The new Change to Win labor federation gave its first presidential endorsement to Democratic Senator Barack Obama on Thursday, saying its 6 million members could help push him over the top and into the general election as the Democratic nominee. The endorsement comes one day after the endorsement by the federation’s largest union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced yesterday the union’s endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for president. “Senator Obama understands the challenges working people face every day,” Hoffa said. “He is the candidate in the best position to lead our movement to restore the American dream for working people in this country. Senator Obama will fight for better wages, real health care reform, stronger retirement security, fair trade and an end to the outsourcing of good jobs. He understands the importance of giving workers a voice at work and will fight for strong unions to help rebuild America’s middle class. Senator Obama will stand with the Teamsters when it comes to fighting for working families,” Hoffa said. “This endorsement begins a partnership to change America. Together we will reinvent the political process and give a voice to those who have been ignored by the Bush administration for the past eight years.” The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Change to Win Chair Anna Burger said, "We think it's time to bring this nomination to a close." The endorsement came after a teleconference between Change to Win's leaders and the heads of the seven labor unions that make up the federation. The federation's members will now head to the crucial election states of Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island for the March 4 primaries, as well as Pennsylvania on April 22. Change to Win has 175,000 members in Ohio, 60,000 in Texas and 25,000 in Rhode Island, Burger said. Besides leafleting, knocking on doors and advocating for Obama at workplaces, Burger said she expected more than 100,000 Change to Win voters to participate in the Ohio primary alone. "There is certainly a movement building here," Burger said. "The winds of change are blowing and they're blowing for Barack Obama."
The federation's endorsement was more about approving of Obama than disapproving of Clinton, Burger said, but she did note that NAFTA was passed while Clinton's husband, former President Clinton, was in office. Unions have been highly critical of the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying it disproportionally hurt working-class voters. Clinton has become a NAFTA critic even though she has previously helped champion the measure as a product of her husband's presidency. "Barack Obama has a history of standing up for working-class families," said Burger, who called him the strongest candidate for Democrats in the general election.
Four of Change to Win's unions already had endorsed Obama, with the Teamsters endorsing him Wednesday. UNITE HERE, the Service Employees International Union and the United Food and Commercial Workers also have endorsed Obama. The federation's endorsement now means those unions will coordinate their efforts for Obama and have access to Change to Win resources.
The unions in the Change to Win federation broke from the AFL-CIO in 2005 over internal disagreements on how best to build organized labor's membership and political clout. The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor federation, has not endorsed any candidate in the Democratic primary, although it has allowed its 56 member unions to make individual endorsements. Senator Obama has been endorsed by three AFL-CIO unions: the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, the Transport Workers Union and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters. He also has the backing of the independent National Weather Service Employees Organization.
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