by John McCormick and Steve Franklin, updated
The powerful Service Employees International Union plans to endorse the presidential bid of Sen. Barack Obama, a source with knowledge of the agreement said this afternoon.
It remains unclear when or where the endorsement would formally be made.
The United Food and Commercial Workers, a politically active union with 1.3 million members, also announced an Obama endorsement this afternoon. The union's members work primarily in food markets and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries.
Union leaders said Obama's string of eight state primary and caucus wins since Super Tuesday were a factor in making the endorsement.
"There is an excitement within our union -- about 40 percent of our members are less than 30 years old -- and his appeal to that group has translated to our own union," said Joe Hansen, president of the UFCW, a one-time Chicago butcher who rose up through the union's ranks.
On the SEIU endorsement, Hansen said, "I think they will announce tonight or tomorrow."
The endorsements give Obama a major boost in advance of nominating contests in heavily blue-collar states like Wisconsin, Ohio and Texas.
Obama is taking a day off from the campaign trail today to rest and take his wife, Michelle, out for a Valentine's Day dinner in Chicago. He is expected to return to Wisconsin Friday morning, in advance of Tuesday's primary there.
The national SEIU, with at least 1.5 million members, had stayed away from endorsing any of the Democratic candidates. Its state affiliates were allowed to make endorsements and many backed John Edwards, the former North Carolina senator who recently left the Democratic nomination race.
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Comments
Thank you SEIU!
!GOBAMA!
Posted by: Doug Zook | February 14, 2008 5:49 PM
Off topic:
It was a sad day at NIU today and I'd like to pass along my condolences and prayers to anyone who may have had loved one's who were injured.
Politics is just what it is, politics, but in the real world we're all in this rat race together (Democrats, Republicans and Independents).
Thankyou...
Posted by: John E | February 14, 2008 6:30 PM
thank you SEIU we have the best union ever! Go OBAMA i will be following the lead of my union OBAMA gets my vote
Posted by: TONE | February 14, 2008 7:27 PM
This SEIU member is stickin' with Hillary (and John Edwards) for Universal Health Care. Obama is not a pro-union guy.
Posted by: HL Peary | February 14, 2008 9:19 PM
So you like the unions? What about the nonhero unions in NYC? They just did there job on 911 for huge bennifits! Unions are against America and I won't worship them.
Joe, others, Paulo, you got it right.
Posted by: Bushman | February 14, 2008 9:20 PM
He's running on the same campaign as Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagon, & Bill Clinton (change & washington outsider) The difference is, those three had good, original ideas for change (Obama doesn't) and they were true washington outsiders, Obama isn't.
Posted by: terry fisher | February 14, 2008 11:36 PM
Bushman,
Ask the families and friends of the firefighters killed trying to save the victims in the towers if their loved ones are "nonhero."
I recommend you have your get away car lined up before you do though.
Posted by: Doug Zook | February 15, 2008 8:03 AM
Didnt we already go through this with unions supporting Obama in Nevada and it didnt do him any good. Endorsemtns mean nothing. The rank and file vote as they please, and if anything this elelction has proved that endorsements mean very little.
Posted by: Vinny | February 15, 2008 9:13 AM
The voting numbers to date show that Obama gets the black vote and the white limousine liberal vote.
Hillary gets the votes of white people and hispanics that belong to unions whether the national or local union endorses them or not (see the Nevada primary). These union endorsements are irrelevent when the rank and file think for themselves as individuals.
Posted by: Jeff | February 15, 2008 11:01 AM
TONE,
Yes, Hillary's healthcare plan will also garnish wages to punish those who do not earn enough to pay for healthcare....as a Clinton supporter, I bet that's something you can look forward to.
Posted by: Archie | February 15, 2008 11:59 AM
Look! Bad Americans are bad Americans. I CAN"T HELP THIS! Unions? Let's get off it!
Posted by: Bushman | February 15, 2008 12:45 PM
This is fabulous! GO Obama go!!!
Posted by: RuthieM | February 15, 2008 12:59 PM
I find it interesting that Hillary boasts great plans for the middle class (health care, jobs, education) like any other politician. She also claims she's been around so much longer than Obama (her "experience") My question is, WHERE HAS HILLARY BEEN ALL THESE YEARS and why haven't we heard about all her great plans until now??? Why didn't she bring up any of these ideas/plans as a senator during the last seven years?? Or for that matter, during ANY of her experience-packed years? Why did she hold it all back until she was running for president? Gee, she must have borrowed them from another candidate. My my, slippery Hillary.
Posted by: lori | February 15, 2008 7:18 PM