Chellie endorsed by United Auto Workers

By Barb on May 6, 2008 2:12 PM

Maine State UAW CAP Council is the fourth labor endorsement for Chellie

The Maine State UAW CAP Council based at B.I.W. in Bath announced this week that it is has voted to endorse Chellie Pingree for Congress in Maine's First District Congressional race.

"Chellie Pingree is a longtime advocate of working families," said Beverly Harris, President of the UAW CAP Council. "We're proud to support her."

As a State Senator, Pingree earned high marks from the AFL-CIO, of which the UAW is a member, and she was a staunch supporter of raising the minimum wage, a "living wage," bringing more good-paying jobs to Maine and ensuring that Maine's economic development dollars were well spent on job creation. Pingree herself is a proud member of the UAW (National Writers' Union/UAW Local 1981).

"Chellie is a real leader and we are proud to stand behind her in this race for Congress," said Dwight Loines, Regional Representative for the UAW. "She is an uncommon leader who shares our beliefs when it comes to fair wages and workplace safety, workers' right to organize and bargain collectively, fair trade and reforming our broken health care system."

The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) is one of the largest and most diverse unions in North America, with members in virtually every sector of the economy. UAW-represented workplaces range from multinational corporations, small manufacturers and state and local governments to colleges and universities, hospitals and private non-profit organizations. Here in Maine, UAW is present at Bath Iron Works.

Over the years, the UAW has been a leader in the struggle to secure economic and social justice for all people. The UAW has been actively involved in every civil rights legislative battle since the 1950s, including the campaigns to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Fair Housing Act, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988 and legislation to prohibit discrimination against women, the elderly and people with disabilities.

The UAW also has played a vital role in passing such landmark legislation as Medicare and Medicaid, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Employee Retirement Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. In Washington and state capitols, the UAW is fighting for better schools for kids, secure health care and pensions for retirees, clean air and water, tougher workplace health and safety standards, stronger worker's compensation and unemployment insurance laws and fairer taxes.

Chellie Pingree is a candidate for Congress in Maine's First District. Pingree has earned a reputation as someone who is willing to stand up and tell the truth, even when it isn't popular. While serving in the Maine Senate, Pingree was a strong advocate for working families and for organized labor in the workplace. The Maine AFL-CIO recognized Chellie's work with its 2001 Edie Beaulieu Biennial Legislative Award and she has continued to advocate on behalf of so many of the issues important to working families, serving on the national board of Wal-Mart Watch and FamiliesUSA in recent years.