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2-22-08, 9:52 am
Original source: International Labor Communications Association
WASHINGTON (PAI)--Saying his position on trade makes a difference, and that it's time for the Democratic presidential nomination race to end, the 7-union, 6-million-member Change to Win federation endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) Feb. 21.
In a telephone press conference that day, CTW Chair Anna Burger frankly said the federation acted now, and will mobilize its members – especially in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and if necessary, Pennsylvania – to push Obama to wins in those four state primaries and push Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) out of the race.
"One reason we endorsed now is because we think we can make a difference," Burger said. "It's time to bring this process to a close. There's a movement building here and the winds of change are blowing for Barack Obama and it could possibly be time for her to recognize they're blowing for him. We're hoping to get to that point sooner rather than later," Burger added.
Obama's stands on trade, on achieving the American Dream and on the war in Iraq – he was against it even while in the Illinois state senate before entering the U.S. Senate – "really resonated with our members," Burger said.
"NAFTA passed when Bill Clinton" – Sen. Clinton's husband – "was president," Burger said, referring to the controversial U.S.-Canada-Mexico "free trade" treaty that labor fought, arguing it would cost thousands of jobs. "We have seen and lived through the impact of bad trade policies on working families in this country," Burger added.
Obama has told union audiences repeatedly that if elected, he would tell the Mexican president and the Canadian prime minister that NAFTA must be renegotiated to stop the job losses.
The immediate practical effect of the CtW endorsement is to have four of the seven CtW unions--SEIU, UFCW, the Teamsters and UNITE HERE--join forces to mobilize their members in phone-calling, leafleting, door-knocking and other campaign activities in the four upcoming primary states. The Laborers and Carpenters have yet to finish their internal canvassing of members, while the seventh CTW union, the Farm Workers, endorsed Clinton. "But they're comfortable with our decision," Burger said.
Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas vote March 4. Pennsylvania votes April 22. The big impact could be in Ohio, where Burger said CtW already have staffers on the ground and where member unions are mobilizing members in different cities. CtW unions have 175,000 Ohio members. Burger said the goal is to get 110,000 of them to vote. CtW unions also have 60,000 in Texas and 20,000 in Rhode Island.
From International Labor Communications Association
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