Unions Endorse Joe Biden for President
AFGE: Press Release
https://www.afge.org/publication/largest-federal-union-endorses-biden-for-president/
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Largest Federal Union Endorses Biden for PresidentBiden overwhelming choice of AFGE members according to internal polling
WASHINGTON – The largest union representing federal and D.C. government employees, the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE), today announced its endorsement of Joe Biden for president in the 2020 election.
The endorsement follows a months-long endorsement process that included an online poll open to every AFGE member, a scientific poll of AFGE members, straw polls at AFGE events, and the opportunity for each candidate to respond to a questionnaire addressing important issues to government workers.
In announcing the union’s endorsement, AFGE National President Everett Kelley issued the following statement:
“For AFGE members who are concerned about providing for themselves and their families, protecting their rights at work, being able to perform their job without undue political influence, and ensuring the security of their pay, benefits, and retirement, Joe Biden is the clear choice. And for these reasons, AFGE is proud to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States.
"In the polls that we have conducted, the overwhelming majority of our members expressed support for Joe Biden as the nominee. When every member was given the opportunity to vote, our members supported Joe Biden over Donald Trump by over 30 points – 58.4% for Biden compared to 28% for Trump. In our scientific poll, in which results were weighted to accurately reflect the demographic makeup of our union, the results were even more dramatic. In that poll, Biden led among AFGE members by 45 points, 62% for Biden over 17% for Trump.
“Joe Biden is the clear choice of the vast majority of AFGE members in this election because he speaks to the issues our members care most about.
“In his responses to AFGE members’ questions, Vice President Biden committed to roll back the assaults on government workers’ rights on the job, to protect their benefits and retirement from cost-sharing schemes that benefit insurance companies and big banks but hurt workers, and to make sure government workers are paid fairly and treated with dignity, fairness and respect.
“Over the course of his campaign, Vice President Biden’s team has proactively reached out to AFGE to solicit policy proposals, and they have incorporated a number of AFGE priorities into the Vice President’s various policy plans.
“President Trump declined to respond to AFGE members’ questions through our presidential questionnaire, continuing his total disrespect for federal and D.C. government workers. His record speaks for itself.
“He issued three executive orders aimed at taking away federal workers’ rights to fair treatment and a voice in the workplace, diminishing the important work our members do for Americans. His administration has torn up negotiated union contracts and replaced them with management edicts. He has proposed pay freezes and benefit cuts for federal employees – proposals overridden with bipartisan Congressional support. He has attacked the integrity of career civil servants by repudiating standards of truth and science that are instrumental to protecting the health and safety of the American people. President Trump has corrupted the merit systems principles that underlie our apolitical civil service. And he was the architect of the longest government shutdown in history that sent hundreds of thousands of federal workers across the United States to food banks to feed their families while cavalierly denying vital services to Americans.”
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The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 700,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.
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AFM: Press Release
https://www.afm.org/2020/08/afm-ieb-endorses-biden/
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AFM IEB Endorses BidenMonday August 10th, 2020
The International Executive Board of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) has announced its endorsement of Joe Biden for president in the 2020 election.
In announcing the union’s endorsement, AFM International President Raymond M. Hair, Jr. issued the following statement:
“For musicians who are concerned about providing for themselves and their families, protecting their rights at work, being able to perform their job without undue political influence, and ensuring the security of their pay, benefits, and retirement, Joe Biden is the clear choice. The Federation joins with all Americans who want to see a nation that is united, that promotes inclusion and a vision for the future, and that honors and respects all of its citizens. And for these reasons, AFM is proud to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States.”
This presidential endorsement is based on Biden’s unswerving commitment to the hard-fought principles and ideals of organized labor. It was arrived at by a unanimous vote of the AFM International Executive Board, comprised of International President Hair, International Vice President Bruce Fife; Vice President from Canada Alan Willaert; Secretary-Treasurer Jay Blumenthal; and Executive Officers: John Acosta (Local 47, Los Angeles); Ed Malaga (Local 161-710, Washington, DC); Tina Morrison (Local 105, Spokane, WA); Terryl Jares (Local 10-208, Chicago, IL); and Dave Pomeroy (Local 257, Nashville, TN).
“The AFM is proud to stand with Joe Biden now as he seeks to unify and grow our country through responsible leadership.”
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AFSA: Press Release
https://www.theschoolleader.org/news/afsa-endorses-public-education-candidates-biden-harris
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AFSA Endorses Public Education Candidates Biden-HarrisByAFSA Web Administration on Thursday, September 17 - 2:21pmThe American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA) today endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for president and vice president of the United States.In a letter to the members, AFSA President Ernest Logan wrote, "Vice President Biden and Sen. Harris are the best advocates for public schools. They believe strongly that a well-funded public education system is vital to our nation."
"They understand this is not only key from the economic imperative of educating our children to thrive in the competitive global marketplace, but also from a social and emotional standpoint.
"The Biden-Harris ticket knows our nation depends on the role public schools play in bringing together a melting pot of students to create a better understanding of one other, especially during these challenging and contentious times.
“Since taking office in January 2017, President Trump along with Betsy DeVos, his secretary of education, have been on a crusade to break public schools and move money to private education corporations that have little accountability to communities, families and students. On a grand scale, we have seen that model fail across the nation. Yet at every turn, they aggressively push vouchers and charter schools, and we all know how that agenda undermines our work in the communities we serve.
"We have never had a president and education secretary so hostile toward public schools.
“As we struggle with unprecedented challenges at the start of the school year—like nothing we ever imagined possible—we see clearly the tragic consequences of the mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic in our classrooms and with our children.
"The lack of investment in our schools during this COVID-19 crisis, and the demand that schools reopen in a normal fashion, shows just how out of touch this president is on how schools operate.”
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AFSCME: Press Release
https://www.afscme.org/press/releases/2020/afscme-endorses-biden-a-champion-for-working-people
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AFSCME Endorses Biden, ‘A Champion for Working People’Vice President Biden’s strong pro-worker record – including support for public service workers, health care for all, union rights for all workers – underpinned endorsement vote
WASHINGTON — The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a union of 1.4 million public service workers nationwide, has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for President. The endorsement was made by a unanimous vote of the union’s 35-member International Executive Board, which convened its quarterly meeting by phone because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“For decades, Joe Biden has been a champion for working people, the labor movement and public service workers,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “He shares our values, and he will fight for our voice on the job and our seat at the table. He has a gut-level understanding of the challenges and struggles keeping working families awake at night. He knows that the union difference means better jobs and stronger communities, an economy that extends opportunity to everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.”
Vice President Biden’s pro-worker platform includes:
- Supporting state and local governments to ensure public service workers have the tools they need to do their jobs;
- Protecting and expanding on the Affordable Care Act to lower costs, increase choice and simplify the system;
- Increasing college affordability and alleviating student debt, including for people who work in public service;
- Strengthening the freedom of all workers to bargain collectively and join together in a union.
By contrast, President Donald Trump, despite promising to look out for America’s “forgotten” men and women, has further rigged the economy against them, enriching himself and his billionaire friends, including:
- A trillion dollar tax giveaway overwhelmingly benefitting the rich;
- Relentless efforts – through legislation, regulation and the courts – to take health care coverage away from working families, including protections for pre-existing conditions;
- Attacks on civil rights, including workers’ rights by rewarding anti-worker advocates with powerful positions of influence;
- Attacks on public education, retirement security and food assistance.
Instead of making an early endorsement, AFSCME encouraged all the candidates to engage with members and learn more about their work in public service. The result was a primary campaign that put labor’s priorities front and center, with candidates embracing unions unapologetically in a way unseen in national politics in many years.
In August 2019, AFSCME hosted the 2020 Public Service Forum in Las Vegas, where members had the opportunity to hear from and pose questions to 19 presidential candidates. Similar gatherings were held around the Iowa and Nevada caucuses. AFSCME also educated members about the candidates’ platforms and conducted polls that gave members the opportunity to register their views.
“The contrast in the upcoming general election could not be clearer,” Saunders added. “The last several weeks have demonstrated more clearly than ever that Donald Trump, in addition to pursuing an agenda that kicks working people to the curb, does not have the right stuff to capably lead the nation through a grave public health crisis. He has tried every way possible to destroy the Affordable Care Act – even supporting a lawsuit currently before the Supreme Court to have it ruled unconstitutional – and leave Americans with pre-existing conditions out in the cold. This is not the moment, in the middle of a pandemic, to undermine people’s health care.
“Vice President Biden is equal to the task and then some. He is a seasoned leader with the temperament and character to help Americans pull together in challenging and uncertain times. And he recognizes the urgency of helping public service workers who are on the front lines of containing the coronavirus pandemic.
“This has been a competitive and spirited battle for the Democratic nomination, with all candidates making valuable contributions to the debate over the country’s future. But now is the moment for unity and solidarity. The stakes are too high for anything less. This is a once-in-a-lifetime election. There is no higher priority than denying Donald Trump a second term. It is time for Democrats, union members and all working people to organize and mobilize to make Joe Biden the 46th President of the United States.”
AFSCME's 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families.
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AFT: Press Release
https://www.aft.org/press-release/aft-convention-delegates-endorse-joe-biden-president
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AFT Convention Delegates Endorse Joe Biden for PresidentWASHINGTON—The nearly 4,000 delegates at the AFT’s national convention have endorsed Joe Biden for president in the general election, with 90 percent voting in favor.
The decision by the AFT follows the most inclusive and extensive presidential endorsement process in the union’s history, conducted over many months and involving more than 300,000 AFT members, that ultimately led the AFT executive council to submit the endorsement.
“Joe Biden is the deeply decent, experienced, caring and competent leader America needs to guide our nation through the three crises we face today—a global health pandemic, an economic crisis and a long-overdue reckoning with racism,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “This is not simply about defeating Donald Trump. We need a president who will help change course so this country is a place of fairness, opportunity and hope. Biden will be that president. He shares our values, has the support of our membership and is the leader we need in this unprecedented time. We will do everything we can to get out the vote in November.”
The resolution passed by delegates highlighted the stark contrast between Biden’s vision for America and President Trump’s cruel, divisive, catastrophic agenda, including his actions to worsen our triple crisis. It reads, in part, “This election is about what kind of country we want to be—not simply to restore the basic norms of decency and democracy, but to ensure everyone in America has the freedom and opportunity to live without fear and to pursue a better life.”
Biden will speak at the AFT convention on Thursday, where he is expected to highlight much of his vision for the nation, as detailed in the resolution, including:
- Investing in public education; supporting educators and paying them adequately; expanding community schools to meet the social and health needs of children as well as their instructional needs; and prioritizing deep learning focused on the skills and knowledge kids need to succeed, not an overreliance on testing;
- Building on the Affordable Care Act to ensure every American has access to affordable healthcare and cutting healthcare costs;
- Investing in higher education, providing student loan relief, and making four-year public colleges and universities tuition-free for all students whose family incomes are below $125,000;
- Ensuring the right of all workers to unionize and collectively bargain;
- Restoring the Voting Rights Act and protecting the voting rights of every American;
- Strengthening America’s commitment to racial justice and rooting out systemic racism from our laws, our policies and our institutions; and
- Rebuilding our economy to enable opportunity and prosperity for all, not just the rich and big corporations.
