The nationwide Transport Workers Union represents more than 150,000 workers from some of the more notable industries in the United States, including railroad, gaming, airlines, transit and utility and university services. Today, the founding NYC-based New York State TWU announced their endorsement of Bernie Sanders for President.
The endorsement has been confirmed in print by the New York Daily News:
New York’s transit workers union endorses Bernie Sanders
New York’s transit workers union is feeling the Bern, throwing its support behind the fiery Vermont senator’s quest for the presidency.
The Transport Workers Union Local 100, representing 42,000 workers in the New York region, on Wednesday endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders ahead of the state’s April 19 presidential primary
Rank and file made members made their voices heard, prompting the endorsement:
Sanders visited the union hall in downtown Brooklyn to pick up the endorsement.
The endorsement vote was nearly unanimous in favor of Sanders, according to a union source.
The New York TWU represents a large segment of NYC and New York state working families, and has been known as a strong liberal voice for advocacy on labor rights in New York politics for many decades.
Full video of announcement and press conference at NY TWU headquarters in Brooklyn as they announced the endorsement and Bernie Sanders accepted:
More details from The Hill:
"Brothers and sisters, there is no doubt that America needs a jolt, New York a jolt, working families need a jolt and business as usual politics are not going to give us the jolt that we need," union president John Samuelsen said in endorsing Sanders…
"We all know in this room that you don't have a great and growing middle class unless you have a great and growing trade union," Sanders said.
Sanders said unions represented the "last lines of defense against a vicious corporate agenda that is working hard to destroy the middle class."
"Our infrastructure is crumbling," Sanders insisted, mentioning roads, bridges and mass transportation, including the rail system in cities like New York. "We need the best mass transportation system in the world. It is essential to our economy," Sanders said, noting that "millions of people in this city depend" on such a system.
FULL Video from MSNBC:
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For more details on Bernie’s speech in solidarity with Verizon workers and his long collaboration with their union, CWA, see igualdad’s dedicated diary here.