Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gained another major union endorsement Tuesday over her primary rival Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) is one of the largest unions in the country at 1.3 million members. The union represents workers in agriculture, health care and food processing among other industrial occupations. Union President Marc Perrone notes members are looking for a candidate who will relentlessly fight for worker rights.
“It is our members’ strong belief that Hillary Clinton is not just the strongest presidential candidate, but the right one,” Perrone says in a statement. “By working together, we believe our incredible members can help Secretary Clinton create the better America that our union family and all middle- and working-class families have earned and deserve.”
Clinton won her biggest union endorsement Nov. 17 from the Service Employees International Union. She has also been able to secure support from the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of Teachers and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
“We announce this endorsement with the full belief that the frustrations felt by the American people are real,” Perrone continues. “For us, these incredible retail and non-retail workers, who help feed and serve this nation, deserve a president like Hillary Clinton who will fight to make sure that paid leave, stable schedules, and higher wages become more than an election promise.”
Clinton struggled early to gain traction with the labor movement before her more recent wave of endorsements. She lost favor with many unionized workers for her opposition to the Keystone Pipeline and her hesitance to oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership. When Vice President Joe Biden announced Oct. 21 he would not run for president national unions began to move in support of Clinton out of concern Sanders is not a viable candidate.
“To Sen. Sanders and Gov. O’Malley, we would like to thank them and acknowledge their passion and commitment to the better America we all believe in,” Perrone also notes. “Their voices have made a difference in this race, and we hope they will continue to speak out for the issues that Secretary Clinton and all our families care about.”
Sanders has made issues important to the labor movement a central part of his campaign. He introduced a bill in July that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. He is also a huge advocate for mandatory union dues. It was his stance on labor issues that allowed him to gain support among local unions early on.
The endorsement was made after a nearly yearlong internal polling process. UFCW has conducted a series of nationwide meetings and internal polling to determine what union membership wanted. Unions have a lot of political influence and their endorsements can be very beneficial for candidates. Unions have the ability to mobilize crowds and are also major financial contributors. Sanders and Clinton have competed for union support throughout the election.
“Looking ahead to the fall, we are dedicated to mobilizing all our 1.3 million members across every state to help make Hillary Clinton the next President of the United States,” Perrone concludes.
Sanders won his biggest union endorsement Dec. 17 from the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Larry Cohen, former union president, had already pledged in July his support for Sanders. He is now leading Labor for Bernie in support of the Democratic-Socialist. The coalition consists mostly of local unions.
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