Public Employee Press

Take back America 2004
Union backs Dean for prez

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.”