In her State of the Union address to delegates Tuesday, Weingarten noted that the Democratic Party platform, born out of the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force recommendations the AFT helped draft, is the most progressive in history. She set a goal of 100,000 actions a month—phone calls, texts and emails—to ensure we elect Joe Biden and a Congress that can enact his agenda.
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The AFT represents 1.7 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.
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APWU: Press Release
https://apwu.org/news/apwu-executive-board-endorses-joe-biden-president
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APWU Executive Board Endorses Joe Biden for PresidentJune 9, 2020
The American Postal Workers Union’s National Executive Board has voted to endorse Joe Biden for President of the United States. In their decision, the Board recognized his record of advancing the cause of unions, his support for the public Postal Service, postal workers, and his opposition to postal privatization.
As our country has confronted the pandemic, postal workers have heroically highlighted once again the importance of an affordable, universal and public Postal Service. Even as we have ensured that essential medicines, supplies and mail reached every address, serving the people at a time of incredible need, the Postal Service faces the prospect of closure. Without an immediate infusion of cash from Congress and the White House, the Postal Service will likely run out of money by fall due to COVID-related revenue losses.
Joe Biden recognized the stakes of this moment in a recent letter to the National Executive Board when he stated “This crisis makes clear: the USPS doesn’t just perform the integral task of offering mailing and shipping services in accordance with its Universal Service Obligation, it is also often the social and economic lifeline to rural and lower-income communities across the nation. Our support for the Postal Service must match the commitment that its workers bring to serving our communities….I will continue to protect the Postal Service from all attempts at privatization.”
A Stark Choice
In 2018, the White House issued two reports which laid out plans to raise mail and package prices while cutting service, to do away with our hard-won collective bargaining rights achieved in the heroic and Great Postal Strike of 1970, and even the outright sale of the people’s Postal Service to private corporations. Recently, the White House went so far as to threaten to veto a major COVID stimulus package if it included support for the Postal Service even though both the House and Senate had reached a bipartisan compromise to ensure funding. The White House and the Treasury Department are advancing their plans to sacrifice the Postal Service on the altar of private profit, using the crisis of the pandemic to carry out their destructive policies. President Trump has labeled the public Postal Service “a joke”, an insult to every postal worker and customer. In addition, President Trump’s policies are hostile to unions and workers’ rights, oppose living wages and a healthy environment, undermine Veteran benefits, threaten the vital programs of Social Security and Medicare and openly incite dangerous racial, ethnic and religious bigotry and division when the working class needs unity and solidarity more than ever to advance our common interests.
“The Executive Board fully recognizes and respects that our fellow members hold a wide array of political views and that their choices in this election will be a matter of personal conscience. However, the contrast in this presidential race is clear for postal workers,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “Donald Trump’s policies have made it abundantly clear that he is a serious threat to our decent postal jobs, our unions and to the right of the people to a public Postal Service. Joe Biden has committed to support the Postal Service and its dedicated postal workers. Our union will continue to help build the movement to defend the public Postal Service and win a more just society.”
The APWU National Executive Board believes that Joe Biden is the best choice in the upcoming presidential election. Former Vice-President Biden remains committed to helping end the assault on the Postal Service and our job security and will work with the APWU to secure the robust, vibrant, public Postal Service the people of our country deserve and help defend our rights to good, family-sustaining union jobs. As such, the National Executive Board committed to make every effort to educate and engage our members to elect Joe Biden as the next President of the United States and encourages members to be fully engaged in the 2020 presidential election.
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ARA: Press Release
https://retiredamericans.org/retirees-enthusiastically-endorse-joe-biden-for-president/
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August 13, 2020
Retirees Enthusiastically Endorse Joe Biden for President
For Immediate Release
Citing confidence in Vice President Biden’s commitment to retirement security for every American, the Alliance for Retired Americans, a grassroots organization with 4.4 million members across the country, today endorsed Joe Biden for President.
The announcement will be shared publicly during a rally with Jill Biden and thousands of seniors marking the 85th anniversary of the Social Security Act becoming law.
“Older Americans can trust Joe Biden because he has always fought for seniors. He will strengthen and expand Social Security and Medicare, and protect the pension benefits we have earned,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us why guaranteed health care coverage is essential. Vice President Biden will not just protect Medicare, but he will put Medicare to work negotiating lower drug prices for seniors and the American public,” Roach continued. “Our members also welcome the Biden caregiving plan. It fills a critical gap in senior health care, will help older people stay in their homes and creates new jobs in the process.”
Vice President Biden and his running mate Senator Kamala Harris both have strong pro-retiree records. As a senator Joe Biden earned a 96% lifetime pro-retiree score in the Alliance’s annual Congressional Voting Record. Senator Harris has earned a 100% lifetime pro-retiree score.
In contrast President Trump has betrayed seniors. Last weekend he promised to unilaterally eliminate funding for Social Security and on at least six other occasions he said he favored cutting Social Security, Medicare or both. In addition, prescription drug prices are higher now than they were in 2016, and he has asked the Supreme Court to strike down the Affordable Care Act, which includes protections for people with pre-existing health conditions.
President Roach pledged that the Alliance’s 4.4 million members will do all they can before Election Day to educate seniors on the differences between the Democratic and Republican tickets.
“Everything is on the line for seniors in this election,” said President Roach. “Our members are going to work enthusiastically every day to help put the Biden-Harris team in the White House.”
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ATU: Press Release
https://www.atu.org/media/releases/atu-endorses-joe-biden-for-president-of-the-united-states
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Feb 1
ATU endorses Joe Biden for President of the United States
Silver Spring, MD - Recognizing the need for a candidate who stands for working families, can beat Donald Trump and restore civility and respect for the United States, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) General Executive Board voted to endorse Joe Biden for President. The vote came after an extensive poll of ATU membership to evaluate the entire field of presidential candidates and the issues important to them.
The ATU is the largest union representing transit employees in North America, including workers in Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City, and Waterloo in Iowa.
“Joe Biden has been a true champion of working Americans throughout his career,” said ATU International President John A. Costa. “We know he will fight to rebuild the middle class by restoring the rights of Labor, advancing racial justice and equity, and bolstering our economy through unprecedented investment in public services like transit.
“During his more than 40 years in the United States Senate, and as Vice President during the most pro-transit Administration in history, Joe has proven through his actions – not just words – that he believes in the critical role public transit plays in boosting our economy, providing access to jobs and improving communities.
“Just a few days ago, the House Democrats unveiled a massive $760 billion infrastructure plan to rebuild our country and transportation systems. Joe Biden is the leader to pull this initiative across the finish line. He is also a strong supporter of the Transit Worker and Pedestrian Protection Act, critical legislation to protect transit workers from vicious attacks – a national epidemic.
“Known for his compassion for working families, he possesses an unwavering commitment for fighting for the right to collectively bargain to secure fair wages, health care and retirement security for all workers,” Costa continued.
“Joe has shown strong support for the issues that our members care about,” Costa said. “When our members – bus drivers in Northern Virginia – recently won an 84-day strike against a multinational private transit company, he said, ‘Selling off public services to private interests at the expense of workers and their communities should be a non-starter’.”
ATU will be recommending that members vote for Biden in the primaries and caucuses. The Union also plans to mobilize members across the country in support of Biden’s campaign.
“This is a pivotal moment in U.S. history and our nation needs a leader that will bring back respect, dignity, and civility to our country. Joe Biden is the right person for working people and America,” said Costa.
The Amalgamated Transit Union – the largest labor union representing transit and allied workers in the U.S. and Canada – fights for the interests of its hard-working members and promotes mass transit. Founded in 1892, the ATU today is comprised of more than 200,000 members, including: metropolitan, interstate, and school bus drivers; paratransit, light rail, subway, streetcar, and ferry boat operators; mechanics and other maintenance workers; station agents, clerks, baggage handlers, municipal employees and others. ATU has more than 250 Locals in 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and nine Canadian provinces.
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BAC: Press Release
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Press Release
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Endorses Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States of America07/02/2020
[Washington, D.C.] July 2nd, 2020 - Today the Executive Board of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) endorsed Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States of America.
“Vice President Biden has been a stalwart supporter of the labor movement and working people his entire career,” said BAC International President Tim Driscoll. “He is a true believer in unions and their right to organize and bargain collectively on behalf of working people in America. He has demonstrated his commitment to protecting workers’ right to join a union and those unions’ right to effectively advocate for safe workplaces and fair wages. Critically important during this global pandemic, Vice President Biden has a proven record of defending and expanding access to healthcare, and he has fought to protect the pensions and retirement security that our members have spent decades deferring wages to create.”
“Times are tough in this country right now. When times were tough in the Great Recession, Joe Biden worked with a calm and steady hand to successfully bring our economy back from the brink of ruin – with a constant focus on the interests of the hard-working people like our members who make up the middle class. His career-long support for us has earned him our support in return, and we are proud to stand with him now as we rebuild this country together.”
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BCTGM: Press Release
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BCTGM International Union Endorses Joe Biden for President of the United StatesJune 10, 2020
(Kensington, MD, June 10) – The General Executive Board of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) voted unanimously to endorse Joe Biden for President of the United States.
“We believe that a Biden presidency offers the strongest opportunity to advance the cause of economic, social and racial justice in the United States and heal our nation,” said BCTGM International President Anthony Shelton.
“We believe that a Biden presidency offers the strongest opportunity to advance the cause of economic, social and racial justice in the United States and heal our nation.”
A Biden presidency would provide much-needed and aggressive leadership on the public policy issues that matter most to BCTGM members, their families and retirees: ensuring workers the right to organize and bargain collectively; fortifying the laws and regulations protecting workers’ safety and health on the job; strengthening Social Security and Medicare and protecting earned pension benefits and guaranteeing quality public education.
“On each of these critical issues, President Trump and his Administration have failed working families, particularly in the areas of workplace health and safety and workers’ rights,” said Shelton.
The BCTGM will be actively engaged in the AFL-CIO’s Labor 2020 program across the country, in every city, state and community to ensure our message is heard loud and clear. While the methods may look a little different in the face of COVID-19, we will communicate through virtual phone banks, peer-to-peer texting, digital actions and, as always, union member-to-union member conversations.
“I will be calling on all of our U.S. locals and members to be enthusiastic partners in this most important political effort. There is so much at stake for working families and Unions in this year’s elections,” Shelton concluded.
The BCTGM International Union represents working men and women at many of the most widely recognized North American companies in the baking, candy, snack food, dairy, tobacco and grain milling industries.
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BSOIW: Press Release
https://www.ironworkers.org/news-magazine/news/2020/01/22/iron-workers-endorse-joe-biden-s-campaign
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Iron Workers endorse Biden for president
Jan 22, 2020
The Iron Workers need a president who will stand with us as we fight for our rights on the job, and that president is Joe Biden. We’ve made this endorsement after a long process of sizing up different campaigns based on who will be best for union ironworkers. We judged each candidate on their record, strength and commitment to working people, including President Trump.
The general executive council (GEC) of our union met last year and directed our political team to find out members’ feelings about the race. We have completed multiple rounds of national opinion surveys and focus groups of the membership using experienced pollsters and industry-leading techniques. We have also gathered opinions directly from members at local visits and on the internet.
