[Peace-discuss] Over 1, 000 local union leaders and members back Bernie Sanders for President!

[Robert Naiman]

*Labor for Bernie 2016*

*www.laborforbernie.org <http://www.laborforbernie.org/>*

*Press Release*


*For immediate release: June 25, 2015*

*For more information, contact: **laborforbernie2016 at gmail.com*
<laborforbernie2016 at gmail.com>* or call Joe Jurczak *410-798-1802; *Steve
Early 617-930-7327 <617-930-7327>; or Stewart Acuff; *202-701-0180



*Over 1,000 local union leaders and members back Bernie Sanders for
President!*



*Grassroots labor initiative urges Democratic primary support for Sanders
by AFL-CIO and national unions*



Over 1,000 union activists from around the country today kicked off *Labor
for Bernie 2016.*



Initiated by trade unionists who have worked closely with Senator Sanders
for many years, the *Labor for Bernie* network includes elected officers,
shop stewards, organizers, and rank-and-file members from all 50 states and
57 different labor organizations.



More than a third of these Sanders supporters belong to building trades'
unions, (with 137 coming from the *International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers* alone).  Other unions that showed significant membership support
for Sanders’ presidential campaign include the *Communications Workers of
America, American Federation of Teachers, the National Education
Association, Service Employees International Union, International Union of
Operating Engineers, United Auto Workers, and International Brotherhood of
Teamsters.*



This diverse group of labor activists signed an on-line statement
<http://www.laborforbernie.org/#letter> embracing Sanders as the only
declared candidate, in either major party, "who challenges the billionaires
who are trying to steal our pensions, our jobs, our homes, and what's left
of our democracy."  The entire list of union supporters may be viewed on
the new *Labor for Bernie* website at www.laborforbernie.org.



With more endorsers signing up every day, the *Labor for Bernie* network is
urging the AFL-CIO, its affiliated national unions, and major unaffiliated
labor organizations (NEA, SEIU, and IBT) to sponsor candidate forums and
debates, at the grassroots level, before making any presidential
endorsement decision of their own.



*Labor for Bernie* supporters include union members in key primary states
(their union affiliation are listed only for identification purposes).



"Telephone workers in New England know Bernie well because he has walked
our picket lines and supported our organizing efforts for years," said *Don
Trementozzi*, president of CWA Local 1400, based in Portsmouth, New
Hampshire. "In our union's recent campaign against the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, Bernie was not on the fence—he was helping us lead the fight
against a job-killing trade bill backed by Democrats and Republicans alike."



"We need a presidential candidate willing to confront big money and its
corrupting influence on American politics," said *Steve Abbott*, president
of CWA Local 7108 in Waterloo and head of the CWA's Iowa state council.
"That kind of leadership is not going to come from someone trying to raise
a billion dollars from Wall Street banks and other business interests. We
need a voice of our own, not an echo of the Republicans."



"Bernie is running on a record of real accomplishment for workers, farmers,
veterans, and millions of other blue-collar Americans," said *Erin McKee*,
President of the South Carolina AFL-CIO.  "But here's the real difference
between him and all the rest: he's the candidate who truly believes in the
power of grassroots organizing.  Bernie has been to South Carolina over the
past few years and some of our members got the chance to see that first
hand when he met not only with labor unions but with the fast food workers
fighting for $15 an hour and a union."



"I think everyone is just sick and tired of hearing promises from
politicians who say they'll fight 100 percent for people but then act for
Wall Street," said *Mari Cordes*, an RN from the University of Vermont
Medical Center and Vice President of Healthcare for AFT-Vermont.  "Bernie
Sanders has never strayed from his working class roots. Not only has he
been true to his word in Vermont for the last 35 years, he has rallied real
hope across the country—as a four-term mayor, eight-term Congressman, and
now two-term U.S. Senator.  I stand strong for Bernie for President in
2016."



"The reason I support Senator Sanders is simple: Bernie has a long track
record of supporting workers and their right to unionize," said *John
Murphy*, a Carpenter's Local 40 steward from Lowell, Mass. "Just recently
he was standing with FairPoint workers on their picket lines and offering
them aid and support. When members ask me if Bernie can win, I tell them,
that's up to us!"



*Labor for Bernie 2016** is a volunteer effort neither funded nor directed
by the Sanders for President campaign. To join this grassroots
mobilization, download useful organizing materials, or learn more about
Bernie's past and present support for workers and their unions, go
to: www.laborforbernie.org <http://www.laborforbernie.org/>*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/attachments/20150625/395aece2/attachment.html>