The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, known for its strong and militant labor activism, announced its endorsement today of Bernie Sanders for President. The announcement came just before contests take place in Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii, three states that contain many of the members of the West Coast union:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 24, 2016
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The ILWU’s International Executive Board voted today to endorse U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders for President.
“Bernie Sanders is the best candidate for America’s working families,” said ILWU International President Robert McEllrath. “Bernie is best on the issues that matter most to American workers: better trade agreements, support for unions, fair wages, tuition for students and public colleges, Medicare for all, fighting a corrupt campaign finance system, and confronting the power of Wall Street that’s making life harder for most Americans.”
Many longshore union members have expressed enthusiastic support for Sanders at the local level.
The ILWU represents approximately 50,000 women and men who work in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii – in addition to ILWU Divisions representing workers in Canada and Panama.
Even better, this was emphatically not an endorsement decided by union management alone:
Craig Merrilees, an ILWU spokesman, told The Huffington Post that the rank-and-file backing for Sanders is clear.
“The support was significant at the grassroots level,” Merrilees said. “Many local bodies throughout the union had already recommended endorsements.”
The union plans to participate in an upcoming Sanders rally in Washington, Merrilees said.
Congratulations to Bernie on this important endorsement!
Keep canvassing and phonebanking on the West Coast as the voting is about to begin!