nurses of the UAN, from his support of legislation placing limits on the amount of mandatory overtime hours nurses must work to his commitment to workers' rights and the freedom to choose a union," Johnson said. "In addition, Sen. Kerry's policy experience makes him the best candidate to defeat George W. Bush."

~snip~

The United American Nurses, AFL-CIO, the collective bargaining affiliate of the American Nurses Association, is the nation's largest RN union representing 100,000 nurses and made up of state nurses associations or collective bargaining programs from 24 states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


more: http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=139-02192004