International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO Endorses Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States

    NEW YORK, June 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 75,000-member
 International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO today announced its
 endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States.
 
     "The ILA is proud to endorse and support Senator Barack Obama for
 president of the United States," said Richard P. Hughes, ILA President.
 "Throughout his years of public service, Senator Obama has stood staunchly
 with working families and the union movement with a 98% positive labor
 voting record."
 
     The ILA represents waterfront workers at major U.S. ports on the
 Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, major rivers and Puerto Rico, in addition to
 Eastern Canada.
 
     "With the support of our ILA-COPE program, and our affiliation with
 AFL-CIO State and Central Labor Council bodies and the A. Philip Randolph
 Institute, the ILA will do all that it can to ensure the election of
 Senator Obama as our next President," Mr. Hughes said. "We will engage our
 members to aggressively register families and friends to vote."
 
     The ILA enjoys a deep concentration of politically active members in
 key election states such as Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, New Jersey and
 Pennsylvania. Many ILA members are actively involved with their local labor
 affiliated A. Philip Randolph Institute Chapters, which has extensive voter
 education and "Get Out the Vote" programs.
 
     "The ILA echoes the statement of our national AFL-CIO in noting that
 Senator Obama has advocated a change for our nation that mirrors the
 priorities of the labor movement," said ILA President Hughes who also
 serves as a Vice President and Executive Council member of the AFL-CIO. "He
 supports trade policies that put America's workers first and has pledged to
 address our nation's health care and retirement crisis."
 
     ILA President Hughes added that the choice was clear for all working
 families that Senator Obama deserves our full, united and unwavering
 support.
 
 
 

SOURCE International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO