Former President Bill Clinton met with top New York unions Thursday to urge them to vote for Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
Hillary has held the lead throughout the primaries against her rival Sen. Bernie Sanders. She has gained vast support among national unions, but there has been a growing movement saying Sanders is much more aligned with what unions want.
“We have to get more people to the polls, and the only we can do it is through organization,” Bill said at a meeting of union members, according to Newsday. “The labor movement is going to determine how this election turns out in New York City and in many other places in this state.”
Bill traveled through Manhattan speaking with the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1199, and the American Federation of Teachers, among others. He reminded members Hillary has been an advocate for workers; she voted in favor of Sept. 11 first responders getting special health and compensation benefits.
Sanders won support early on among local unions but Hillary has dominated the labor movement with national support; some union leaders have expressed doubt about his electability.
Hillary won her biggest union endorsement Nov. 17 from SEIU. She also secured support from the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of Teachers and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, among other large unions.
Sanders won his biggest union endorsement Dec. 17 from the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Former CWA President Larry Cohen pledged support for Sanders in July and is now leading the coalition Labor for Bernie which consists mostly of local unions.
New York is scheduled for an April 19 primary vote.
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