We saw a consistent result. A minority of ironworkers are firmly committed to Trump, more so than previous Republican presidential contenders like Senator John McCain and Governor Mitt Romney. They are outnumbered by a much larger block of ironworkers who want a change in administration. Another chunk leans one way or the other but wants more information before deciding.
One message came up again and again from the membership: “I don’t want you to tell me who to vote for, I want you to tell me why a candidate deserves my vote.” We’ve taken this to heart, and throughout this campaign will lay out information on why your support matters.
I dispatched our political team to negotiate with major campaigns and find the best deal for ironworkers. Over the last year, we found out who takes us seriously and who just gives us lip service. We found out who is most focused on providing work to union ironworkers and protecting our rights on the job.
After thorough vetting and research, we found that Biden has the broadest support amongst union ironworkers. His favorability is a full 29 points higher than Donald Trump in our union and is considerably higher than other Democrats in the race. By committing to defend our jobs, retirement and rights as union members, Biden offered the strongest support for union ironworkers of any candidate. The GEC voted to endorse Vice President Biden in late January.
To secure good work and fair wages, our union sits down with contractors and negotiates the best possible agreements in the interests of ironworkers. But it’s up to the members of our union whether they vote for the contract. It’s the same here: our international worked with the campaigns to represent members’ interest, but how you vote is up to you. And after the election, just like stewards and business agents hold contractors to our union agreements, our union will hold the winner accountable.
You won’t hear us echoing a bunch of outrageous Democratic talking points. Partisanship is so bad these days that some people will say the sky is orange if the other party says it’s blue. Instead, we’ll stick to the jobs and labor rights issues that it’s our duty as a union to champion. We’ll talk about how Biden will defend union workers like us. We’ll also break down the many attacks that Donald Trump has made against American workers, many of which don’t get covered in the press.
Joe Biden is one of us and will stand up for union ironworkers when he is president. You can help our union succeed in this election by joining other ironworkers to knock doors, make calls and talk politics with your family. Whether we’re Republicans, Democrats, or independents, in this election we need to stick together.
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CBTU: Press Release
https://thegrio.com/2020/05/28/joe-biden-endorsed-coalition-of-black-trade-unionists/
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Joe Biden endorsed by Coalition of Black Trade UnionistsA Black worker's organization gives the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee its seal of approval.
Though Joe Biden has found himself engulfed by controversy in recent weeks regarding off-the-cuff comments he’s made about the African American community but his support has remained strong. The presumptive Democratic nominee has just received the endorsement of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.
READ MORE: Biden reinforces plan for Black America after ‘Breakfast Club’ backlash
CBTU is the independent voice of 1.2 million Black workers represented by 57 international unions in the U.S. and Canada and has been involved in presidential politics since 1972 — defying the AFL-CIO by backing George McGovern against President Richard Nixon.
CBTU endorsed Biden to be the 46th president of the United States with the hope that this can help Biden inspire more progressives and create a broad coalition.
The nonprofit organization views the upcoming 2020 election as a watershed moment in history that needs Biden’s leadership. They believe America can’t survive another four years of President Donald Trump
“Four more years of a Trump presidency could push America to the point of no return. The hate and divisiveness being poured into the veins of this democracy by the man elected to preserve it has done incalculable damage to our institutions, our families, and our communities,” Rev. Terrence Melvin, president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, said.
“That’s why we must get this right. We must throw our full support behind a candidate who has the character, credibility, and game plan to lift America from the sewage of Trumpism. Joe Biden is democracy’s best and only hope in the presidential race of 2020.”
They also noted that Biden was a faithful second in command to President Barack Obama during his two terms. It was noted that the former vice president, “ran interference on Capitol Hill, using his experience and reputation to win key votes on both sides of the aisle.”
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CWA: Press Release
https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/cwa-endorses-joe-biden-for-president
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CWA Endorses Joe Biden for PresidentFriday, May 22, 2020
Washington, D.C. -- The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has endorsed Joe Biden for President.
In a letter to the union’s Executive Board recommending the endorsement, CWA President Chris Shelton said that Biden is “someone who will walk the walk when it comes to fighting for workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively.”
“Joe understands labor’s mantra: ‘Which side are you on’,” wrote Shelton. “He knows who built America and who built the middle class. When we need him, Joe and his White House will be there for us, ready to help. It’s about time the President of the United States was an ally and promoter of organized labor, not an enemy.”
Shelton cited Biden’s support for the PRO Act, the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, and the fact that his broadband plan includes language requiring companies receiving funds to remain neutral on workers’ organizing efforts as evidence of Biden’s commitment to workers’ rights.
In his letter, Shelton said that Donald Trump’s treatment of working people as expendable disqualified him from the union’s endorsement. “The past three years – and indeed just the past three months – have proven that the 2016 election was the most damaging election of our lifetimes,” wrote Shelton. “Donald Trump’s victory that year will tear at the fabric of our society and the health of our communities for years to come and will worsen if he is re-elected.”
As part of its endorsement process, CWA sent candidates a comprehensive questionnaire about issues important to working people and asked them to submit a short video explaining what they will do in the first 100 days as President to pass the PRO Act, Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act and expand workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively. Biden’s answers and video are online at cwapolitical.org/biden2020. Trump did not respond.
CWA is planning an extensive member education and voter turnout effort in Presidential battleground states, and CWA activists began engaging members in key Senate states earlier this year.
CWA’s members represent a cross-section of America’s workers, working in industries spanning telecommunications, airlines, media and broadcast journalism, health care, public service, education and manufacturing
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IAFF: Press Release
https://firefightersforbiden.com/
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IAFF Endorses Joe Biden for President of the United States
Calls Joe Biden one of the strongest and most influential voices for hard-working Americans
Washington, DC – “Joe Biden is a lot like fire fighters, he is a problem solver who cares deeply about his country and is driven to make it better,” said Harold Schaitberger, General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), in announcing the union’s endorsement of Vice President Joe Biden in his bid to become the next president of the United States in 2020.
“Joe Biden continues to be the strongest and most influential voice for hard-working Americans like fire fighters and their families, just as he has been throughout his entire career,” Schaitberger said. “Joe Biden understands the importance of protecting the security of our homeland – that’s why he’s earned the support of the coveted IAFF gold and black brand.”
“America needs Joe Biden, and he is clearly ready to serve our nation once again. His exceptional experience on the International stage will put America back as the beacon of hope and democracy around the world through civility and discourse,” said Schaitberger.
As president, Joe Biden will stand up for hard-working Americans and the safety of our communities, just as he has throughout his political career. He will be a leader on issues that give fire fighters a voice in protecting their neighborhoods.
The IAFF supports candidates who support public safety and issues important to professional fire fighters and paramedics, regardless of political affiliation. The IAFF’s political action committee, FIREPAC, is in the top one-half of one percent of federal PACs in the nation. The support of the IAFF gold and black political brand is coveted by candidates at all levels.
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IATSE: Press Release
https://www.iatse.net/news/iatse-endorses-joe-biden-president-united-states
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IATSE Endorses Joe Biden for President of the United StatesTuesday, May 19, 2020
IATSE’s General Executive Board voted unanimously Monday to extend its endorsement to Former Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States.
Former Vice President Biden has an extensive record and history of fighting for workers’ rights and working families, but he is also genuinely concerned on a human-level about the welfare of behind-the-scenes entertainment workers.
Recently, the Biden campaign hosted an unemployment town hall on how COVID-19 is specifically impacting entertainment workers. Members of Local 764 and Local One were invited to share their experiences during this pandemic and pose questions on how Joe Biden will address the unique challenges that those working in the entertainment industry will continue to face as we seek to recover from this unprecedented health crisis.
Labor unions are under assault, with policies under the current administration and across the country undermining workers’ collective bargaining rights and stripping union workers of the wages, benefits, and retirement security they deserve.
Joe Biden has consistently lifted up and prioritized issues affecting IATSE members and their families – from protecting workers’ rights to organize a union and bargain for higher wages and better benefits, to defending our earned pension checks and health care. His campaign also engaged the IATSE and working people in the development of the Biden Plan for Strengthening Worker Organizing, Collective Bargaining, and Unions – the only remaining candidate to reach out on such an effort.
If elected, Biden has pledged to sign the Protecting the Right to Organize Act into law, champion legislation banning so-called “right to work” laws, appoint members to the National Labor Relations Board who will protect workers, increase workplace safety and health, and ensure freelance entertainment workers receive the legal benefits and protections they deserve by making it harder for employers to misclassify workers as independent contractors.
Joe Biden presents a stark and undeniable contrast from the current administration with regard to leadership and support for working people.
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The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) is an international union representing over 150,000 members employed in the stagecraft, motion picture and television production, and trade-show industries throughout the United States, its territories, and Canada.
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IAM: Press Release
https://www.goiam.org/press-releases/machinists-union-membership-votes-to-endorse-joe-biden-2/
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Machinists Union Membership Votes to Endorse Joe BidenMarch 8, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, March 8, 2020 – The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), utilizing an unprecedented democratic process that included a general membership vote open to all U.S. members in good standing, has endorsed Joe Biden for president of the United States.
The IAM’s endorsement is the majority will of the IAM’s membership and its state councils, who voted online through an independent third party in early March. More about the IAM’s endorsement process is available at iam2020.org.
A statement from IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr.:
“Our union made it a priority in the 2020 election cycle to give IAM members a real say in who we endorse for president of the United States. Since we announced this process in May 2019, we have encouraged members from coast to coast to register and make their voices heard in this important decision. We also urged presidential candidates to listen to our membership and speak about the issues that IAM members believe are most critical.
“Today the IAM is proud to announce our endorsement for Joe Biden, a proven leader who we believe can take back the White House and restore power back to working people and unions. Joe understands that unions built the middle class and that working people deserve their fair share of the prosperity we create. At this time more than ever, we need a leader who can deliver for workers and communities across this nation on retirement security, affordable health care and stronger protections for workers and unions. Our members have indicated that strong support for these issues is critical for our endorsement. Joe Biden has been fighting for these issues throughout his career.
“Make no mistake, workers’ rights including safety and health and the right to unionize and bargain collectively, is on the ballot this November. We have endured four years of attacks on working people in the form of anti-union judges and NLRB decisions, attacks on our retirement and health care, and more. The GOP tax plan gave enormous tax breaks to multinational corporations while resulting in more than 50 plant closures for IAM members since the president took office. We cannot afford another four years of anti-worker policies being dictated to us by corporate-bought politicians in Washington.
“Joe Biden strongly supports the PRO Act, which would hold corporations accountable for violating labor laws and repeal anti-union right-to-work laws. Joe has also pledged to protect the pensions of workers and strengthen our ability to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions. Joe would also end the senseless attacks on federal workers and fight for multi-employer pensions by passing the Butch Lewis Act.
“I encourage our members whose preferred candidate did not receive our endorsement to remain committed to our core principles. In a union as diverse as the IAM, it is OK to have different views with one common cause. We are strongest when we are united.
“Our membership has spoken and chosen a bold, progressive vision for our country that places the interests of working people first. From this point on, we will mobilize our membership to win the Democratic nomination for Joe Biden. No matter what happens in the months ahead, it is clear that working people demand a different direction and their fair share of power in Washington and across the country.”
