Breaking: Teamsters Union Backing Obama

[JimGinPA]

Just Announced on CNN

[thereismore]

1. That's pretty big. No? nt

[blocker]

2. How many big endorsement did clinton get since super tuesday

Every big endorsement are going to Obama!

[MadBadger]

5. Its cuz of ur man.

[K Gardner]

3. Glad you posted.. I'm out of threads, lol. One million strong, I think.

[nolabels]

13. Wiki says 1.4 million

Local 495 checking in here :kick:

International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Founded 1903
Members 1.4 million (2004)
Country United States
Affiliation Change to Win Federation
Key people James P. Hoffa, president
Office location Washington, D.C.
Website www.teamsters.org
(snip)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teamsters

[scheming daemons]

4. That is INCREDIBLY huge....

...

[OhioChick]

6. Good! n/t

[Barack_America]

7. 1.4 million members. ARTICLE here:

Teamsters Plan To Endorse Obama

20 Feb 2008 12:45 pm

The 1.4 million-member Teamsters union will endorse Sen. Barack Obama's presidential candidacy today, Democrats briefed on the decision said.

A Teamsters official confirmed the endorsement.

Nothing says tough, or evokes "gruff," more than the Teamsters.

Obama and Hillary Clinton have been courting the union and its colorful bull of a president, James Hoffa for more than a year. Among labor unions in the United States, the Teamsters are third in size to the Service Employees, who endorsed Obama last week and the National Education Association, which is neutral.

The Teamsters have a storied, occasionally controversial history and are capable of putting large numbers of boots on the ground for their preferred candidates.

The Teamsters were waiting until after Wisconsin's primary before announcing its choice. After briefly flirting with Pres. George W. Bush, the union returned into the Democratic fold when it became clear that Bush and the White House intended to use exploit the PR benefits from the union's outreach without supporting any of their key initiatives.

"I am not in a position to confirm anything at this point," an Obama spokesman said this morning.

Note: in 1991, the Clintons supported former Teamsters Pres. Ron Carey in his failing re-election bid; he lost to Mr. Hoffa, who has since insisted that he has reconciled with the Clintons.

Other large unions remaining neutral, so far, are the United Auto Workers and the Communications Workers of America.

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/02/teamsters_plan_to_endorse_obam_1.php


Woot! There's some good old-fashioned labor muscle for you!

[K Gardner]

9. Thanks Kristi! Also, for Obama fans, LIVE RALLY here..

In Dallas, huge crowd


http://www.wfaa.com/video/index.html?nvid=57424&live=yes

[AtomicKitten]

8. K&R!!

[grantcart]

10. Game set match this will have a big impact in Ohio and in Clinton's

main demographic

[JimGinPA]

12. Huge In The GE Too nt

[Barack_America]

15. TX 14, OH 16, PA 19

That's the number of Teamsters locals in those states.

http://www.teamster.org/about/localunions/localunionsites.asp

BIG ENDORSEMENT!!


If only Obama could get the UAW, he'd have Ohio nearly locked up.

[yellowcanine]

18. I knew they were big in OH and PA - didn't know about TX.

Not sure the UAW will endorse anyone before the nomination this year. Teamsters will be a big help in the ground game on primary day, though.

[Barack_America]

19. Estimated 92,000 members in Pennsylvania.

:wow:

http://www.pacfteamsters.com/homepage.html

[yellowcanine]

20. Not just truckers either. Penn State physical plant workers are Teamsters.

They had a strike when I was there as a grad student in the late 1970s. One of the department faculty members was braying about how the local leader was messing up by calling a strike - she held firm and they got their contract.

[Scurrilous]

11. K & R

:thumbsup:

[City Lights]

14. Great news!

K&R

[yellowcanine]

16. This will be important in both Ohio and Pennsylvania

[Yurem2008]

17. TEAMSTERS: 1.9 million members

Important in PA and OH

[nolabels]

24. We probably would hope to be in a few years

(snip)
Teamsters: Organizing For Power
When you join the Teamsters, you put that history to work for you. We ... We are 1.4 million strong and our membership is growing. Join us. WE WIN WHEN WE ...
(snip)
http://org.teamster.org/org.asp#whyjoin

[still_one]

21. I believe I heard a machinist union rep introducing Hillary in Ohio last night

really bad move the way he was personally slamming Barrack

In my view what he should have been doing is elevating and commending Hillary and her views instead of the DU General Discussion:Primaries forum of personal attacks against your opponent

[Cha]

27. But, if they go over

to hilaryland something happens and they turn all obnoxious ..something about who they're supporting turns 'em negative.

[Dems Will Win]

22. Wow

[Hope And Change]

23. Teamsters Union to Endorse Barack Obama

Teamsters Union to Endorse Barack Obama


By JESSE J. HOLLAND – 20 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Barack Obama is slated to pick up the endorsement of the powerful Teamsters, the second major union endorsement for the Democratic front-runner in a week, union officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Obama will meet with Teamster President James P. Hoffa in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday. The endorsement is expected to come soon thereafter, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the planned formal announcement.

