ILWU President Robert McEllrath and Democratic Presidential Candidate U.S. Senator Barack Obama at the San Francisco Labor Council in Summer 2007 (D-Ill.). Photo by John Showalter.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President today, concluding he is “the best candidate for working families.”
International Executive Board members made the decision after meeting with different campaigns and examining their positions on key issues that will impact working families in the coming years, including:

• Bringing our troops home safely from Iraq.
• Re-thinking “free trade” agreements that have destroyed jobs.
• Making quality, affordable health care available to all Americans.
• Allowing workers to choose unions without employer intimidation.

“America’s working families are ready for a candidate with a fresh approach who will put people first and hold corporations more accountable,” said ILWU International President Bob McEllrath.  “Obama met with us, listened to our concerns, and we think he’ll do the best job on the issues that matter most to working families.”

A PDF of the full endorsement is available International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) endorses Barack Obama for President