Florsheim Announces Bevy of Union Endorsements

From a Florsheim campaign press release.
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Democratic mayoral nominee Ben Florsheim today announced endorsements from over a dozen labor unions and labor federations representing thousands of workers in Middletown. Among those endorsing is the union representing workers at Middletown’s largest unionized employer, Pratt and Whitney, and the State Council of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the largest union in Connecticut. Union members joined Ben and other volunteers to knock on over 1,500 doors across Middletown over the long weekend.

“I’m grateful for the strong showing of support that organized labor has shown for this campaign, and I’m humbled by the confidence they have placed in me,” Florsheim said. “My commitment from day one has been to make Middletown a city where working people come first, and with the help of a vibrant and organized labor community, that is what we will achieve.

“These endorsements represent everyone from nurses in our hospitals and care facilities to tradespeople who build our schools and keep our homes safe to machinists at Pratt and Whitney and many, many more,” he continued. “As mayor, I will stand up for collective bargaining, safe working conditions, fair contracting, and better tax policy that puts more money in working people’s pockets. Middletown is making progress, and the challenge ahead will be to make sure that progress benefits all, not just the connected few. I am ready to meet that challenge, and I could not ask for a stronger coalition of partners to meet it with.”

A full list of unions and labor federations supporting Ben Florsheim for mayor (so far!) is as
follows:

• SEIU District 1199 (nurses, nursing assistants, technicians, clerical employees, cooks, case managers, direct care workers, doctors, maintenance staff, and home care workers)
• CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 (active and retired state workers, municipal employees, and private sector workers)
• SEIU State Council
• AFL-CIO Eastern Connecticut Area Labor Federation
• All AFL-CIO affiliated unions
• International Association of Machinists Local 700 (Pratt and Whitney)
• Working Families Party
• Carpenters Local 326
• State Building and Construction Trades Council and member unions:
• Sheet Metal Workers Local 40
• Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777
• Painters District Council 11
• Iron Workers Local 15
• Operating Engineers Local 478
• LiUNA (construction, energy infrastructure, sanitation, road maintenance, and more)
• Boilermakers Local 237
• Electrical Workers Local 457
• Roofers Local 9
• Elevator Constructors Local 91
• Bricklayers Local 1
• Plasterers, Cement Masons, & Shop Hands Local 040
• Insulators Local 33
• Teamsters Local 671