– 2014 General Election

The following endorsements were made by the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Executive Council.

Statewide
Office Party Candidate
Governor D TOM WOLF
Lt. Gov. D MIKE STACK

United State Congress
District Party Candidate
1 D ROBERT A BRADY
2 D CHAKA FATTAH
3 D DAN LAVALLEE
5 D KERITH STRANO TAYLOR
6 D MANAN TRIVEDI
8 D KEVIN STROUSE
11 D ANDY OSTROWSKI
12 D ERIN MCCLELLAND
13 D BRENDAN F BOYLE
14 D MIKE DOYLE
16 D TOM HOUGHTON
17 D MATT CARTWRIGHT

PA State Senate
District Party Candidate
2 D CHRISTINE M TARTAGLIONE
6 R ROBERT TOMMY TOMLINSON
8 D ANTHONY HARDY WILLIAMS
12 R STEWART J GREENLEAF
14 D JOHN T YUDICHAK
16 R PAT BROWNE
18 D LISA BOSCOLA
22 D JOHN P BLAKE
26 D JOHN KANE
28 D LINDA SMALL
32 D DEBERAH KULA
36 D GARY SCHRECK SCHRECKENGOST
40 R MARIO M SCAVELLO
42 D WAYNE D FONTANA
44 R JOHN C RAFFERTY JR
46 D TIMOTHY J SOLOBAY
50 D MICHAEL T MUHA

PA State House
District Party Candidate
1 D PATRICK J HARKINS
2 D FLO FABRIZIO
3 D RYAN A BIZZARRO
4 D CURT SMITH
6 D JUANITA SHUTSA
7 D MARK LONGIETTI
9 D CHRIS SAINATO
10 D JARET GIBBONS
12 D LISA ZUCCO
13 D ANN SCHOTT
14 R JIM MARSHALL
15 D PAUL CAIN
16 D ROBERT F MATZIE
17 D WAYNE E HANSON
18 R GENE DIGIROLAMO
19 D JAKE WHEATLEY
20 D ADAM J RAVENSTAHL
21 D DOM COSTA
22 D PETER SCHWEYER
23 D DAN B FRANKEL
24 D ED GAINEY
25 D JOSEPH F MARKOSEK
27 D DANIEL J DEASY JR
29 R BERNIE O’NEILL
31 D STEVE SANTARSIERO
32 D ANTHONY M DELUCA
33 D FRANK DERMODY
34 D PAUL COSTA
35 D MARC J GERGELY
36 D HARRY READSHAW
37 D BRIAN KRESGE
38 D BILL KORTZ
39 D LISA STOUT-BASHIOUM
41 D ALICE YODER
42 D DANIEL MILLER
43 D STEPHEN STONE
45 D NICK KOTIK
46 D JESSE WHITE
48 D BRANDON P NEUMAN
49 D PETER J DALEY II
50 D PAM SNYDER
51 D TIM MAHONEY
52 D AJ BONI
53 R ROBERT W GODSHALL
54 D PATRICK LEYLAND
55 D JOSEPH A PETRARCA
57 D DONNA J MCCLELLAND
58 D R TED HARHAI
61 D SUZAN G LEONARD
65 D TOBY ANDERSON
68 D JONATHAN RUTH
70 D MATT BRADFORD
71 D BRYAN BARBIN
72 D FRANK BURNS
74 D JOSH MAXWELL
76 D MIKE HANNA
77 D H SCOTT CONKLIN
81 D MIKE FLECK
83 D RICK MIRABITO
84 D KRISTEN HAYES
87 R GLEN GRELL
95 D KEVIN SCHREIBER
96 D MIKE STURLA
97 D CHARLES HAMPLE
98 D TONY CROCAMO
99 D BRYAN SANGUINITO
102 D JAKE LONG
103 D PATTY KIM
104 D GENE STILP
105 D KELLY JEAN MCENTEE
106 R JOHN D PAYNE
109 R DAVID R MILLARD
111 D JOHN HEPTIG
112 D FRANK FARINA
113 D MARTY FLYNN
114 D SID MICHAELS KAVULICH
117 R KAREN BOBACK
118 D MICHAEL CARROLL
119 D GERALD J MULLERY
120 D EILEEN CIPRIANI
121 D EDDIE DAY PASHINSKI
122 D PATTI BORGER
123 D NEAL P GOODMAN
126 D MARK ROZZI
127 D THOMAS R CALTAGIRONE
131 D MICHAEL BEYER
132 D MIKE SCHLOSSBERG
133 D DANIEL T MCNEILL
135 D STEVE SAMUELSON
136 D ROBERT FREEMAN
138 D LESLIE M ALTIERI
139 R MIKE PEIFER
140 D JOHN GALLOWAY
141 D TINA DAVIS
142 R FRANK A FARRY
143 R MARGUERITE QUINN
145 D KAREN D CHELLEW
146 D MARK PAINTER
148 D MARY JO DALEY
149 D TIM BRIGGS
150 R MIKE VEREB
152 R THOMAS P MURT
153 D MADELEINE DEAN
154 D STEVE MCCARTER
156 D SANDRA SNYDER
157 D MARIAN MOSKOWITZ
158 D SUSAN F RZUCIDLO
159 D THADDEUS KIRKLAND
161 R JOE HACKETT
162 R NICK MICCARELLI
163 D VINCE RONGIONE
164 D MARGO DAVIDSON
165 R WILLIAM F ADOLPH JR
166 D GREG VITALI
167 D ANNE R CROWLEY
168 R THOMAS KILLION
170 D BRENDAN F BOYLE
172 D KEVIN J BOYLE
173 D MIKE DRISCOLL
174 D JOHN SABATINA JR
175 D MICHAEL H O’BRIEN
176 D HOPE SMITH
177 R JOHN J TAYLOR
179 D JASON DAWKINS
180 D ANGEL L CRUZ
181 D W CURTIS THOMAS
182 D BRIAN SIMS
183 D TERRI L POWELL
184 D WILLIAM F KELLER
185 D MARIA P DONATUCCI
186 D JORDAN A HARRIS
188 D JAMES R ROEBUCK
189 D ELIZABETH LIZ FORREST
190 D VANESSA L BROWN
191 D RONALD GRANVILLE WATERS
192 D LOUISE BISHOP
194 D PAMELA DELISSIO
195 D MICHELLE F BROWNLEE
197 D LESLIE ACOSTA
198 D ROSITA C YOUNGBLOOD
199 D JILL SUNDAY BARTOLI
200 D CHERELLE L PARKER
201 D STEPHEN KINSEY
202 D MARK B COHEN

Source: http://www.paaflcio.org/?page_id=316

By Matt Murray

– Last night at their bi-annual convention, the American Federation of Teachers adopted a resolution to support of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) in a national boycott Staples Inc. for their attempt to steal jobs from dedicated postal employee’s and continue the race to the bottom.

It resolves “that members of the AFT, along with friends, colleagues and family members, are urged to no longer shop at Staples stores until further notice.”

To Read The Resolution, Go To: http://www.aft.org/about/resolution_detail.cfm?articleid=19592

Staples and the USPS are set to begin pilot program in 82 retail stores that would have “postal counters” that would provide most of the safe services as a local post office. These postal counters would be staffed by Staples low-wage, non-union workers, and not by the dedicated clerks of the APWU, who take care of you at you local post office.

These postal counters could mean the end of our local post offices.

Similar resolutions were passed by the California Teachers Union, AFT Michigan, AFT Massachusetts and AFT New Hampshire asking members to shop somewhere else when it came time to buy their “back to school” supplies.

“Postal workers are the most amazing public servants,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Who does Staples really want and need to come into its stores every single day? Teachers. The best way we can help is if we say to Staples: ‘You do this to the postal workers, and we aren’t buying supplies in your stores.’”

School supplies are a key market for Staples, accounting for up to one-third of the company’s sales, according to some estimates. The company, faced with declining sales and revenue, has announced plans to close 225 stores by 2015.

After adopting the resolution, AFT members joined their APWU brothers and sisters in a massive rally outside Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. AFT President Weingarten and thousands of AFT convention delegates joined members of the American Postal Workers Union and other community members in a rally telling the United States Postal Service and the Staples corporation that the “Mail Is Not for Sale.”

This action is a continuing part of the AFT’s effort to reclaim the promise of an America where consumers are safe, workers are valued and well trained, and middle-class jobs are protected.

APWU President Mark Dimondstein addressed the importance of America’s middle class standing together against the effort to privatize and demonize U.S. postal workers. He said, “We too are in the public sector, we too are meeting the needs of people. We’re facing some of the same problems you are—I call it divert, defund, demoralize, demonize and dismantle.”

Source: http://nhlabornews.com/2014/07/teachers-postal-workers-and-public-employees-cry-out-the-mail-is-not-for-sale/

By the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO

– In a bizarre press conference yesterday, that drew quick condemnation from leaders in both parties, Tom Corbett announced that he had signed the budget, while issuing line-item vetoes of approximately 72 million in spending. The cuts were apparently intended to be punitive, as a reaction to the General Assembly’s refusal to pass Corbett’s signature pension reforms. In the press conference, Tom Corbett railed against unions, identifying them as ‘special interests’ who were working to block his agenda.

Corbett has yet to explain how the line-item vetoes he issued relate to the pension fight, or more importantly, how his pension plan would provide any relief to taxpayers. To learn more about why the Governor is wrong on pensions,

Pensions

By The PA. AFL-CIO

Currently there are attempts being made to replace pensions that workers have earned and contributed to. Elected officials have admitted that it is the fault of Wall Street and themselves for poor investment returns and underfunding, yet they want workers to pay for those mistakes. We must fight back with the truth.

Here are three things you should know about state employee pensions:

Employees have been paying their fair share all along, contributing between 6% and 10% of every paycheck to their pension, even when the Commonwealth and many school districts failed to make their contributions.
Politicians are trying to make public employees pay for mistakes made by the greed on Wall Street… but the changes they are proposing will actually cost the taxpayers MORE money!
Act 120, the 2010 Pension Reform Law passed with bipartisan support already reduced pension benefits and raised the retirement age for new employees. Now politicians need to fulfill their promise by honoring the commitments they made. Give Act 120 a chance to work!

The fact is that our public pension systems in PA are not facing a ‘fiscal cliff’, and there is plenty of time to allow the meaningful reforms of Act 120 to prove their value.

Check back here often and follow the blog below for updates on this critical legislative issue that affects so many working families in Pennsylvania.

Source: http://www.paaflcio.org/?page_id=158

By Olivia Sandbothe

– The National Education Association made history this 4th of July when delegates at its annual assembly voted in new leaders, making it the first major union headed by three women of color. Lily Eskelsen García, former Utah Teacher of the Year, will serve as the union’s new president, Becky Pringle will be the new vice president and Princess Moss will take over as secretary-treasurer, effective Sept. 1, 2014.

AFSCME extends hearty congratulations to the new leaders.

“As public employee unions, AFSCME and the NEA have core values in common, particularly our commitment to serving the communities where we work,” said AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders. “We look forward to standing with President Eskelsen García, Vice President Pringle and Secretary-Treasurer Moss in our shared battle for dignity and rights.”

Saunders also expressed his appreciation to outgoing Pres. Dennis Van Roekel, who set an example of service and solidarity during his six years of leadership.

“Dennis has been a force for unity in the labor movement and for protecting all public services,” Saunders said. “As someone who is truly committed to solidarity, he has taken on the fight for workers’ rights not just for his own members, but for all working people.”

Source: http://www.afscme.org/blog/historic-nea-elections

By Maryam Adamu

– This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Years of organizing and civil disobedience culminated in a seminal piece of legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, and sex.

A few years after the Civil Rights Act was passed, Martin Luther King Jr. asked, “What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn’t earn enough money to buy a hamburger?” It is important to realize what King always understood: The civil rights movement was about both social and economic justice. It was about ensuring that everyone has the right—as well the means—to be successful in this country.

Fifty years later, as the nation reflects upon the profound impact of this fundamental legislation, it is clear the country has made considerable progress in key areas. Still, barriers to progress persist and must be identified and addressed. This report begins with an overview of the nation’s progress. It then goes on to describe how conditions have fundamentally changed over the past few decades, especially since the Great Recession.

Finally, taking these changes into account, this report offers policy recommendations for establishing economic security as a civil right. These recommendations include:

• Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour to increase the collective income of people of color by $16.1 billion.
• Increase federal investment in job-creation programs that prioritize generating job opportunities for youth and low-income and long-term unemployed adults.
• Invest in workforce development to prepare people for higher-skill, higher-wage jobs.
• Strengthen the social safety net to ensure that people can meet basic needs as they get back on their feet.
• Expand access to crucial benefits, including paid family leave and paid sick days.
• Eliminate employment discrimination for people with criminal records to expand the possibilities for those who were formerly incarcerated.
• Reinvest in neighborhoods by expanding the Promise Zones initiative and offer planning grants and tax incentives for neighborhoods.

As the country’s economic climate changes and people of color grow to represent a majority of Americans, it is a moral and economic imperative that the United States pursue polices now to ensure that everyone has a chance at prosperity. This report lays out a pathway forward as the nation seeks to make good on the promises of the civil rights era and to advance them for future generations.

Source: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/report/2014/07/10/93607/dignified-jobs-and-decent-wages/?elq=~~eloqua..type–emailfield..syntax–recipientid~~&elqCampaignId=~~eloqua..type–campaign..campaignid–0..fieldname–id~~