Teamsters Back Obama

POSTED BY Raleigh-Elizabeth Smith, 20 February 2008

From the New York Times:

In a surprising boost for Senator Barack Obama, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will announce this afternoon that it is endorsing him, a top union leader said.

With the Teamsters’ move, labor leaders said, Change to Win, a five-million-member coalition of unions that broke away from the A.F.L.-C.I.O., will likely vote on Thursday to endorse Mr. Obama.

The seven unions in that coalition — the service employees, the food and commercial workers, the Teamsters, the carpenters, the laborers the United Farm Workers and Unite Here (which represents hotel, restaurant and apparel workers) — are scheduled to hold a conference call on Thursday morning to decide on an endorsement.

With the service employees, the food and commercial workers and Unite Here having already endorsed Mr. Obama, the Teamsters endorsement will give him the two-thirds needed for the Change to Win Coalition to officially back him.

That will give Mr. Obama increased momentum and help him in a group where he has been struggling — with blue-collar workers, especially white, male blue-collar workers. The Teamsters represents more than one million truck drivers, warehouse workers, police officers and other workers, and its membership is extremely strong in two upcoming battlegrounds — Ohio and Pennsylvania.

 

With 60,000 members in Ohio, this new endorsement is particularly weighty. Clinton was hoping to swing the state (not to mention Texas), but with this kind of declared support, her prospects aren't looking so hot.