The Machinists Union represents 600,000 active and retired members across North America in the aerospace, general manufacturing, defense, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, electronics and other industries. For more on the IAM, visit goIAM.org.
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IBEW: Press Release
http://www.ibew.org/media-center/Articles/20Daily/2002/200205_IBEW-Endorses-Joe-Biden-for-President
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For Immediate Release: February 5, 2020
IBEW Endorses Joe Biden for President
The leadership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, while attending its annual officers meeting, has unanimously endorsed Vice President Joe Biden to be the next President of the United States.
The IBEW represents 775,000 active and retired electrical workers across North America.
“Vice President Biden has been a longtime friend of working families and the IBEW,” said IBEW International President Lonnie R. Stephenson. “Joe has a long record of standing up for union members, and we believe it’s in the best interest of IBEW members to elect him our next president.
“Each of the Democratic frontrunners stands solidly with the IBEW on issues of workers’ rights, including the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would provide millions of workers across the country with additional protections to organize and collectively bargain, and we thank each of them for their commitment to working families.
“But what makes Joe Biden different isn’t just his support for our rights on the job, but his support for good energy jobs. Eighty-five percent of IBEW members work in the energy industry, and our country needs a realistic plan to combat the ongoing threat of climate change without putting energy security or working families at risk.
“Joe Biden has listened to IBEW members, and his energy policy has been shaped by deep, meaningful conversations with the professionals who will build and maintain the energy grid of the future. He backs an all-of-the-above approach to slashing carbon emissions. He also has proposed the largest-ever investment in clean-energy technology, as well as an aggressive clean-power infrastructure plan that will make the United States a global leader in fighting climate change, while putting tens of thousands of Americans to work building the energy economy of the future.
“It’s not typical for the IBEW to endorse this early in the primary process, but this year there’s an urgency we haven’t seen in a very long time. Energy policies made today will reverberate for decades, and it’s paramount that we have a candidate for president who supports IBEW jobs and IBEW values.
“As the largest union of energy professionals in the nation, we have been a leader in promoting clean, renewable power, from installing solar panels and building wind turbines to fighting for pro-environment, pro-jobs legislation on the local, state and federal level. No organization in the world has trained more workers for the green economy than the IBEW.
“Joe Biden’s support of a robust 21st century infrastructure plan will create significant growth not only for the IBEW’s Construction and Utility branches, but also Telecommunications, Broadcasting, Manufacturing and Railroad. In addition, we can count on him to roll back this administration’s attack on thousands of IBEW members who work in government jobs.
“Vice President Biden has listened to what we have to say about one of our nation’s most pressing challenges, and I know IBEW members will have a seat at the table in a Biden White House.”
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The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) represents approximately 775,000 members and retirees who work in a wide variety of fields, including construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications, broadcasting, railroads and government.
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IBT: Press Release
https://teamster.org/2020/08/teamsters-endorse-biden-harris/
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Former Vice President, Senator Have Decades-Long Record of Standing with Workers
(WASHINGTON) – The International Brotherhood of Teamsters today announced its endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden for president and Senator Kamala Harris of California for vice president, citing their strong record of standing with working families throughout each of their careers.
The union’s General Executive Board voted unanimously Tuesday to support the candidacy of Biden and Harris. Biden has a long history of standing with unions and workers on the job site. As vice president, he helped put rules in place that made it easier to organize and expanded overtime eligibility to millions of additional workers, and he has committed to protecting workers’ hard-earned pensions. Harris has advocated for workers as Attorney General of California and as Senator and offered her own thoughtful pro-worker platform during her run for the presidency.
Biden, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee, has proposed a bold plan to protect the interests of hardworking Americans going forward, one that prioritizes collective bargaining, worker organizing and unions. It calls for workers to be treated with dignity and receive the pay, benefits and workplace protections they deserve.
“The Teamsters have a friend in Joe Biden,” Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said. “From his very first election to the Senate until now, Vice President Biden has been on the side of working Americans supporting their right to organize, their desire for fair wages and their need for a secure retirement.”
Biden and Harris both signed the Teamsters Pledge last year promising to back the union’s priorities – pension reform, collective bargaining rights and fair trade, including related legislation. They also both sat down with the Teamsters to discuss their views on the issues. Biden also participated in the union’s candidate forum held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa last December.
“I want the support of the Teamsters because we need an incredibly strong labor movement that has to grow in America,” Biden said during his interview. “We need to strengthen unions. It is something I have done my whole career, I think it is critically important and the Teamsters are an incredibly, incredibly important element of organized labor in America.”
“I want Teamster members and their families to know that I stand with them,” Harris said during her interview. “I want them to know in the America I believe in, no one should have to work more than one job to have a roof over their head or to put food on the table.”
Both Biden’s and Harris’ national field organizers voted via card check to join Teamsters Local 238 in Iowa, proving their campaigns were willing not just to talk-the-talk, but walk-the-walk.
The former vice president also spoke to Teamsters at various venues during the presidential primary campaign, including a visit to a First Student school bus yard in Nashua, N.H. in February. There, he discussed with the Local 633 members his own experiences of driving a school bus while a law student at Syracuse University.
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have both had to fight hard to get to where they are today,” Hoffa said. “The Teamsters will be just as determined working for Joe and Kamala this fall because we know they will work for our members in the White House.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
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ILA: Press Release
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ILA President Harold J. Daggett Announces Endorsement of Joe Biden For President; Urges ILA Members In Florida, Ohio and Illinois to Vote In Tuesday’s PrimariesNORTH BERGEN, NJ – (March 15, 2020) – The President of the International Longshoremen’s Association, Harold J. Daggett, announced today his union is endorsing Joe Biden for President of the United States. The ILA leader is urging his membership in Florida, Ohio and Illinois to support Vice President in Tuesday’s (March 17th) Democratic Presidential Primaries.
“Joe Biden’s friendship and support of the ILA goes back decades from his time as a U.S. Senator from Delaware,” said ILA President Daggett. “He was close friends with ILA leaders Skinny Wilson and Alex Talmadge and is the best candidate in 2020 to defeat Donald Trump and return honor, dignity and prosperity to the United States of America.”
The ILA leader said his Executive Council have considered all the Presidential candidates and agreed that Vice President Biden represented the best choice for ILA members and their families.
The ILA cites Joe Biden’s strong and unwavering support of America’s unions are a chief reason to support his campaign.
“Strong unions built the great American middle class,” said Mr. Biden. “Everything that defines what it means to live a good life and know you can take care of your family – the 40-hour work week, paid leave, health care protections, a voice in your workplace – is because of workers who organized unions and fought for worker protections. Because of organizing and collective bargaining, there used to be a basic bargain between workers and their employers in this country that when you work hard, you share in the prosperity your work created.”
ILA President Daggett has met with Vice President Biden and knows first-hand, his long history of support of the ILA.
“Joe Biden is a true friend of the ILA and working men and women across America,” said President Daggett. “Joe Biden credits his early success in politics to the support of unions in general and the ILA in particular.
“He had a very good relationship with many ILA officers from the Ports of Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” added President Daggett.
The ILA noted that Joe Biden’s campaign is built on a promise to check the abuse of corporate power over labor and hold corporate executives personally accountable for violations of labor laws; Encourage and incentivize unionization and collective bargaining; and ensure that workers are treated with dignity and receive the pay, benefits, and workplace protections they deserve.
“Donald Trump has filled the courts with anti-union and right-wing conservative judges who look to further weaken labor laws protecting workers,” said the ILA leader. “He supports National Right to Work legislation and will continue to weaken the voice and power of America’s working class. We must elect Joe Biden as President.”
ILA members registered to vote in their respective States will have to opportunity to support Joe Biden. On Tuesday, March 17th, Democratic Primaries will be held in Florida, Ohio, Illinois and Arizona.
Puerto Rico holds its Democratic Presidential Primary on March 29th.
In April, States holding Democratic primaries with large ILA membership include Wisconsin on April 7th; New York; Maryland, Pennsylvania; Connecticut, Delaware; and Rhode Island on April 28th.
In May and June, ILA members can vote in Democratic Presidential primaries in Indiana (May 5th); Georgia (May 19th) New Jersey and District of Columbia (June 2nd) and Louisiana (June 20th).
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IUEC:
https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/lexington/politics/2020/09/07/biden-spends-labor-day-at-labor-union-headquarters-in-pennsylvania
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Joe Biden Collects Key Labor Endorsements Ahead of Pennsylvania Union EventBy Spectrum News StaffPennsylvaniaUPDATED 5:25 PM ET Sep. 07, 2020PUBLISHED 9:43 AM ET Sep. 07, 2020HARRISBURG, PENN. — Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden traveled to his childhood home state of Pennsylvania on Labor Day to speak with union workers as the presidential campaign heads into the crucial home stretch.
What You Need To Know
- Former Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Pennsylvania on Labor Day to speak with union workers
- Biden pledged to enact the PRO Act should he be elected
- Biden slammed President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic
- Trump attacked Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, during an address from the White House earlier in the day
Biden first met with local labor leaders in the backyard of a supporter’s home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Appearing alongside AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, the leader of the largest federation of U.S. labor unions, via video chat, Biden spoke about trade, coronavirus and the economy as he criticized Trump for “refusing to deal with the problems that affect ordinary people” and called for strengthening unions.
“It’s not enough to praise our essential workers, it’s about time we start paying you. We’re going to empower workers and empower unions,” Biden said. “If I have the honor of becoming your President, I am going to be the strongest labor President you have ever had.”
Biden also pledged that as President he would make sure to sign the PRO Act, which would amend decades-old labor laws in favor of workers. Biden also noted that President Trump had also promised the same during his previous campaign but then reneged on the promise when the time came.
The former Vice President further slammed President Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying he put profit over people when making policy decisions.
“President Trump keeps talking about how great his economy is, how great the stock market is. But the only reason he didn't have the guts to take on COVID and threw up the white flag, he was worried if he started talking about saving people’s lives, the stock market may fall,” Biden said.
“If you give me the honor of being your President, you'll never have a better friend or stronger ally in the White House,” Biden later added. “Because if I'm in the Oval Office guess who's gonna be there with me? Unions.”
Biden also addressed the recent report from The Atlantic that claimed President Trump called servicemen who died in war “losers” and “suckers,” delivering what was perhaps his most fiery rebuke of the President’s rhetoric to date.
“When it comes to veterans, (Trump) is downright un-American,” Biden began. “I’ve never said that about a President ever, ever, ever but calling those who served losers and suckers….these are heroes.”
Biden then spoke of his late son Beau Biden, who was an officer in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps.
“I’ll tell you something, my Beau wasn't a loser or a sucker,” Biden said. “He didn't serve with losers and suckers, he served with heroes. No President has ever talked about our servicemen this way. If that's how you talk about our veterans, you have no business being President of the United States of America.”
Following his address, Biden took questions from several union workers.
Ketha Otis, a vocational rehabilitation technician, asked the former Vice President what he would do to protect public service employees should he be elected to the White House.
“We have to make sure you can stay working, and protected, and we have to pay you fairly. This pandemic has slammed states and cities with rising costs and shrinking tax revenues. And Trump passed the buck, turned his back and stuck states with the bill,” Biden responded in part.
