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State Politics Mon Sep 14 2009
The Big Purple Dog Barks
SEIU's Illinois State Council--representing some 170,000 workers and a sophisticated political operation--endorsed Pat Quinn for Governor. Good news for Pat Quinn.
Will the other big labor growler--AFSCME's Council 31--jump in on Hynes' side? Quinn made a pitch to the Council today.
QUINN: I want to say a word about the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. They're my good friends. They've been my friends since 1972, when I helped them organize the union and get recognized by the state of Illinois. ... I like all the leaders and members of AFSCME. I want to work with them on solving a tough problem. As Tom said, we need to have more revenue in our state government to balance the budget and pay for fundamental things like education and public safety.
Anonymous / September 16, 2009 12:26 PM
AFSCME would be incredibly shortsighted to turn their back on Pat Quinn now. He is right about his history with the union. Pat Quinn was their best friend until a political situation arose that they couldn't blowhard their way out of as leaders of a rapidly weakening union. Danny Hynes is not going to be a better bet for AFSCME members and AFSCME's weak political program with a recent history of massive losses is not going to make a difference in the election. The real player in labor has spoken. End of story.