Hillary Clinton Statement on Endorsement of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Hillary Clinton released the following statement after the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) endorsed her campaign for President:
“I am honored to have earned the support of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and to stand with them in the fight to help working families get ahead and stay ahead. AFSCME has spent decades working to strengthen America’s middle class and to give workers a voice.
“American workers built the middle class by fighting for higher wages, safer working conditions, retirement security, and the right to collectively bargain. Now, working families are under attack by Republicans who want to silence workers, strip them of their hard-won rights, and keep stacking the deck for those at the top. As President, I will stand up for workers and fight attacks on collective bargaining. I will fight to protect retirement security, including defined benefit plans and Social Security—because when unions are strong, families are strong, and when families are strong, America is strong.
“I am proud to stand with public sector workers at the federal, state, county and municipal levels of government. They make this country work. Together with the men and women of AFSCME, I know that we can continue making progress and build a better future for working families across America.”
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) follows the National Education Association (NEA), The Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association (OPCMIA), the Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT), United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC), United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC), and the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry (UA) in backing Clinton.
AFSCME Endorses Hillary Clinton
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) announced today that Hillary Clinton has earned the 1.6 million member union’s endorsement in the 2016 presidential contest.
AFSCME’s 35-person International Executive Board voted overwhelmingly today to follow the guidance of members based on feedback collected over the past six months, including polling data showing nearly two-thirds of AFSCME members would vote for Clinton in the Democratic primary. “The next president will make decisions that could make or break the ability of working people across America to sustain their families. That’s why we spent the last six months engaged in the most member-focused, in-depth, and transparent endorsement process AFSCME has ever undertaken,” said AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders.
“What we heard throughout our endorsement process is that AFSCME members want a candidate who is committed to fixing our out-of-balance economy and raising incomes for hardworking people who are still struggling to make ends meet. Members want a candidate who will make it easier instead of harder to join together in strong unions and stand together for wages and benefits that can sustain our families,” President Saunders added. “What we also heard was AFSCME members want the candidate who will be the most effective champion for working families, and who will be able to deliver a victory in this critically important election. AFSCME members believe that candidate is Hillary Clinton.”
AFSCME members know grassroots organizing is the only answer to the hundreds of millions of dollars that will be poured into this election by the same CEOs and corporations that rig economic rules in their favor. Members felt strongly that it was time to begin turning out friends and neighbors to cast a ballot for Clinton and get involved in the 2016 elections.
Hillary Clinton will tackle the issues that affect ordinary Americans’ quality of life, like paid family and sick leave, the crushing burden of student loan debt, and retirement security. While there are several excellent candidates who share AFSCME’s values, Clinton is a proven champion for working families, and with the grassroots support of AFSCME members, she is the candidate who can deliver on our hopes and hard work next November.