Biden’s campaign also announced three new union endorsements: the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the International Union of Elevator Constructors and the National Federation of Federal Employees, collectively representing hundreds of thousands of union workers nationwide who can be mobilized to support the campaign.
The AFL-CIO endorsed Biden in May.
Ahead of the roundtable, Biden released a series of statements on Twitter where he pledged to strengthen labor unions across the country.
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IUOE:
https://blog.4president.org/2020/2020/09/carpenters-and-operating-engineers-unions-endorse-joe-biden-for-president.html
https://www.iuoe.org/members/2020
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Carpenters and Operating Engineers Unions Endorse Joe Biden for President
Today, the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) endorsed Joe Biden for President. In a joint statement issued by James T. Callahan, General President of the International Union of Operating Engineers, and Douglas J. McCarron, General PResident of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, cited Biden’s long career of standing on the “side of working people” and lauded Biden’s Build Back Better plan. Both unions also recognized that both Biden and Harris have the values, experience, and expertise to “fix the problems facing this country.”
The International Union of Operating Engineers and United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America released the following joint statement:
Carpenters and Operating Engineers Unions Endorse Joe Biden for President
NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA – The following statement was issued today by James T. Callahan, General President of the International Union of Operating Engineers, and Douglas J. McCarron, General President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, regarding their unions’ endorsements of Joe Biden for President of the United States:
The current public health and economic crisis has laid bare the deficiencies in our national infrastructure system. Rebuilding our country and creating career opportunities in the building trades will take clear-eyed, bold leadership from the next President. The Carpenters and Operating Engineers believe the best person for that job is Joe Biden.
Joe Biden has been on the side of working people throughout his entire career in public service. Biden’s plan to make America competitive again starts by making real investments in infrastructure, mass transit, broadband and clean drinking water. These priorities, coupled with the type of advanced training and collective bargaining agreements our unions are known for, will put Americans back to work in solid middle-class, family supporting jobs.
“It is time to put more Americans to work rebuilding our roads and bridges, strengthening our energy grid, and upgrading our water systems,” said James T. Callahan, General President of the International Union of Operating Engineers. “Joe Biden’s plan for long-term infrastructure investments, expanding skilled training and apprenticeship, rigorous workplace safety protocols, and retirement security makes him the best choice for working families.”
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the President and Vice President that our nation needs right now,” said Carpenters Union General President Doug McCarron. “They share our values, have the experience and expertise to fix the problems facing this country, and above all else have the temperament and empathy to help our divided nation unify and heal.”
“Construction careers open the door to the middle-class for millions of Americans,” said Callahan. “As President, we know Joe Biden will stand up for the policies that put us to work and the policies that bring us home safely to our families after a hard day on-the-job.
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The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) together represent 900,000 working women and men across North America in a range of industry sectors and are two of the continent’s largest construction unions.
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IUPAT: Press Release
https://www.iupat.org/news/the-iupat-proudly-endorses-joe-biden-for-president/
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The IUPAT Proudly Endorses Joe Biden for President![National / Local] – One of the largest and most politically active building trades unions in the United States, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), has officially endorsed Joe Biden for President of the United States. The union represents tens of thousands of workers who work with paint, glass, drywall, and other key materials on construction sites from coast to coast.
The union’s endorsement and its pledge to double down on election mobilization this year in key battleground states puts yet another roadblock between the Trump administration and a second term.
In recent years, IUPAT members have been fighting against the Trump administration’s anti-worker policies on a range of fronts, ranging from apprenticeship standards to immigration policy, and many others.
“Joe Biden has dedicated his career to helping working people. He has been a champion in protecting the right of workers to form unions — and to have a safe, fair workplace,” said IUPAT General President Ken Rigmaiden. “We’ll be fighting to make Joe Biden the next President of the United States, because he fights for working families. The administration has attempted to orchestrate a systematic destruction of worker protections — and has tried to veil these efforts with hateful rhetoric that seeks to pit us against each other. As working families everywhere grapple with the effects of a global pandemic, we need a strong leader like Joe Biden who will unite everyday Americans and who will fight for the organized labor movement. We see that future with Joe Biden and we will make it a reality.”
The IUPAT has been at odds with the Trump administration since the inauguration. Last summer, over 17,000 IUPAT members spoke out against the Department of Labor’s “Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program” proposal, which was designed to undercut existing union apprenticeships, and to downgrade safety and wage standards across the construction industry.
Despite Trump’s promises to focus on rebuilding American infrastructure, the President walked away from infrastructure negotiations in 2019, angering union members, and leaving the industry more vulnerable to the economic downturn that has coincided with the administration’s total failure to respond effectively to the outbreak of COVID-19.
As thousands of IUPAT workers lost their jobs due to COVID-19, the IUPAT criticized the President for stalling relief, allowing millions of Americans to face lapses in health coverage and pushing for job site reopenings even when conditions were not safe for workers.
“I need to see a real leader in the White House – someone who tells it like it is but who actually knows what he’s talking about, and works to get things done,” said Vaughn Simmons from Wisconsin, a painter with the IUPAT. “I realize that many of my co-workers voted for Trump because of the tough-guy image, but enough is enough. We know smoke and mirrors when we see it. Joe Biden is the guy.”
THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS AND ALLIED TRADES (IUPAT)
Represents a growing community of over 110,000 active and retired craftspeople in the United States and Canada. The IUPAT membership extends far beyond the workplace. Recognized as one of the most active unions in the labor movement, IUPAT members help shape their communities in many ways: through an abiding commitment to service, by fighting passionately for workers’ rights that benefit all working families, and through effective worker education and mobilization.
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LIUNA:
https://www.liuna.org/news/story/liuna-endorses-joe-biden-for-president _____________________
LIUNA Endorses Joe Biden for President
Washington, D.C. (September 7, 2020) – Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – made the following statement today:
After discussions with our leaders and members, the General Executive Board of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) unanimously, enthusiastically, and proudly endorses Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris for President and Vice President of the United States of America. As we celebrate Labor Day 2020, and remember the strife and struggle of those who came before us, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris stand out as the blue-collar candidates.
Vice President Biden never forgets where he came from; never forgets the value of hard work and those who do it; and never forgets that the greatest asset of our country are its working men and women. During these challenging times, our nation desperately needs the steady hand and strong, inclusive leadership that Joe Biden will provide. As we face a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, the worst economic downturn in decades, and widespread social unrest, Joe will bring all Americans together to solve these problems and move forward as one united republic, with liberty and justice for all.
Joe Biden is one of us; he knows, first hand, the trials and tribulations faced by working men and women across this country. For more than 40 years, he has been a strong and steadfast working-class warrior who knows that we can never back up, never back down, never retreat, and never surrender in the ongoing battle for labor rights, civil rights, and human rights. As both a Senator and Vice President, he has been there with us, and for us, time and time again. He is a true friend of both LIUNA and the entire Trade Union Movement, and we know that as President, he will see every issue that crosses his desk, and every decision he must make, through the eyes of working families.
Senator Kamala Harris is the proud child of decent, hard-working immigrants who, like so many of our ancestors, came to this great land to build a better life for themselves and their children. Throughout her career as an elected official in California, and as a United States Senator, she has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with working people and the unions that represent them. We know that she will make a great Vice President, and she will help Joe advance a truly pro-labor, pro-union, and pro-worker agenda.
This election is nothing less than a battle for the soul of our nation and the future of the trade union movement. As President, Joe Biden will lead our great country out of the darkness of the pandemic, rebuild and restore our economy, and pursue our highest ideals and aspirations. We can count on him to stand with us on issues of critical importance to LIUNA members and their families, including infrastructure investment, prevailing wages and collective bargaining, pension and immigration reform, protecting federal and public sector workers, strengthening the U.S. Postal Service, and a comprehensive energy policy.
Over the crucial next few months, the 500,000 strong, proud, and united men and women of LIUNA will be on the front lines relentlessly working to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and leading the way to fulfill their mantra of “Build Back Better.”
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The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build the United States and Canada.
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MM&P: Press Release
https://bridgedeck.org/latest/mmp-and-meba-endorse-merchant-marine-advocate-and-lifelong-labor-supporter-joe-biden-in-presidential-race/
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MM&P AND MEBA ENDORSE MERCHANT MARINE ADVOCATE AND LIFELONG LABOR SUPPORTER JOE BIDEN IN PRESIDENTIAL RACE
June 30th 2020 LatestIOMMPMM&P and the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association have announced their endorsement of Vice President Joseph R. Biden in the race for President of the United States.
Biden has been a strong supporter of the US-flag fleet and a champion of working Americans throughout his professional life.
MM&P President Don Marcus and MEBA President Marshall Ainley informed the Vice President of the endorsement in a joint letter.
“During your tenured career of public service, you have stood strongly in support of the Jones Act, voted for the Maritime Security Act of 1996 that established the 60-vessel Maritime Security Program, and worked to ensure the long-term viability of the US-flag commercial fleet through our nation’s cargo preference laws,” the union presidents wrote on June 17.
“Your longstanding record in support of these policies recognizes the vital role American mariners play in advancing our economic and national security.”
“Your strong record in support of the labor movement speaks for itself through various laws that have expanded the wages, health care and retirement security of the hardworking men and women we represent.”
In his response, Biden underlined the crucial role that American mariners have always played in maintaining our country’s defense, security and economic strength.
“Maritime labor has always worked through peace and war and deserves our nation’s full support,” Biden said.
“I know your members are working around the clock during this pandemic to deliver the essential supplies our communities need.”
“As a lifelong advocate for working families and unions, I write to assure you of my strong and unwavering support for the [members of MM&P and MEBA] and the U.S.-flag Merchant Marine fleet.”
“Labor unions built the middle class and the middle class built this country. The basic building blocks of a good life––middle-class jobs at union wages, a 40-hour work week, health insurance, retirement benefits, a voice in the workplace––resulted from workers who organized unions and fought for worker protections.”
“And at a time when our country is facing unprecedented challenges, our economic future today depends on unions like yours…”
“Just as unions are essential to the middle class, the US-flag Merchant Marine fleet and the men and women who operate US-flag ships are crucial to America’s national security, our international trade relationships, and economic development.”
“For this reason, I have been a consistent and strong advocate for the Jones Act and its mandate that only US-flag vessels carry cargo in the coastwise trade. As President, I will continue my strong support for the Jones Act.”
“My support for the US-flag merchant fleet does not end with the Jones Act. I understand that merchant ships do not sail, and US merchant mariners do not work, unless they have cargo to carry.”
“I strongly support America’s cargo preference laws and the Cargo Preference Act.”
“Americans have big hearts while also caring deeply about defending democracy and America’s allies around the world. The surest expression of America’s commitment to these values is to ensure that the US flag flies over the US-built and US-crewed vessels that are delivering humanitarian aid or military supplies to countries around the world.”
“I also understand that exporting American-made goods to countries around the world is an effective strategy for increasing the number of middle-class jobs.”
“That’s one reason I strongly support the extended reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank and will ensure that it is able to operate at all times with a fully staffed board of directors committed to carrying out its mission.”
“Exports funded by the Export-Import Bank should be shipped on US-flag vessels. I will ensure this American cargo continues to move.”
“The Maritime Security Program is essential to America’s national defense and it has my strong support.”