The Teamsters represent 1.4 million members.

Union support will be key in the Democratic primaries in the next few weeks, particularly in Ohio on March 4 and Pennsylvania on April 22. Ohio and Pennsylvania have some of the nation's largest number of union workers, with more than 15 percent of the workforce unionized in Pennsylvania and just over 14 percent in Ohio.

The endorsement from the Teamsters is Obama's third from organized labor in a week. The 1.9-million member Service Employees International Union endorsed the Illinois senator last Friday, and the smaller United Food and Commercial Workers endorsed him last Thursday.

more...

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hA-lO0aMBY4_2VWe9kFLmo4p6aQwD8UU70681

[JVS]

25. Alright!

[bicentennial_baby]

26. Kick!

:kick:

[Araxen]

28. YES WE CAN!!!

[Renew Deal]

29. And the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

COLUMBUS, OH—The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers announced today endorsed Barack Obama for president, citing his opposition to unfair trade agreements and his record of fighting for working families and protecting American jobs.

“Barack Obama is bringing together a diverse coalition and inspiring people to action like no other candidate has in decades,” said International Brotherhood of Boilermakers President N.B. Jones. “Barack Obama has shown the energy and vision to unite Americans, jumpstart our economy, and put working people first again. Our members are grateful for his efforts opposing unfair trade deals, and his proposal to reward employers who retain and create good jobs here at home. That’s the kind of leadership we need right now.”

“Barack Obama understands the needs and wants of American workers, and he’s deeply committed to the issues that will make a difference in our lives,” said John Clark, Retired Boilermaker member from Local 744 in Cleveland. “Here in Ohio, we know we can’t afford more of the same politics in Washington. As President, Obama will continue to stand up to the special interests and bring people together around common-sense solutions. I’m supporting Obama because this year, we need more than just campaign talk—we need results.”

“I started my career helping workers and their families recover from plant closings, and I’m proud to have been on the front lines of that fight ever since,” Senator Obama said. “I’m thrilled to have the support of the Boilermakers because they understand that if we come together—and work together—we can finally bring about the change that working Americans are so hungry for: lowering costs to make quality health care available to everyone, ending our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and ending tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs, and putting those tax breaks in the pockets of working people.”

The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers represents more than 65,000 workers throughout the United States and Canada, including more than 3,500 members in Ohio. Members work in power generation, refinery and paper industry construction, maintenance and repair, shipbuilding, cement, lime and gypsum production, industrial manufacturing, and other industries.

Senator Obama has made several key proposals to help working Americans thrive in a prosperous and secure nation. As President, he will make quality health care affordable for everyone, and he will expand the earned income tax credit so that workers can keep more of what they earn. Obama has proposed a bold energy policy to put us on the path to independence from foreign oil. And he’s proposed legislation to end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and reward those who invest in good jobs here in America.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGCPbB

[RoadRage]

30. Here is the full story from CNN:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters plans to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president, two Democratic sources tell CNN.


The 1.4-million Teamsters union will endorse Sen. Barack Obama, sources tell CNN.

Obama is scheduled to meet with Teamster President James Hoffa in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, according to a union source.

The union is expected to announce its endorsement soon after the meeting, the Associated Press reports.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer will interview Hoffa about the union's endorsement with at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The 1.4 million-member Teamsters union is the third labor organization to throw its support behind the senator from Illinois in less than a week.

The 1.9 million-member Service Employees International Union endorsed him Friday and the 1.3-million member United Food and Commercial Workers Union endorsed him on Thursday.


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A union's endorsement can give a candidate's campaign a significant boost because union members often act as "ground troops" to canvass neighborhoods and work the phones.

Obama has been on a political roll since Super Tuesday two weeks ago. He has won 10 straight Democratic contests, including the Wisconsin primary and Hawaii caucuses on Tuesday.

The union endorsement could help Obama in his struggle against Sen. Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, particularly among the lower-income voters Clinton is targeting.

Exit polls of Wisconsin voters suggested that Obama was winning over some blue collar voters, a group that had voted for Clinton in previous primaries and caucuses.

Among Wisconsin voters making between $15,000 and $30,000 a year, Obama edged out Clinton 52 percent to 46 percent. Obama had a 56 percent to 44 percent advantage over Clinton among voters making between $30,000 and $50,000.

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The Teamsters' backing may also help Obama in Ohio, which holds primaries on March 4, and Pennsylvania, which holds its primary on April 22.

According to AP, Ohio and Pennsylvania have some of the highest levels of unionization in the country. More than 15 percent of the Pennsylvania's workforce are union members, and over 14 of Ohio's workers are unionized.

There is no guarantee, however, that a big union endorsement will lead to a delegate carrying a state.

Before the Nevada caucuses in January, Obama won the support of the Culinary Workers Union and the Service Employees International Union of Nevada. Clinton, however, carried the state over Obama, by 51 percent to 45 percent

[bigbrother05]

31. k and r

[Thrill]

32. WOW. This is HUGE HUGE NEWS

[FrenchieCat]

33. Another pleasant surprise when I woke up!

:woohoo: