Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO Takes "No Position" in DC Mayor's Race, Two DC City Council Races, Endorses Graham, McDuffie, Thompson and Mendelson, along with Strauss, Lancaster & Allen
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
After
extensive debate and discussion, the Executive
Board and delegates of the
Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO voted
Monday night to take no position
in the upcoming DC mayoral primary, freeing
Council affiliates to endorse the
candidate of their choice. In DC City
Council primary races the following
actions were taken: endorsed:
Jim
Graham (Ward 1), Kenyan
McDuffie (Ward 5), Darrel
Thompson (Ward 6) and Phil
Mendelson (Chair). The Metro Council
took no position in
the following races: Ward
3 and At-Large.
The Council also endorsed
Paul Strauss for DC Shadow
Senator. The other candidate endorsed
by the Metro Council was Frank
Lancaster, a retired IBEW member, for
Judge in the Charles
County Orphans’ Court, and Fred
Allen of GCIU was endorsed for
the DC Democratic State
Committee. “The decision to take no
position in the mayor’s race is
neither for nor against any particular
candidate,” said Metro Council president
Joslyn N. Williams. “There are a number of
candidates who have been good to
labor and we have affiliates who support
various candidates; we encourage each
of our affiliates to look at all those running
and make their own decisions
about endorsement and support.” The Metro
Washington Council “stands ready to
support our affiliates and we look forward to
coming together after the primary
as we work to improve the lives of working
families throughout the metropolitan
Washington area,” said Williams.
In other mayoral
endorsement news,
UFCW 400 endorsed Vincent Orange on Monday, Feb
24, calling the three-term
council member “a fighter for D.C.’s
working families” who has a “high-road
economic development strategy based on lifting
our people and neighborhoods up,
rather than sending us on a race to the bottom
through poverty jobs.” The
Washington Building and Construction Trades
Council on Monday endorsed Vincent
Gray; the Laborers had endorsed him on Friday.
“Mayor Gray understands that the
only way for D.C. to have a vibrant middle
class is for business and labor to
work together to bring good jobs and economic
development to the District,”
said Dennis L. Martire, LIUNA’s top regional
official.
photo: during the debate; photo
by Chris Garlock