“I understand that your members and the ships they sail are an integral and necessary part of our country’s military readiness. As a US Senator, I was proud to support the creation of the MSP in 1996 to enact the Maritime Security Act.”
“As President, I will support full funding of the MSP’s existing operating agreements, but I will go further: I will propose that Congress authorize and appropriate funds to increase the number of ships in the MSP fleet.”
“We must have a modern fleet to help us address modern threats in several regions of the world. The MSP must be secured if America is going to remain secure.”
“I want you to know that I will continue the fight alongside you when I am in the White House. These are principles I’ve embraced my entire career and they’re fundamental to my vision for a stronger, more inclusive middle class.”
“I’m proud to have stood with you in the past and it would be an honor to have your support in the upcoming election. If I win the nomination and make it to the White House, I promise you will have no stronger partner or advocate.”
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NALC: Press Release
https://www.nalc.org/news/nalc-updates/nalc-endorses-biden-harris
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August 13, 2020
NALC endorses Biden-Harris
Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), released the following statement regarding the NALC Executive Council’s endorsement of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for president and vice president of the United States:
On behalf of nearly 300,000 active and retired letter carriers, we are proud to endorse Vice President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to lead this country as president and vice president.
Vice President Biden is – was – and will continue to be – a fierce ally and defender of the United States Postal Service (USPS), letter carriers, and our fellow postal brothers and sisters. NALC’s endorsement and our support come down to Joe’s steadfast support of us and his unwavering dedication to improving the lives of all working people throughout this great nation.
Since coming to the Senate in 2016, Senator Kamala Harris has put letter carriers and working families first. In her role on the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, she has stanchly defended maintaining a healthy, financially stable Postal Service and has consistently acted to ensure that those who are nominated to run the Postal Service are held to the highest standard.
Together, Biden and Harris fully exhibit the experience, dedication, thoughtfulness and steady hands that will work to ensure that letter carriers and working families are put first.
The Executive Council’s decision to endorse the Biden/Harris ticket was based on the input of our membership through polling, surveys, responses to our candidate questionnaire, and a discussion with the Vice President. The decision is also partly informed by what we have seen from the current administration with regards to the Postal Service. In 2018, legislative recommendations from the White House Postal Task Force report called for the revocation of collective bargaining rights by America’s postal unions, massive cuts to services, and the potential privatization of the agency. Since that time, we have continued to see the administration take steps outside of the public eye to undermine the Postal Service and letter carriers.
And now, our country struggles to withstand the public health and economic crises caused by the Covid-19 virus. This pandemic threatens the very survival of USPS. Yet, while postal employees are on the front lines providing essential services to the public every day, the current administration refuses to provide the necessary financial relief that would strengthen the agency during this pandemic.
The Postal Service must not be allowed to fail. We must do everything we can to help the Postal Service thrive, not only for the men and women of the Postal Service but for the communities and businesses that we serve during this critical time. For those reasons, NALC is proud to stand with Vice President Biden and Senator Harris in November and beyond.
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NEA: Press Release
http://www.nea.org/home/76439.htm
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NEA President: The Biden-Harris Ticket Is “Dream Team” For Public Education And StudentsWASHINGTON - August 11, 2020 -
The National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García released the following statement celebrating Vice President Joe Biden’s historic pick of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate today:
“Simply put, the Biden-Harris ticket is the ‘Dream Team’ for our public schools and our students—one that respects educators and will listen to those who know the names of the kids in the classrooms when it comes to deciding what is best for our students.
“Educators know Joe Biden is a tireless advocate for public education and is the partner who students and educators need in the White House. Now, with Kamala Harris as Biden’s running mate, we have another proven leader who will continue being a champion for our students and public schools. And, with Dr. Jill Biden, an educator and longtime NEA member, as First Lady, educators will have a friend and colleague in the White House.
“Biden’s historic selection of Sen. Harris reinforces the empathic leadership and strength of character on the ticket and adds a deeply capable governing partner to help unite the nation and clean up the mess that Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos created.
“Biden’s selection of Harris further reinforces his commitment to building an administration that looks like America, one that will reflect the great diversity of our country and work to unite our country and build a better future for all Americans.
“Over her career, Harris has been a champion for our public school students, parents, and educators. She has fought to expand access to early childhood education, pressed to end funding disparities between schools, and advocated that every educator have the respect and resources they need to support all students.
“On Day One of the Biden-Harris Administration, Joe Biden has promised to fire Betsy DeVos and replace her with someone who has experience in the classroom.
“The Biden-Harris ticket will lead our nation past the COVID-19 pandemic, working scientists and doctors to guide public health decisions and listening to educators and parents on how best to support our students during and coming out of these tough times.
“The Biden-Harris Administration will build our economy back better than before this crisis so it works for all Americans, knowing that even before the pandemic too many Americans struggled to pay their bills. Their economic recovery plan leads with equity, knowing that for far too long Black and brown Americans have been shut out or held back simply because of the color of their skin.
“Biden-Harris Administration will invest in our public schools and our students—expanding educational opportunities for all our students from pre-kindergarten to graduate school and beyond.
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are committed to fighting for racial and social justice, eliminating school funding gaps between white and non-white districts, and restoring civil rights enforcement.”
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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees.
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NNU: Press Release
https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/national-nurses-united-endorses-biden
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National Nurses United
July 13, 2020
In a vote by its national Executive Council, National Nurses United (NNU) has endorsed Vice President Joe Biden for president, NNU announced today. NNU is the nation’s largest union and professional association of registered nurses with some 155,000 members nationwide.
“We join with the tens of millions of Americans demanding a sharp break with President Trump’s disastrous policies, actions, and inflammatory rhetoric during the past four years and a new direction by electing former Vice President Biden,” said NNU President Jean Ross, RN.
“For nurses, who have been struggling every day for months on the front lines of the worst pandemic of our lifetime, hampered by President Trump’s abandonment of public health and safety, the stakes in November could not be sharper,” Ross said.
“By contrast, Vice President Biden offers a different approach to meeting our nation’s challenges that better align with nurses’ values of caring, compassion, and community. We know this election is literally a matter of life and death for so many of our patients,” she added.
In addition to “Trump’s failure to protect the nation during this horrific national crisis,” Deborah Burger, RN, NNU president said there are many other reasons for a change in November.
Burger cited Trump’s fanning of racism and a white supremacy upsurge, trampling of worker’s rights, cruel immigration policies, an assault on environmental protections, and his escalating threat to democracy “all evidenced by his current, cynical re-election campaign.”
In the past few weeks alone, “the president has escalated his attacks on people speaking out for racial justice, while also encouraging the scaling back of safety measures and ignoring the appalling escalation of COVID-19 infections and deaths,” Burger said.
Concurrently, the Trump administration has reversed multiple workers’ and union rights, mainly through his corporate appointees to the National Labor Relations Board, eroded workplace safeguards and overturned a long list of public health, environmental, food safety, consumer, banking, student, and other regulatory protections, some going back 50 years or more.
“Vice President Biden is presenting a clear alternative to this president and his administration on a number of essential issues to nurses, and all working people,” NNU President Zenei Cortez, RN, said.
On the COVID-19 crisis, for example, “Biden has committed to fully invoke the Defense Production Act to mass produce personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure nurses and other health care workers will have the life-saving protections we need,” said Cortez.
Biden has also endorsed NNU’s call for an emergency federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard to protect worker’s safety during pandemics.
On worker’s justice, Biden supports the union organizing and collective bargaining rights of workers, including RNs. Biden has pledged to work with NNU and other unions to push for passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO ACT) bill which would strengthen labor law rights, add penalties for companies that retaliate against workers seeking union representation, and weaken anti-union “right to work” laws. It passed the House in February.
Biden also supports ensuring a vibrant Veterans Administration to provide high quality care for our nation’s service veterans, and the nurses and other VA employees, whose rights have been under attack by the Trump Administration, Cortez noted.
No matter who is elected, Ross noted, NNU will continue to mobilize on health care, racial, gender, worker, and environmental and climate justice and other priorities “that require a strong mass movement to overcome entrenched corporate and far right opposition,” Ross noted.
In particular, “NNU will continue our campaign, in which we have rallied thousands of people across the country to press for enactment of Medicare for All to guarantee health care as a human right for everyone, without the barriers imposed every day by a profit-focused health care industry,” Ross said. “The calamitous pandemic has reinforced why Medicare for All, as a public health emergency, is urgently needed more than ever.”
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OPEIU: Press Release
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OPEIU Endorses Joe Biden for President31 August 2020
(New York, N.Y. August 31, 2020) – The Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), AFL-CIO, today announced its endorsement of Joe Biden for president of the United States. The endorsement reflects a democratic process to capture the interests of the working people the union represents.
“Joe Biden has spent his life fighting for working people, and he is someone who understands and prioritizes the needs of working families,” said OPEIU President Richard Lanigan. “OPEIU is committed to advancing the interests of our members by rebuilding the middle class, improving the economy and providing opportunity for everyone and not just the wealthy, to protecting working people’s right to join unions and collectively bargain, and in the fight for racial justice and equality for all Americans.
“Joe Biden is the only candidate who shares those values and vision for America’s future,” Lanigan continued. “He has the experience, and perhaps even more importantly, the temperament, to lead this nation out of these troubled and divided times and put our nation back on course to economic and racial equality.”
In addition to his inept handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 180,000 Americans, President Trump has spent his presidency actively seeking to undermine and dismantle our nation’s major institutions and to systematically destroying worker protections. At every turn, Trump has sought to further the interests of millionaires and billionaires while sacrificing America’s working families.
“Working people cannot survive another four years of Donald Trump. Our nation and our democracy cannot survive it either,” said Lanigan. “That’s why we need Joe Biden. He will bring this nation together with empathy and compassion and help us heal, and his actions will be guided by kindness at a time when our nation craves decency and humanity.”
OPEIU has put into place a comprehensive political mobilization effort throughout the country and specifically in key battleground states to get out the vote for Biden.
OPEIU’s 103,000 members represent a cross section of America’s working people, employed in administrative offices, hospitals and medical facilities, hotels and in the fields of nursing, insurance, higher education and transportation, among other industries.
OPEIU presidential endorsements are determined by a majority vote of the Executive Board, which consists of vice presidents representing all regions throughout the U.S., after careful consideration of the candidates’ positions on key issues of importance to OPEIU members. This year’s endorsement is guided by an open, member-driven process that resulted in 70 percent of respondents supporting Biden to be the next president. This is the first time OPEIU has conducted a union-wide survey of its members to determine its endorsement for president. Visit opeiu.org for more information.
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OPCMIA: Press Release
https://www.opcmia.org/opcmia-hails-nomination-of-joe-biden/
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OPCMIA Hails Nomination of Joe BidenIt’s official: Vice President Joe Biden is now the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.
The OPCMIA was proud to endorse Vice President Biden in March, and everything that has transpired since then has proven the wisdom of that decision — including his selection of Senator Kamala Harris to be his running mate.
Joe Biden is the leader America needs to bring us together as a nation, to tame the COVID-19 pandemic, to revitalize our collapsing economy, to strengthen workers’ rights, to end racial injustice, to expand health care coverage, to rebuild our infrastructure, and to meet so many more needs that have gone neglected under the current administration.
Perhaps even more important, Joe Biden is the leader America needs to restore integrity to government, to rid us of the corruption that has permeated every nook and cranny of this Administration, and to save our democracy from the assault being waged by this President and his party. The intentional sabotage of the U.S. Postal Service — done, by the President’s own admission, to deny voters their right to cast absentee ballots — is, sadly, one of many efforts to prevent a free and fair election from taking place.
As Michelle Obama said, we must vote as if our lives depend it. The OPCMIA will do everything in our power to save American lives and American democracy by electing Joe Biden the 46th President of the United States.
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Pride At Work: Press Release
https://www.prideatwork.org/pride-at-work-makes-historic-first-presidential-endorsement-endorses-vice-president-joe-biden-for-president/
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WASHINGTON – Last night, the Pride at Work National Executive Board took a historic vote to offer its first-ever endorsement for President of the United States. The board voted enthusiastically to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden for President in 2020. The leadership of Pride at Work issued the following responses:
Pride at Work Co-President, Shellea Allen, said: “I am so proud to be a part of this dedicated and thoughtful team of LGBTQ labor leaders, especially as we make history by offering our first endorsement for President. Donald Trump is an unmitigated disaster for working people, for LGBTQ people, for immigrants, for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, for women, and for the world. These unprecedented times require extraordinary action and today, we’re taking ourselves off the sidelines and going all-in for Joe!”
Pride at Work Co-President, Gabe González, said: “Working people know they have a friend in Joe. And I believe the LGBTQ community does, too. Donald Trump’s repeated failures for working people have led to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and it will take strong and dedicated leadership to get us back on track. Joe Biden’s leadership is exactly what we need to put people back to work and get our economy moving again. I know Joe Biden will be the most pro-worker and pro-LGBTQ president of my lifetime.”
Pride at Work Executive Director, Jerame Davis, said: “Pride at Work took this historic step to endorse Vice President Biden because we know he’s someone we can hold accountable to his promises. Joe Biden has possibly the most progressive and transformational platform for LGBTQ equality of any presidential candidate in history. His priorities are our priorities and we believe that he will fulfill his promises to lift up marginalized communities and working people. And if he doesn’t, we’ll be there to hold him to account, just like we did when we believed President Obama wasn’t living up to his word.”
Joe Biden’s Plan to Advance LGBTQ+ Equality in America and Around the World is a comprehensive and considered vision for achieving greater equality for LGBTQ people. In his plan, Vice President Biden lays out a vision that not only reverses the damage done by Donald Trump, but pushes the country forward with new regulations and laws that will help level the playing field for the LGBTQ community.
The Vice President’s Plan for Strengthening Worker Organizing, Collective Bargaining, and Unions goes a long way toward righting the wrongs of the past. From checking the abuse of corporate power to making it easier for workers to join and form a union, Joe Biden’s plan will empower working people and help ensure every worker can sustain a family, have access to healthcare, and retire with dignity.
Pride at Work will fight hard every day between now and election day to elect Joe Biden. We encourage everyone in the LGBTQ community – and, indeed all working people – to register to vote and then cast your ballot for Vice President Joe Biden on November 3rd.
Paid for by Pride at Work. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s agent or committee.
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Pride At Work, a 501c4 non-profit, is the largest national organization that builds power for LGBTQIA+ working people. We organize mutual support between the organized Labor Movement and the LGBTQ Community for social and economic justice. We seek full equality for LGBTQIA+ working people in our workplaces, our unions, and the public square. We organize in the spirit of the union movement’s historic motto, “An Injury to One is An Injury to All.”
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SIU: Press Release
https://www.seafarers.org/federation-backs-biden/
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They have a statement on the AFL-CIO endorsement on their website.
Federation Backs BidenMay 27, 2020
The AFL-CIO has issued the following news item:
AFL-CIO Endorses Joe Biden for President
Watch AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka’s Endorsement Video Here
(Washington, D.C., May 26, 2020)—The General Board of the 12.5 million-member, 55 union AFL-CIO voted today to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States. Over the past year, working people have engaged in a comprehensive process to ensure our voices are heard and we play a prominent role in shaping the change in direction our country needs.
“Joe Biden is a lifelong supporter of workers and has fought his entire career for living wages, health care, retirement security and civil rights,” said Trumka. “Our members know Joe has done everything he could to create a fairer process for forming and joining a union, and he is ready to fight with us to restore faith in America and improve the lives of all working people.”
Over the next five months, the labor movement will draw a clear contrast between Biden and President Donald Trump. Trump’s record of slashing rules designed to protect us on the job, cutting workplace health and safety inspectors to their lowest level in history, and taking away overtime pay from millions of workers are just a few ways working people have been hurt by the current administration. Worse yet, America’s working families and communities are suffering because of Trump’s delinquent, delayed, disorganized and deadly response to the coronavirus.
“Working people have responded to COVID-19 with passion and dedication, even as our federal government falls down on the job,” Trumka said. “Just imagine what we can accomplish with an ally in the White House.”
The labor movement is mobilizing across the country, in every city, state and community to ensure our message is heard loud and clear. While the methods may look a little different in the face of COVID-19, our program will continue its massive reach through virtual phone banks, peer-to-peer texting, digital actions and, as always, union member-to-union member conversations.
“The path to the presidency runs through the labor movement,” Trumka concluded. “And with the full force and unmatched reach of our political program, we are ready to pave that road for our friend Joe Biden.”
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SEIU: Press Release
https://www.seiu.org/blog/2020/7/seiu-endorses-joe-biden-for-president
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SEIU Endorses Joe Biden for PresidentBy: Terry Thomas, Certified Nursing Assistant, Philadelphia, PA
After a rigorous, months-long engagement process, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) today endorsed Vice President Joe Biden for president.
As union members, we do not take our endorsement process lightly. In our own way, we’re all feeling the crush of three crises right now—a pandemic our federal government has failed to contain, structural racism and police brutality that kills Black people, and a rigged economy that only ever worked for those at the top. As we head toward November with unemployment rates not seen since the Great Depression and a virus tearing through our communities, it’s clear this is not an election to sit out.
In this moment of great uncertainty and turmoil, we need a strong leader who understands the needs of working people—brown, Black, white, or API. That leader is Vice President Joe Biden.
I’ve worked at a nursing home caring for the elderly since 1995. At my work, I’ve seen firsthand how devastating it can be when structural racism, a pandemic, and economic insecurity hits one group. Most of the workers and patients at the home where I work ARE Black and brown. We were always understaffed, underpaid, and undervalued. Now with a pandemic, we’re the ones suffering the most and risking our lives just so we don’t lose our homes.
Those of us on the front lines—who are finally considered essential for the first time—are fighting to transform our country. We need a leader who has our back.
Vice President Biden has fought alongside us to raise wages and has stood up for our right to join together in a union. He has spoken out in support of the Fight for $15 and a Union movement and raising the minimum wage. He worked to expand access to healthcare by getting the Affordable Care Act passed, and he would build on it by creating a federal public option that would co-exist with employer-sponsored and other private insurance. He also supports the Green New Deal. And perhaps most critically, the former Vice President has worked to unite people across racial lines rather than fanning the flames of division.
As my union brother Chris Ellis, income maintenance caseworker, said, “Vice President Joe Biden has always spoken about the issues that affect working people. He’s a good man that I think cares about people... that people are able to raise a family with dignity and security.”
The Vice President spoke passionately to our fellow SEIU members on the lack of affordable, quality healthcare and the importance of dignity on the job saying, “My dad used to say your job’s about more than a paycheck. It’s about dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about your place in the community. Too many people can’t look their kids in the eye and tell them it’s going to be OK. That’s what this is all about, it’s all about dignity. How can a parent maintain their dignity when they look at a child with a preexisting condition? I make you a commitment, I make all of you a commitment. I will protect your right to healthcare as if it were my own family.”
Last fall, speaking at the Unions for All Summit in Los Angeles, Vice President Biden promised that, “If I’m your president you will never have a more union-friendly president. When workers do well, everybody does well. Everybody should have a $15 minimum, across the board. When I was in office we raised it to $10.10, I will raise it to $15... We’re not bending or bowing any more, we’re going to take this country back and unions are going to be the ones to do it.” He has also said, “The only way you can fight back power is with more power and that’s union power.”
Tseganesh Endegeshet, an airport worker and now an SEIU member, listened to the Vice President speak as she was in the middle of the fight for her union and just off the strike line. “He understands the struggle for immigrants and working people in this country,” she said. “He’s the only one who is going to care about us.”
SEIU endorses Vice President Joe Biden for president and looks forward to fighting alongside him for the world we know is possible.
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SMART: Press Release
https://smart-union.org/news/smart-endorses-joe-biden-for-president/
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SMART endorses Joe Biden for presidentPublished: July 1, 2020
Statement from SMART General President Joseph Sellers, Jr. July 1, 2020
The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) is pleased to endorse Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States, following a unanimous vote of its General Executive Council.
The endorsement was informed by discussions with and feedback from SMART members and leaders from across the United States who met to discuss SMART issues and which candidate best supports them. Over the past four years, SMART leadership has also met with all the major presidential candidates from both parties, including the incumbent president, and had meaningful dialogue with them regarding issues impacting SMART members.
SMART has engaged with and listened to our members from coast to coast about their views and opinions regarding our union, their jobs and current events that affect their future. This effort was launched to ensure members have a say in shaping the course of our union as it proceeds to advance the needs and viewpoints of the membership.
Biden has a long history of engaging with SMART members and working families in both the sheet metal and transportation industries. The endorsement decision was based on Biden’s strong support of the concerns most important to our members, including the need for two-person railroad crews, retirement and pension security, protection of prevailing wages, and a prioritization of workplace safety. He also is dedicated to acting on a plan for real infrastructure work to enhance employment opportunities for current and future members in the industries SMART represents. SMART members have made it clear they can no longer wait after four years of empty promises for new infrastructure initiatives from the current administration.
From his early years working with local sheet metal workers as a County Commissioner in Delaware, to his frequent meetings with SMART Amtrak conductors during his commute back and forth to Washington, D.C., Joe Biden has been acutely aware of and engaged with the issues on the minds of our members.
After a series of discussions with Biden’s campaign staff, where members’ feedback and concerns were shared with the candidate, Vice President Biden took the time to respond with a video outlining his positions on the issues. His impassioned message in this video proves that Biden is the clear choice for our union and the membership.
SMART is highly engaged in the political process to ensure our issues are advanced and our members’ livelihoods are protected. We also strive to ensure union leadership is transparent and clear with our members when it comes to decisions in the electoral arena. We work to advance our members’ issues by advocating and educating on their behalf while supporting candidates, regardless of party, who stand with SMART members and for issues important to all working families.
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TWU: Press Release
https://www.twu.org/the-transport-workers-union-endorses-joe-biden-for-president/
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The Transport Workers Union Endorses Joe Biden for PresidentFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2020
The Transport Workers Union Endorses Joe Biden for President
Washington, D.C. – As transportation workers continue to suffer through the ongoing pandemic, we are all reminded of the importance of strong, pro-worker leadership at every level. More than 110 TWU members have died and another 10% of our members have tested positive for COVID-19 or been quarantined because of a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) or mandatory worker protections on our transportation systems.
