AFL-CIO Leaders Warned Not To Back Sanders

Posted by | July 3, 2015 11:00 | Filed under: Politics


(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Union leaders are prohibited from backing candidates, much as they want to get behind Bernie.

Richard Trumka has a message for state and local AFL-CIO leaders tempted to endorse Bernie Sanders: Don’t.

In a memo this week to state, central and area divisions of the labor federation, and obtained by POLITICO, the AFL-CIO chief reminded the groups that its bylaws don’t permit them to “endorse a presidential candidate” or “introduce, consider, debate, or pass resolutions or statements that indicate a preference for one candidate over another.” Even “‘personal’ statements” of candidate preference are verboten, Trumka said.

The memo comes amid signs of a growing split between national union leaders — mindful of the fact that Clinton remains the undisputed favorite for the nomination — and local officials and rank and file, who are increasingly drawn to the Democratic Party’s growing progressive wing, for whom Sanders is the latest standard-bearer.

The South Carolina and Vermont AFL-CIOs have passed resolutions supporting Sanders, and some local AFL-CIO leaders in Iowa want to introduce a resolution at their August convention backing the independent senator from Vermont. More than a thousand labor supporters, including several local AFL-CIO-affiliated leaders, have signed on to “Labor for Bernie,” a group calling on national union leaders to give Sanders a shot at an endorsement.

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Copyright 2015 Liberaland
By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

9 responses to AFL-CIO Leaders Warned Not To Back Sanders

  1. illinoisboy1977 July 3rd, 2015 at 11:18

    A clarification is needed, here. Personal statements of support are forbidden, when the union official is on the clock. In his private time, away from his official duties, a union official has the same right as anyone else to voice his support for a particular candidate.

    • tracey marie July 3rd, 2015 at 13:31

      No they do not, that is part of their union job contract.

      • illinoisboy1977 July 3rd, 2015 at 14:15

        A contract can prevent you from painting your employer in an unfavorable light, with your private speech, but one that overrides your right to publicly support a political candidate, outside of work? I don’t see any arbitrator or labor judge enforcing that. There are limits on what a work contract can and cannot control, outside the workplace.

  2. LoisB July 3rd, 2015 at 11:24

    Makes me wonder who is sending checks to Trumka.

    • tracey marie July 3rd, 2015 at 13:31

      If you read the article it is against their laws and legally for tax purposes to endorese a specific candidate for any office. They may donate for a party but not for an individual.New laws are being attempted at diffrent union offices that are against the Union laws…kinda like states making illegal laws that are against the countries laws.

  3. Talkin_Truth July 3rd, 2015 at 14:39

    Isn’t the headline deceptive? They aren’t allowed to endorse anybody — not just Bernie.

    • Avinash Tyagi July 3rd, 2015 at 19:46

      But that’s whom they want

  4. Tracy Miller July 3rd, 2015 at 20:55

  5. thegodemperor July 4th, 2015 at 18:10

    What a complete fat ugly asshole.

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