A major union of government workers Monday argued Democratic hopeful former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the best choice for the Iowa Caucus.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is one of the most influential public-sector unions in the country. It decided to back Clinton Oct. 23 over her main primary rival Sen. Bernie Sanders. AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan notes he talked with state residents ahead of the vote Monday and found Clinton best emulates their values.
“Put simply, she gets it,” Homan writes. “We’re supporting Hillary Clinton in the caucus on Monday because our state and our nation needs a fighter who will stand with us to create jobs, increase the minimum wage, safeguard worker rights, ensure equal pay for equal work, continue the effort to make health care more affordable, and protect pensions.”
Homan adds most other candidates often ignore important workplaces issues or use them as disingenuous soundbites. Clinton, however, is not in complete alignment with the policy stances of the labor movement. AFSCME supports the $15 minimum wage while Clinton only supports a minimum wage of $12 an hour.
Sanders in contrast is much more aligned with the general policy stances of unions, but national leaders fear he is not electable. He introduced a bill in July that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and advocates for mandatory union dues. His campaign has also involved union rallies and protests for higher minimum wages. Sanders was also more adamantly opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Clinton eventually came out against it.
The Iowa Caucus is an important election event because it is the first major electoral vote during the nominating process. The state holds 99 conventions for all voting precincts in the state. How a candidate does during the caucuses provides fairly reliable foresight into how they will do during the rest of the election.
Clinton won her biggest union endorsement Nov. 17 from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). She has also been able to secure support from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation of Teachers and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Her campaign, though, has been plagued with accusations of unethical practices. She has been accused of mishandling the 2012 Benghazi attacks and is now being investigated for how she handled classified information. She reportedly put classified documents on an unsecured private server housed in her Chappaqua, N.Y. home before deleting data and emails.
Additionally, the Clinton Foundation has been accused of being a slush fund for her and her husband former President Bill Clinton. She has also been accused of allegedly making favorable deals with foreign entities in return for donations to the foundation.
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