Alaska Politics Blog : AFL-CIO backs Begich, Young AND Berkowitz

AFL-CIO backs Begich, Young AND Berkowitz

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Anchorage Daily News

Posted: June 23, 2008 - 8:47 pm

From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage--

The Alaska AFL-CIO is backing Mark Begich for U.S. Senate but hedging its bets, for now at least, in the race for the U.S. House.

The state’s largest labor organization at this point is supporting both Republican Rep. Don Young and Democratic challenger Ethan Berkowitz.

It’s endorsing Berkowitz over Diane Benson in the Democratic primary. And it’s endorsing Young over Sean Parnell and Gabrielle LeDoux in the Republican primary.

“It is important for us to distinguish the candidates who are strongest on labor issues in seriously contested primaries. Ethan and Don answered our questionnaires correctly and on time. They both have outstanding labor records and we will be urging our members to support them in the primary,” Alaska AFL-CIO president Vince Beltrami said in a written statement.

The AFL-CIO said that it's "unanimous vote for dual endorsement will be revisited after the primary at the AFL-CIO State Convention in August 2008.”

But the organization didn’t wait to endorse Democrat Begich in his bid to defeat incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Stevens. Here’s what the AFL-CIO said about that:

“While the endorsement was not unanimous and Sen. Stevens accomplishments were acknowledged and appreciated, the body felt that Mayor Begich’s unflinching support for the working men and women of Alaska and for the most significant labor law reform before Congress in decades, the Employee Free Choice Act, as well as his support for other issues important to working families is more in line with the vision of the American and Alaskan labor movement.”

The endorsement came at a special meeting of the vice-presidents of the Alaska AFL-CIO. Over 95 VP’s from around the state were there, according to the organization.

Stevens' campaign, meanwhile, today announced he had earned the endorsement of the Alaska Forest Association. The group, the campaign said, "represents virtually all of the constituents groups associated with Alaska’s timber
industry. This includes timber operators, tug and barge operators, suppliers, road building companies and many others employing hundreds of Alaskans across the state."

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AFL-CIO backs Begich, Young AND Berkowitz

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