Sanders Campaign Press Release - More Than 1,000 Local Union Leaders and Members Back Bernie

BURLINGTON, Vt. – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday welcomed the news that more than 1,000 local union leaders and members are backing his candidacy for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

Union activists from 49 states and 50 different labor organizations have joined the Labor for Bernie 2016 network, a diverse grassroots initiative built to support Sanders' campaign.

Members cite Sanders' long-standing commitment to union principles and labor's values. "Telephone workers in New England know Bernie well because he has walked our picket lines and supported our organizing efforts for years," said Don Trementozzi, president of CWA Local 1400, based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Labor For Bernie is calling on labor unions, union members and working people to unite behind Sanders. "We need a presidential candidate willing to confront big money and its corrupting influence on American politics," said Steve Abbott, president of CWA Local 7108 in Waterloo and head of the CWA's Iowa state council. "That kind of leadership is not going to come from someone trying to raise a billion dollars from Wall Street banks and other business interests. We need a voice of our own, not an echo of the Republicans."

The Labor for Bernie kickoff follows endorsements from the South Carolina AFL-CIO executive board and the Vermont-NEA.

The entire list of supporters can be viewed on the new Labor for Bernie website at www.laborforbernie.com.