The International Brotherhood of Teamsters defended its endorsement of US Senate candidate Cal Cunningham Friday after an April 8 Associated Press report quoted Cunningham as saying he was opposed to card-check legislation.
The Associated Press article reported, “Pressed on whether he would push to allow card check, Cunningham responded: ‘No, no, not the card check.’”
Rob Black, a spokesman for the Teamsters, said the union remains confident in Cunningham’s support for card check legislation, which would allow workers to sign cards petitioning the National Labor Relations Board for a union.
“The Teamsters have endorsed Cal Cunningham not only for his endorsement of the principle of card check but also his job creation plan and his position on fair trade,” Black said. “We look forward to working with him on the employee free choice act and other bills for working families.”
Democratic candidate Ken Lewis’ campaign called upon the union to withdraw its endorsement in light of Cunningham’s statement to the AP.
“It seems clear from the news reports that Cal Cunningham said one thing to the Teamsters behind closed doors and another thing to everyone else outside the room,” said Bruce Clark, Lewis’ campaign manager. “What is worse is that Cal, when caught mid flip-flop, showed us a window into how he would lead in Washington — he wouldn't lead at all.”
Angela Guyadeen, a spokesperson for the Cunningham campaign issued the following statement late Friday:
“Cal is a steadfast supporter for [Employee Free Choice Act] and will work to pass labor reform in the Senate that would protect workers and improve their ability to organize,” Guyadeen said. “Throughout this campaign, Cal Cunningham has demonstrated he will be the strongest advocate for North Carolina workers. He knows that North Carolina families don't need more of the same tired politics, they need someone who will focus on their needs, and that's why he's the only candidate with a real plans to create jobs and protect workers.”
No comments:
Post a Comment