Vice President Joe Biden has repeatedly called for an emergency temporary standard from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which would require these basic protections for all of our members. He has demanded that frontline workers be the priority for access to PPE and testing. Over his entire career, he has demonstrated the strongest commitment to workers in every transportation sector. For these reasons and many more, the Transport Workers Union of America is proud to endorse Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States.
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The Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, represents more than 151,000 workers in the airline, railroad, transit, universities, utilities and services sectors
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UA: Press Release
https://www.uagetinvolved.org/ua-endorses-joe-biden
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United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters Endorses Vice President Joe Biden for PresidentMonday, August 17, 2020
Endorsement follows months-long internal process led by Political Engagement Committee.
The United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) today announced that the UA Political Engagement Committee (PEC) has concluded its endorsement process with a decision to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden for President.
“We’re not going to sit on the sidelines at the UA. This endorsement is about putting UA members to work and fighting for fair wages and good benefits. Under a Biden Administration, that’s exactly what we’ll get,” said Mark McManus, General President of the United Association. “Let’s be real: nobody in the Oval Office will be with us on every single issue. But with his long history of standing shoulder to shoulder with working families and his commitment to an all-of-the-above energy approach that will mean more UA jobs, protecting the hard-earned retirements of our members, and appointing union-friendly judges, Joe Biden will be a fierce ally to our UA Brothers and Sisters in the White House.”
The UA PEC was formed two years ago to directly engage UA members across the country in the political process and is made up of Business Managers, Business Agents, Journeymen and Journeywomen, and Apprentices from around the United States. The Committee met virtually over the last few months to develop a set of criteria to be used for a possible presidential endorsement and to compare both candidates on the four core issues most important to UA families: union rights, infrastructure, energy, and retirement security.
This announcement is the result of a months-long endorsement process that weighed the merits of both candidates and whether either had earned the support of the more than 359,000 members of the United Association, or if the UA should remain neutral.
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UAW: Press Release
https://uaw.org/uaw-endorses-joseph-biden-president-united-states-america/
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UAW Endorses Joseph Biden for President of The United States of AmericaApril 21, 2020
Detroit – The UAW International Board Tuesday announced the influential unions’ endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States.
“In these dangerous and difficult times, the country needs a president who will demonstrate clear, stable leadership, less partisan acrimony and more balance to the rights and protections of working Americans,” said Rory Gamble, President of the UAW. “UAW Members need a federal government that ensures that members have both a good job to go to, and that they come home to their families at night having earned a fair day’s wage in a safe and secure place.”
Over the last four years, UAW members have seen an assault on worker rights to organize and fair wages, NLRB rules that impede organizing and anti-worker federal appointees.
Biden has committed to a plan that will:
- Reign in the abuse of corporate power over working people and hold corporate executives personally accountable for violations of labor laws.
- Encourage and incentivize unionization and collective bargaining; and
- Ensure that workers are treated with dignity and receive the pay, benefits and workplace protections they deserve.
- Ensure we expand access to affordable quality health care.
In recent days, the UAW has been negotiating for enhanced safety standards over COVID-19 return-to-work policies. “This issue demonstrates the need for Presidential leadership to follow the guidance of science and give workers a seat in discussions over their safety and well-being. Now it is time for workers to take their place at the table.”
Biden’s experience in the Obama-Biden Administration during the successful auto recovery will be instrumental as the industry experiences massive changes in technology and jobs in auto and other UAW sectors.
“In a changing economic environment, we need steady leadership and planning to make sure the jobs of the future are good-paying union jobs with benefits,” said Gamble. “And UAW members need to know they have a voice in those changes.”
Gamble added that it is important to have leadership that, at all times, considers the needs of working men and women in making policy choices, and judicial appointments. “UAW members ultimately want a voice. And Joe Biden is committed to giving UAW members that voice at the table.”
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UBC: Press Release
https://blog.4president.org/2020/2020/09/carpenters-and-operating-engineers-unions-endorse-joe-biden-for-president.html
https://eascarpenters.org/ubc-endorses-biden/
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Carpenters and Operating Engineers Unions Endorse Joe Biden for President
Today, the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) endorsed Joe Biden for President. In a joint statement issued by James T. Callahan, General President of the International Union of Operating Engineers, and Douglas J. McCarron, General PResident of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, cited Biden’s long career of standing on the “side of working people” and lauded Biden’s Build Back Better plan. Both unions also recognized that both Biden and Harris have the values, experience, and expertise to “fix the problems facing this country.”
The International Union of Operating Engineers and United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America released the following joint statement:
Carpenters and Operating Engineers Unions Endorse Joe Biden for President
NEW ALEXANDRIA, PA – The following statement was issued today by James T. Callahan, General President of the International Union of Operating Engineers, and Douglas J. McCarron, General President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, regarding their unions’ endorsements of Joe Biden for President of the United States:
The current public health and economic crisis has laid bare the deficiencies in our national infrastructure system. Rebuilding our country and creating career opportunities in the building trades will take clear-eyed, bold leadership from the next President. The Carpenters and Operating Engineers believe the best person for that job is Joe Biden.
Joe Biden has been on the side of working people throughout his entire career in public service. Biden’s plan to make America competitive again starts by making real investments in infrastructure, mass transit, broadband and clean drinking water. These priorities, coupled with the type of advanced training and collective bargaining agreements our unions are known for, will put Americans back to work in solid middle-class, family supporting jobs.
“It is time to put more Americans to work rebuilding our roads and bridges, strengthening our energy grid, and upgrading our water systems,” said James T. Callahan, General President of the International Union of Operating Engineers. “Joe Biden’s plan for long-term infrastructure investments, expanding skilled training and apprenticeship, rigorous workplace safety protocols, and retirement security makes him the best choice for working families.”
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the President and Vice President that our nation needs right now,” said Carpenters Union General President Doug McCarron. “They share our values, have the experience and expertise to fix the problems facing this country, and above all else have the temperament and empathy to help our divided nation unify and heal.”
“Construction careers open the door to the middle-class for millions of Americans,” said Callahan. “As President, we know Joe Biden will stand up for the policies that put us to work and the policies that bring us home safely to our families after a hard day on-the-job.
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The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) together represent 900,000 working women and men across North America in a range of industry sectors and are two of the continent’s largest construction unions.
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UFCW: Press Release
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/20/biden-lands-food-workers-endorsement-138727
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Biden lands food workers' endorsement
The United Food and Commercial Workers union said Biden is best equipped to help guide vulnerable service workers through the coronavirus crisis.
The 1.3-million member United Food and Commercial Workers union endorsed Joe Biden today, giving the former vice president another boost as he seeks to finish off the candidacy of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
The union’s endorsement came after Biden this week swept primaries in Arizona, Florida and Illinois. In a written statement to POLITICO, UFCW President Marc Perrone said Biden is best equipped to help guide vulnerable service workers through the coronavirus crisis.
“At a time when UFCW members in healthcare, food retail, packing, and processing are on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak, the vice president has again stood by our side by calling for paid leave and designating these brave workers as first responders,” Perrone said.
On Thursday Biden encouraged states to classify grocery store workers as emergency personnel, making them eligible for certain benefits like free child care.
UFCW adds to a growing list of union endorsements for Biden, including the National Education Association, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and the International Association of Fire Fighters. Initially reluctant to endorse any candidate in the crowded primary, unions have lately been rallying around Biden as he gains a commanding delegate lead.
“In good times, UFCW workers are critical to keeping our families well-fed and well-supplied,“ Biden said in a written statement. “Their employers and our entire country should rally around these workers and ensure they receive the benefits and protections they need.“
Biden was one of several candidates to show up at UFCW picket lines in Boston last year to support striking Stop & Shop workers.
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USW: Press Release
https://www.usw.org/news/media-center/releases/2020/usw-endorses-joe-biden-for-president
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May 20, 2020
USW Endorses Joe Biden for PresidentContact: Jess Kamm Broomell, (412) 562-2444, jkamm@usw.org
The United Steelworkers (USW) union today endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race.
“Vice President Biden has long been a friend of workers and our union,” said USW International President Thomas M. Conway. “The USW is proud to stand with him now as he seeks to put our country back on a path toward shared prosperity through responsible leadership.”
The decision was the culmination of a months-long process that began last fall when the union sent all the prospective presidential candidates a detailed questionnaire to determine where each of them stands on key issues affecting working people.
The USW then shared this questionnaire with its entire U.S. membership. It also solicited feedback through a membership survey and held approximately 170 town hall meetings across the country where members could discuss their top priorities and concerns.
“We came to this endorsement through listening,” said Conway. “We listened to our members when they told us that their top issues were affordable health care and prescription drugs, retirement security, and labor laws that protect working people.
“We also listened to the candidates, examined their responses to our questionnaire and assessed what their past records demonstrate about their values.”
“Vice President Biden shared with us his plans for how he intends to expand access to affordable health care, protect those with preexisting conditions, stabilize multiemployer pension plans, defend Social Security and preserve and expand labor rights.
“Joe Biden spent his life fighting for these things because he understands what it’s like to work for a living. As the son of a working-class family from Pennsylvania’s coal country, he has never forgotten his roots.
“We are confident that as president, he will put workers and their needs first.”
Conway said the union has a responsibility to back a candidate who knows the challenges workers face on the job.
“Workers need an administration that takes workplace health and safety seriously, now more than ever, and Vice President Biden’s record supporting strong, enforceable federal safety standards that help keep workers healthy and safe make it clear that he is committed to this vital work.
“On issues from creating good paying jobs through significant investment in our crumbling infrastructure to raising the minimum wage, we know Vice President Biden stands with working people,” Conway said.
President Trump did not respond to the union’s questionnaire.
The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.
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UWUA: Press Release
https://uwua.net/news/utility-workers-union-of-america-endorses-joe-biden-for-president/
Utility Workers Union of America Endorses Joe Biden for PresidentJuly 27, 2020
WASHINGTON, DC (JULY 27, 2020) – The Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), AFL-CIO today announced its endorsement of Joe Biden for President, citing the Vice President’s pro-worker values, commonsense leadership and decades-spanning career fighting for working families.
“Vice President Biden has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to organized labor and the issues our members care about most,” said UWUA President James Slevin. “We’re confident he’ll continue to be a powerful ally in the White House who will work with us to strengthen workplace safety protections, fight for organizing and collective bargaining rights and grow the economy.”
The UWUA spent several months closely examining the candidate’s respective records on labor law, worker health and safety, right to work, energy policy and more. UWUA’s executive board concluded Vice President Biden’s vision and leadership on these issues will put America on the right track. The board voted unanimously to endorse earlier this week.
“The current administration’s divisive politics endanger our members, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and undermine our ability to collectively bargain and organize,” said Slevin. “It’s time we put someone back in the White House who is devoted to creating high-quality, good-paying jobs, who supports working families and also protects the health of our communities. We know Vice President Biden is the right individual for the job and we’ll be working hard to elect him on November 3, 2020.”
Vice President Biden’s strong support of the PRO Act, his technology neutral approach to crafting climate policy and his deep commitment to civil rights, specifically resonated with the UWUA.
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Chartered in 1945, the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), AFL-CIO represents around 50,000 active members employed in America’s utility sectors including the electric, gas, water, and related professional and service industries. James Slevin is the UWUA’s National President.