The Chicago Federation of Labor released its endorsement list in the Chicago municipal elections. No candidate for mayor, including Mayor Daley, was endorsed. Same goes for city treasurer. Daley’s hand-picked candidate for city clerk, Miguel del Valle, did receive the CFL’s nod.
Dennis Gannon, who heads the Chicago Federation of Labor, had this to say in this morning’s Tribune, which was published before the CFL made its decision.
Some labor leaders believe Daley shifted against them decisively when corporations chipped in heavily for the construction of Millennium Park. From his desk in the Prudential Building, Gannon pointed at the park below.
“All you’ve got to do is look out the window here,” he said. “We in the labor community can’t compete with building a park for half a billion dollars.”
The CFL also didn’t endorse anyone in Daley’s 11th Ward.
Non-incumbents endorsed by the CFL include Sandi Jackson (7), Carina Sanchez (12), Toni L. Foulkes (15), Joann Thompson (16), Paul Stewart (18), Leroy J. Jones, Jr. (21), Brendan Reilly (42), Michele Smith (43) and Greg Brewer (50). The CFL didn’t endorse any candidate in several races, including 2, 5, 11, 20, 25, 29, 34, 37 and 44.
Also from the Tribune story, black incumbents and their friends have thrown down the gauntlet.
In black wards, incumbents already are trying to counter the unions by alleging that labor discriminates against African-Americans, particularly in the high-paying building trades.
“They can’t influence voters,” said former 7th Ward Ald. William Beavers, whose daughter and successor faces Sandi Jackson, the congressman’s wife, at the polls next month. “How can you tell blacks how to vote when you are freezing them out of unions?”
Unions should push for more construction jobs for blacks, said Illinois Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago). “I told the unions, `Don’t come messing with me and my aldermen, but then you’re silent about breaking down the walls of discrimination’” in the trades, Jones said.
While we’re at it, the Sun-Times’ Stella Foster reports today that the other non-incumbent in the 50th Ward race, Naisy Dolar, will have some big names in for her upcoming fundraiser.
U.S. Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee, coming to town Jan. 25 to attend the fund-raiser for Naisy Dolar, a former city employee and one of the candidates looking to unseat Ald. Bernard Stone (50th). The event will be held at the Singha Thai restaurant on Clark. Also lending support will be Tammy Duckworth, an Iraqi war vet recently appointed the state Veterans Affairs director.
If Dolar wins, she would be the first Asian American on the Chicago City Council.
*** UPDATE *** From the Sun-Times:
The 3rd, 12th, 16th, 25th, 42nd and 50th are viewed as “Tier One†challenges where the Chicago Federation of Labor will devote its heaviest resources. […]
Natarus predicted that labor opposition would have “zero†impact on the 42nd Ward race.
“They have a lot of nerve because I provide more construction jobs and labor jobs than any other area of the city. All they have to do is ask their brothers and sisters in the Carpenters Union. They ought to be ashamed of themselves with all the jobs that I provide and all of the high-rise construction,†Natarus said.
- Bridget Dooley - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 2:23 pm:
Needless to say, we’re extremely pleased that Greg Brewer has received the endorsement of the Chicago Federation of Labor.
- Time for change - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 2:27 pm:
I hope voters go with Dolar. Ald. Stone is a hack.
- jaundiced eye - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 2:33 pm:
Greg Brewer is an urban planner, which would be a welcome addition to the City Council and which might offset some of Burt Natarus’ esthetic judgments!!
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 2:39 pm:
“Jaundiced,” that assume Burt is re-elected.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 2:54 pm:
So begins Burt Natarus’s long slide into the annals of Chicago political history. So long, Mr. Segregation, Dr. Dog Doo, Captain Corruption, Burt the Clown.
- fedup dem - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 3:17 pm:
Rich, you forgot about the third non-incumbent in the 50th Ward race, businessman Salman Aftab, who among other things has pledged to donate his aldermanic pay increase to charity. Aftab, who is Turkish, has been picking up support from a variety of organizations who suspect that if Alderman Stone is re-elected, he will quickly step aside in favor of his daughter.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 3:22 pm:
Yep. You’re right. I forgot about him.
- Patriot - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 3:39 pm:
It is time for Chicago to escape Mayor Daley’s heavy-handed grip on politics. Only the voters can stop his insanity! Illinois would be a much better place without Daley.
- jaundiced eye - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 4:22 pm:
Sorry, Rich, you’re right .. Both Burt and Matlak are being scrutinized (or “scrutined” as RMD would say) by ward residents who question their statements and positions on development projects and, as a result, may not be re-elected.
- Squideshi - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 4:22 pm:
It’s an interesting phenomenon that Illinois labor unions are starting to refuse to endorse any candidate. Don’t you think? Now, if they will just endorse the candidates with the best positions on their issues, rather than who they think will be most likely to win, they will really start to force the candidates to compete for their endorsements.
- off the subject - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 4:28 pm:
I just saw Oberwies on a TV commercial for his dairy on WLSTV Chicago. Any chance he’s leaving politics and going back to selling milk fulltime?
