Mine Workers union endorses Obama for president

WASHINGTON — The United Mine Workers of America endorsed Barack Obama for president Wednesday despite his recent defeats in primaries in coal-producing states where many of the union's members vote.

The endorsement continues organized labor's swing over to the Democratic front-runner as the primaries wrap up. Obama lost heavily to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Tuesday's Kentucky primary and last week's West Virginia primary.

"Senator Obama shares the values of UMWA members and our families. He understands and will fight for the needs our members have today and the hopes our members have for a secure future for themselves and their families," union president Cecil E. Roberts said.

The Mine Workers _ along with the United Steelworkers union _ had originally endorsed former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. However, Edwards dropped out of the race and threw his support to Obama last week and was immediately followed by the Steelworkers union.

Only one union that originally endorsed Edwards _ the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners _ has not subsequently endorsed Obama.

Obama and Clinton, have been courting unions and their blue-collar voters since Edwards dropped out of the race. The Mine Workers, however, was unanimous in picking Obama for its endorsement, Roberts said.

"Senator Obama will fight to preserve American jobs, not ship them overseas in greater and greater numbers," Roberts said. "Senator Obama will make sure that the nation's mine safety and health enforcement agency actually enforces the law, instead of coddling mine operators who repeatedly and willfully violate the law."

The Mine Workers union represents 105,000 active and retired coal miners, mine construction workers, public service employees, health care workers and manufacturing workers in the United States and Canada.

Comments

[SSF]

First, the endorsement of Senator Robert Byrd and now, the United Mine Workers! Sorry, Hillary; even when you win, you lose! In the end, all Democrats in the Rust Belt regions will come to understand that McCain is a hypocritical, NAFTA- loving crook and vote for their own interests and job security by rallying around Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama!

[jplass]

does this not prove that Obama losses Penn, WV, and Kentucky were a result of racism? if even the mine workers union supports Obama's populist credentials, why is there still this strange argument that Obama is not in touch with the needs of blue-collar workers? Oh yea, because its a mask for their racism

[MildenHall]

UMW see the winning horse so they've jumped on. It's politics.

[TN]

God Bless those mine workerand their families. Through all of the tragic mine collapses it was George Bush who took the enforcement authority away from the mine safety investigators to close a mine. That is why some had hundreds of violations and nothing was done and then the tragedy. Every single thing the man touched turned to devistation and the republican congress was in on the whole charade. I bet many of those miners voted republican in 2000 and 2004, I'm glad they know the truth.

[schicklett3]

This is excellent news.... Hoorah for the miners union!!
God Bless Senator Obama!

[olivia]

Good for the union. Obama is the true populist. Hillary became a populist when she read the exit polls from Pennsylvania.

[cmrinc]

Another Key Endorsement for Obama:

http://www.vlogitics.com/play.php?vid=242

[KarateKid]

LMAO. This is hilarious. First, they vote in numbers for Clinton in PA, WV and Kentucky, and now they endorse Obama?? Only in America, folks.

[somekid1234]

here's what obama needs to do...a lot of american flags at his rallies, a white southern and or military VP, ongoing attacks on Mccain's ethics, and make it more clear about why Mccains foreign policy is VERY dangerous for America

[TheJibreelaMonsters]

Unless you are giving out free Valvoline Oil Changes, Ticktes to the Tractor Pull and Gretchen Wilson going to play a free concert (al la what happen in PDX) they maybe the Bubbas will show up if they can afford to fill up there pick ups.

[noneIn2008]

Simple question to the Union leaders, what will be the impact to your members of Obama's CO2 tax? Your mines will be closed? But, you'd have the same problem with Clinton or McCain. So, why is the union backing ANY of the candidates in this cycle when their CO2 policies will directly take away your union jobs.

[BigVic]

Simple answer...a­nd I am a miner...No­t everything that is mined is burned as fuel. There's limestone, sand & gravel, etc. Also, mining has nothing to do with the burning of coal, we just dig it up for your consumption. I doubt America will stop using electricity anytime soon, and seeing that most plants are coal burning (and US is the Saudi Arabia of coal) I assume the burden of emissions will be put onto the plants producing the electricity, and ultimetly on the consumers who use the elecrticity.

[reelcobra]

Did our guy make the same type of promise he made to the Teamsters (to lighten up the federal pressure on the Hoffa crime family?

He really is a NEW kind of politician.

Rezko was Wright! Reverend Wright, that is!!

__________­__________­__________­_____

Character is a "distraction" - Not an ISSUE!!

BHO '08!!

[Peteyman]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/21/mccain-backer-hagee-said_n_102892.html

You think Reverend Wright's bad? You think Rezko's bad?

Try this for size

[BigVic]

Yes, he's definetly a TOOL!

[sciabattoni]

Ugh, Mine Workers... typical elitist, upscale, ivy league democrats.
:-)

[Chickiej1]

NIce!

[OlskoolDem]

you forgot Volvo driving, Latte drinking mine workers !!

[dapperd72]

As Will Rogers once said, "You may be on the right track, but if you don't get out of the way, you'll get run over!" United Mine Workers, following Sen. Robert Byrd & John Edwards, despite Obama's losses in Pennsylvania, West Virginia & Kentucky, decided to get off the track & jump onto the train. It's coming down the mountain like a locomotive, so Clinton's surrogates better act fast before they get squashed! Clinton's support for NAFTA, shipping jobs overseas to satisfy her major lobbyist contributors who fund much of her campaign coffers, conflicts with Obama's hard-nosed thick-skinned support for people working in the trenches, who the federal agency empowered to protect them instead leave them in the dark at the mining industry's mercy. We all know McCain hasn't the least concern for such hard-working Americans of any skin color or gender, nor does he understand economics, but wants to make Bush's tax cuts for wealthy folks permanent.

Keep these endorsements coming, Obama! We'll give Hannity, O'Reilly, Limbaugh & their ilk a major run for their money!

[burnt]

Thank you UMWA! ... time to take it back!

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

Congratulations! Obama 08!