Laborers' Local 261 Make Political Endorsement Selections For June, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO, April, 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Laborers' Local 261 has concluded its endorsement process for the June 2012 Presidential Primary Election. In addition, the Laborers' Union has made early selections for the November 2012 contests.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120404/DC82778)

For the ballot in June, the Laborers recommend continued support for incumbents Assemblyman Tom Ammiano and State Senator Mark Leno.  In addition, the Laborers have joined several other influential labor organizations in supporting current City Assessor Phil Ting to replace Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, who is termed out.

The Laborers also announced that it has endorsed a "slate" of candidates in collaboration with the Alliance for Jobs & Sustainable Growth for the hotly contested San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee seats in the 17th and 19th Assembly Districts in San Francisco.  Among several others, the Laborers announced support for incumbent Tom Hsieh on the West Side and Joaquin Torres on the East Side.

In a surprise move, the Laborers made early endorsements for three of the six San Francisco Supervisorial Districts that are up for election in November.  They chose incumbent David Campos in their own Mission District, citing his open door policy and strong connection to Local Hiring priorities.  President of the Board David Chiu received the Laborers' endorsement for the first time in his bid for Re-Election in District 3. 

"We have been very impressed with Supervisor David Chiu's leadership on many, many issues important to working people.  He has made difficult decisions, has stood by them, and has shown that he will not bow down to special interests.  We believe that it is never too early to get such a message out," stated Laborers' Local 261 Political Director Vince Courtney.

To replace Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, who is termed out in SF District 7, the Laborers selected FX Crowley, a first time candidate.  Laborers' Local 261 Business Manager Ramon Hernandez commented,  "It is not often that we mobilize membership in the far west of the City; however, because D-7 is wide-open for the first time in a long time, we are going to maintain a strong presence there in order to get the message out. We strongly encourage the good people of District 7 to get involved and discover what we already know ... FX Crowley is San Francisco!"

Laborers' Local 261 is a progressive labor union, comprised of about 3,000 working men and women, many of whom live in San Francisco.  Laborers' Local 261 is affiliated with the Northern California District Council of Laborers, California Labor Federation and the San Francisco Labor Council of the AFL-CIO, as well as the San Francisco Alliance for Jobs & Sustainable Growth, a collaborative partnership of Business, Labor, and Community allies.

SOURCE Northern California District Council of Laborers