Ed. Note:  The seven Change to Win-affiliated unions are: International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)  -  Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA)  -  Service Employees International Union (SEIU)  -  United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC)  -  United Farm Workers of America (UFW)  -  United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)  -  UNITE HERE.  LIUNA, in the midst of its own endorsement process, abstained.  IBT (Feb. 20), SEIU (Feb. 15), UFCW (Feb. 14) and UNITE HERE (Jan. 9) had endorsed Sen. Obama earlier, while UFW had endorsed Sen. Clinton (Jan. 22).
 

PRESS RELEASE from Change to Win

February 21, 2008

Remarks by Anna Burger at Change to Win Presidential Endorsement Announcement

Change to Win, a partnership of seven unions representing 6 million members, is committed to restoring the American Dream for the next generation of workers.

Our members and the 40 million workers in our industries with the jobs and occupations of 21st century American economy -- are real people who work hard stocking the shelves, preparing and serving our food, picking the crops, building, cleaning and guarding the skyscrapers of our big cities. They drive our buses and trucks. They care for the sick and elderly and help us raise our children. They are the infrastructure of our society.

For them, this election is about changing America to win a better future for our children.

We want a president who shares our vision and is committed to a practical program to translate that vision into action.

Action that will fix what happens at work. Action that will help working families achieve the American Dream. Action that will:

Most importantly, we want a president who shares our dream and unites Americans in building a movement for change... a movement with the power to turn that dream into reality.

Today, Change to Win is proud to endorse Senator Barack Obama.

He shares our hopes, our dreams and our determination to make a difference. His vision and inspiration has made the democratic process exciting and relevant to young and old and everyone in between. He makes us believe that by acting together we can make a difference.

Barack Obama has restored faith in the democratic process to many who lost faith in a politics that seemed of self-interest and cynicism.

He is building an election coalition that will turn into an action coalition to bring the change this country needs and restore the American Dream for America's workers.

We believe we can make a difference in helping build this new movement. With six million members, Change to Win unions represent close to half of the union members in the country.

Change to Win was founded in 2005 to give a voice to the tens of millions of workers in the industries of the new economy-workers who are struggling everyday to achieve the American Dream for themselves and their families. For workers, the American Dream is not about great wealth, it is about a good job.

We are the America of tomorrow. We are the union movement of the future.

Our members are active, involved and determined to make a difference.

Our "American Dream Teams" will knock on doors, distribute information, and talk to coworker, family and friends. We'll make phone calls, send out mailings, and barnstorm worksites to educate and mobilize members to vote for the American Dream candidate - Barack Obama.