itsmeeeeeee

Source: United Mine Workers to endorse Obama - Politics on The Huffington Post


JESSE J. HOLLAND | May 21, 2008 11:20 AM EST | AP


WASHINGTON — The Associated Press has learned that the United Mine Workers of America will endorse Barack Obama for president.

The union's executive board voted unanimously for an endorsement of the Illinois Democrat Wednesday morning, said a union official speaking on condition of anonymity. The official would not speak on the record because an announcement has not been made yet.

The Mine Workers union had originally endorsed former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. But Edwards dropped out of the race earlier this year and threw his support to Obama.

The union includes coal miners, clean coal technicians, health care workers, truck drivers and school board employees. It has more than 86,000 members.

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guest1234567

Do you think if they had announced this before West Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania that this race would be over now?

guest1234567

Mine workers union swings Obama's way
Posted: 11:20 AM ET

From CNN Political Producer Ed Hornick


Sen. Barack Obama wins a major endorsement Wednesday.
(CNN) – The United Mine Workers of America endorsed Barack Obama's White House bid Wednesday.

"We are extremely proud to make this endorsement today," UMWA International President Cecil Roberts said. "Sen. Obama shares the values of UMWA members and our families. He understands and will fight for the needs our members have today and the hopes our members have for a secure future for themselves and their families."

The UMWA says it represents 105,000 active and retired coal miners, mine construction workers, public service employees, health care workers and manufacturing workers in the United States and Canada, and that its membership includes more coal miners than any other union in the world.

The unanimous endorsement by the union’s political action committee comes shortly after the May 13 primary in West Virginia — a large coal producing state. Hillary Clinton overwhelmingly won that primary, 67 percent to Obama's 26 percent.

Roberts said the union considered both Sens. Obama and John McCain before making the decision, but found that Obama "will be on our side while Sen. McCain will not," citing proposals supported by the presumptive Republican nominee that he claimed would cut jobs in coal country, particularly in the Eastern area.

UMWA International's Dan Kane said the union will be "working as hard as we can, using every resource at our disposal in every community where our members live and work across this nation to do our part to help [Obama]."

Last week, Obama picked up the backing of the United Steelworkers Union. Both the Steelworkers and UMW had originally backed former Democratic presidential candidate John edwards, who endorsed Obama last week.

mudwhistle

I thought B. Hussein was supposed to be the environmental candidate. Now he is being held hostage to coalworkers, who produce dirty fuel.

RK77

When you dig you head out of your anus maybe you should study Obama's legislation in Illinois and his energy policy----then you would understand!

jowey

Note the difference "miners", "coal workers" not the Coal Companies. The Battle of Blair Mountain - The Redneck War.

Shame that West Virginians and Kentuckians are falling for the party line or raising the race issue. They really do not want someone that they can drink a beer with, that was Bush.

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