“Although the labor movement has sometimes differed with the president and often pushed his administration to do more and do it faster, we have never doubted his commitment to working families,” federation President Richard Trumka’s statement said.
“It’s fairly obvious,” AFSCME President Gerald McEntee, the fed’s political committee chair, said. “We feel he’s put bold solutions forward to put people back to work, bring revenues to our economy and that he has a vision for the future.”
The federation’s endorsement is important because it allows the 11-million member group – including its 57 member unions and its 3-million-person Working America affiliate – to mobilize for Obama and Biden from now through November.
The AFL-CIO endorsement is also important because the federation’s unions have credibility with particular groups of voters, and not just unionists: The white working class, especially men, whom Obama lost by a small margin in 2008. Recent polls show Obama trails among white non-college-educated men by a 50%-31%.
Trumka previewed the arguments the AFL-CIO and its allies will use to win over voters, who are still reeling from the Great Recession under the last years of the George W. Bush administration – and dubious that Obama has done enough.
And some unionists, he admitted, are disappointed more jobs have not been created since Obama took office. Some 3.5 million jobs have been created since Jan. 2009, compared to job losses under Bush.
Obama “worked hard to create good jobs. He has made revival of the manufacturing sector a hallmark of his jobs agenda. He has moved aggressively to
protect workers’ rights, pay, health and safety on the job. He has worked for a fair resolution of the housing crisis,” Trumka said.
In contrast, the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination are pursuing the same policies “that got us into this mess,” he said.
Mark Gruenberg writes for Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.
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“Although the labor movement has sometimes differed with the president and often pushed his administration to do more and do it faster, we have never doubted his commitment to working families,” federation President Richard Trumka’s statement said.
“It’s fairly obvious,” AFSCME President Gerald McEntee, the fed’s political committee chair, said. “We feel he’s put bold solutions forward to put people back to work, bring revenues to our economy and that he has a vision for the future.”
The federation’s endorsement is important because it allows the 11-million member group – including its 57 member unions and its 3-million-person Working America affiliate – to mobilize for Obama and Biden from now through November.
The AFL-CIO endorsement is also important because the federation’s unions have credibility with particular groups of voters, and not just unionists: The white working class, especially men, whom Obama lost by a small margin in 2008. Recent polls show Obama trails among white non-college-educated men by a 50%-31%.
Trumka previewed the arguments the AFL-CIO and its allies will use to win over voters, who are still reeling from the Great Recession under the last years of the George W. Bush administration – and dubious that Obama has done enough.
And some unionists, he admitted, are disappointed more jobs have not been created since Obama took office. Some 3.5 million jobs have been created since Jan. 2009, compared to job losses under Bush.
Obama “worked hard to create good jobs. He has made revival of the manufacturing sector a hallmark of his jobs agenda. He has moved aggressively to
protect workers’ rights, pay, health and safety on the job. He has worked for a fair resolution of the housing crisis,” Trumka said.
In contrast, the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination are pursuing the same policies “that got us into this mess,” he said.
Mark Gruenberg writes for Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.