Sunday, August 9, 2009

Unions may dump Bloomberg for Thompson

From the Daily News:

New York's largest city workers union is expected to endorse Controller William Thompson for mayor this week, labor insiders say - a stunning switch from four years ago, when it backed Mayor Bloomberg.

The move would hang in the air as other major city unions - like the United Federation of Teachers and Teamsters Local 237 - decide who to endorse this fall.

...both are...negotiating new contracts right now with Bloomberg, giving him a chance to win their support.

The DC 37 endorsement would be a huge boost for Thompson's underfunded campaign - not just for the volunteers and phone banks it can offer, but for the message it sends to other unions wary of bucking an incumbent mayor.

DC 37 could make its endorsement as soon as Wednesday. A spokeswoman declined to comment.

Bloomberg took a blow from labor last month when the union-backed Working Families Party narrowly voted to endorse Thompson.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union backed Thompson in that vote, and later endorsed him. The outgoing president of the teachers union, Randi Weingarten, abstained from the vote, which under the party's arcane rules tilted the endorsement to Thompson.

Thompson lists 10 union endorsements on his Web site, Bloomberg has 11, and both campaigns are gunning for more.

The labor grapevine says the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 3, which backed Bloomberg in 2005 could go for Thompson soon. Union officials did not return calls for comment.

Thompson can't outspend the mayor. He will have a hard time out-organizing the mayor. But when it comes to unions, he has a shot at outmaneuvering the mayor.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

i'm not impressed wih union endorsements..they're just greedy f*ckers looking out for their own good...and will gladly sell their votes/endorsements for better deals - screwing the city & future generations in the process

Anonymous said...

Anonymous#1

What a stupid comment....

Anonymous said...

I have to say that I am impressed. See I am in local #12 and my union supports that Blooming asshole of a mayor. Funny thing though, all those supporters and none of them can vote in this election because they don't live here. And the mayor's campaion committee put together videos of the unions supprot. They say we have 1000 memebers, we barely have 500. That mayor strenches all the numbers huh? Well I wont be voting for Bloomberg. He can make all the videos he wants. I can vote in the mayoral election and I wont be voting for Bloomberg.
P.S.
The mayor's campaion comittee made it so you could'nt leave a comment on these videos, I wonder why? lol

Anonymous said...

Union support is a negative. The unions are killing this city with their unsupportable benefits and unproductive work rules.

Anonymous said...

unions endorsements are a joke.
UFT and 1199 endorsed Danny Dromm a teacher with a bad record

Anonymous said...

whether you like it or not, unions are full of average people like yourselves and they vote. They may not agree with their unions choices but they vote their way while in the voting booth. I would much rather see a union worker than an illegal allien doing my job.

Anonymous said...

I wished they'd support Avella instead.

Thomson is beholding to real estate interests.

But that's one step up from hizzoner
returning to rule NYC for another term.

Anything that kicks Mike in his skinny ass is all right with me!

Anonymous said...

Look at the stupid posts:

You're suprised the UFT endorsed a teacher???

Union support is a bad thing for a candidate? Gee, I guess all the free labor and manpower helping your campaign is bad!

Unions looking out for their own good? DUH, DUH DUH That's why they are unions, the endorse people who will support them. Imagine a Union endose someone who wants to break them up???

Please think before posting