Pennsylvania Unions Achieve Significant Victories for Labor Candidates

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder expressed their deep appreciation to the union members and labor leaders whose hard work and support helped elect union-endorsed Judge David Wecht to Superior Court of Pennsylvania, and candidates in local elections across the state.

“We are proud of the enthusiasm and energy displayed by our affiliated unions, who worked in conjunction with local Area Labor Federations and Central Labor Councils, in supporting and electing labor-endorsed candidates in yesterday’s Judicial elections and for county and local elections.”  – Rick Bloomingdale Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President

“We also appreciate the efforts and the energy demonstrated by those candidates who didn’t succeed in this election, but who brought the issues and concerns of workers to the forefront in their campaigns.”

“Labor unions played an important role in all 67 Counties of the Commonwealth. Of those, we were successful in electing 75 percent of the candidates which our affiliates and our Central Labor Councils endorsed. We are looking forward to working with these elected officials in ensuring and maintaining good government policies for the working people.” – Frank Snyder Secretary-Treasurer

Notable victories include:

    --  Democrat Richard Fitzgerald endorsed by Allegheny County Labor
        Council/Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO won the hotly contested County
        Executive race in Allegheny County.
    --  IBEW Local 98, long-time friend, activist, and member Bobby Henon
        elected to Philadelphia City Council, Sixth District.
    --  In Montgomery County, Josh Shapiro (D), a State Representative, and
        Leslie Richards (D) a Twp. Supervisor, were elected to control
        Montgomery County government. Both Shapiro and Richards were endorsed by
        the Montgomery County Central Labor Council and Southeastern Area Labor
        Federation. Montgomery County represents a potential bellwether for the
        state in the 2012 Presidential and Congressional election. Democrats
        have held an edge in voter registration since 2008, in a county that
        used to be a GOP stronghold.

A map tracking election results for key County and State races where one or more candidates were endorsed by the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO or its Central Labor Councils can be found here.

In the neighboring state of Ohio, national implications for organized labor were at stake. “Working families in Ohio decisively won an incredible victory last night for the American Labor movement, pushing back another senseless attempt to destroy the middle class, fueled by an ultra-conservative agenda designed to eliminate health care, pensions and collective bargaining,” said Bloomingdale.

Secretary-Treasurer Snyder added, “We congratulate the entire Ohio labor movement, along with the leadership, members and activists from all over the country, including our own Pennsylvania unions who joined the fight. As we briefly savor last night’s victories, there are still miles to go before we rest, in our mission to eliminate the incredible income disparity in America.”