Take back America 2004
Union backs Dean for prez
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The District Council 37 Executive Board voted unanimously
Dec. 10 to endorse Howard Dean for President. The decision to support
the physician and former governor of Vermont followed action by
DC 37’s parent union, the American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees.
AFSCME’s Executive Board endorsed Howard Dean unanimously Nov.
12 and announced their support jointly with the Service Employees International
Union. AFSCME and the SEIU are considered among the most politically
powerful unions.
“We reviewed all of the candidates and their stands on the issues
working families face,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.
“We believe Governor Dean is the best candidate for working families
and the candidate with the best chance of defeating George Bush.”
As governor of Vermont, Howard Dean stood with nurses and other employees
seeking to form unions, supported binding arbitration for municipal
workers and signed into law agency fee protection for the state employees
union. He had a 100 percent pro-labor voting record as a state legislator.
Just days after DC 37 and AFSCME acted, Al Gore — the winner of
the majority vote for president in 2000 — put his weight behind
Howard Dean as the Democrat who can push Bush out the door in 2004.
Howard Dean leads the pack of nine Democrats jockeying for the presidency,
including former Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, retired General Wesley
Clark, Senators John Kerry, Joe Lieberman and John Edwards, Congress
members Dick Gephardt and Dennis Kucinich, and the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Howard Dean is running a modern grassroots campaign including impressive
support rallied through the Internet and now much of the country’s
organized labor force.
“We have a candidate who represents our values and who can defeat
George W. Bush,” said AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee. “AFSCME
is going to mobilize the largest and most aggressive grassroots campaign
this nation has ever seen. Together with Governor Dean, America’s
working families will take back the White House in 2004.”
A supporter of a stronger Social Security system, universal health care
and controlled prescription drug costs, Mr. Dean said if elected he
would create one million jobs and increase federal funding for public
services.
“I’m thrilled to have the support of the 1.4 million working
families and 200,000 retirees of AFSCME,” Howard Dean said. “Like
AFSCME, I believe that America is strongest when we can unite and work
together for positive change in neighborhoods, communities and workplaces
across the country. I am deeply committed to the right to organize.
I’m dedicated to continuing the fight to ensure that all Americans
have safe, secure jobs at a fair wage. I share AFSCME’s commitment
to secure, affordable, quality health care. With your help, we can spread
a message of hope to working families across the nation.”
For more information on Howard Dean’s political platform, please
visit www.deanforamerica.com.