- cermak_rd - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 4:32 pm:
Patriot,
IL might be better off (it’s arguable) but I don’t think Chicago would be especially with the two top-tier opposition candidates having cried off to stay in Congress.
- Salazar for 12th Ward Alderman Team - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 5:54 pm:
The Salazar for 12th Ward Alderman campaign moves ahead. The voters of the 12th ward will decide the winner of the 12th ward revolution. We are looking for additional volunteers to make it happen. The Salazar campaign is a progressive, grassroot, independent democrats, family oriented campaign. Join us,, call 890-9492.
- Carina Sanchez for 12th - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 6:25 pm:
Sorry, salazar.
The CFL endorsed Carina Sanchez in the 12th Ward vs. incumbent George Cardenas. Sanchez is the former state employee fired when she refused to drop her campaign. Stay tuned….
- Objective Dem - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 6:35 pm:
Gannon is all wrong. The unions mistakenly try to turn national issues (minimum wage, health care insurance, etc.) into local issues because they have more clout at the local level. The problem is their success will make Chicago uncompetitive. The Mayor gets it and is just trying to make sure we don’t end up like Detroit or Philadelphia or Cleveland or …
- Skeeter - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 8:14 pm:
Natarus doesn’t so much “provide construction jobs” as he does “sell out the residents in order to take orders from rich developers.”
There is a subtle but important distinction that is lost on Burton. What in the world is he thinking in signing off on the “Spire”? Nice job in giving Trump the signage on Michigan Avenue also. Natarus admitted that he really didn’t read that ordinance.
- KenoMan - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 8:41 pm:
“Natarus predicted that labor opposition would have “zero†impact on the 42nd Ward race.
“They have a lot of nerve because I provide more construction jobs and labor jobs than any other area of the city. All they have to do is ask their brothers and sisters in the Carpenters Union. They ought to be ashamed of themselves with all the jobs that I provide and all of the high-rise construction,†Natarus said.”
What jobs did Natarus provide? Absolutely none. He just happens to benefit from holding office in a desirable area of Chicago. He doesn’t know anything about “providing union jobs”.
- Hugh - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 9:55 pm:
“The CFL is also targeting 10 incumbent aldermen for defeat”
it’s a start
- Patrick McDonough - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 10:00 pm:
We got the videos on many named candidates first, cutting edge eh rich? Still trying to be as good, pat.
- Simply Observing - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 10:09 pm:
The 12th ward race is definitely one to watch! My prediction is that Cardenas and Sanchez will be in a run off. That is if Sanchez doesn’t win it outright which I think will be very difficult for any candidate in that race to do. Look for her to pick a big chunk of the female vote.
- Squideshi - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 10:17 pm:
It’s nice that they use runoffs in Chicago aldermanic elections. Why not elsewhere?
- John - Tuesday, Jan 16, 07 @ 11:35 pm:
Rich,
Don’t forget Salman Aftab, if he was elected he would be the first Asian American alderman. Also, his specific Asian constituency (Pakistani, Indian, subcontinent Bangladesh, Afghani, Hindu, Muslim) is the specific Asian subgroup in the 50th Ward.
Aftab was an early and big supporter of Brack Obama. He signed a pledge to not raise property taxes, and opposses the pay increase and will give the pay increase difference back to charity.
- Alex - Wednesday, Jan 17, 07 @ 1:13 am:
It should be no surprise that Miguel Del Valle was endorsed… He has been an advocate of Labor from day one. It’s about time a candidate who has earned the support is acknowledged as the best choice.
- Bill Baar - Wednesday, Jan 17, 07 @ 2:26 am:
What resources can CFL devote? Are they going to put boots on the ground in some of these Wards? I think not.
- Bad Boy - Wednesday, Jan 17, 07 @ 4:21 am:
Big gamble. If the unions can’t deliver on a majority of these races, their future clout will be on par with Ralph Nader.
- You need to "Change to Win" - Wednesday, Jan 17, 07 @ 5:30 am:
Let see, working class wards where union members live like the 7th, 15th and 21st are 2nd tier targets while the upper income bracket 42nd and 43rd wards are tier one? And, For all of the abuse Moore and Lyle took last year over Big Box the CFL should be working to protect them.
- Reddbyrd - Wednesday, Jan 17, 07 @ 8:19 am:
Anyone else wonder about the quirky Tribune coverage? They name the non-endorsee — even quote Hurtin’ Burton, but fail to mention Reilly and others. Amazing
- Squideshi - Wednesday, Jan 17, 07 @ 8:31 am:
Big gamble. If the unions can’t deliver on a majority of these races, their future clout will be on par with Ralph Nader.
—
I think this statement pretty much sums up the Democratic Party’s leadership’s attitude toward labor unions. Apparently, unions are to be used as a tool during election season, but god forbid that unions should actually expect candidates to compete for their endorsement. Disgusting.
- Bridget Dooley - Wednesday, Jan 17, 07 @ 1:03 pm:
Squideshi, many people in the Democratic Party have great respect for labor and wholeheartedly support workers’ rights to organize.
Making blanket statements about the Democratic Party isn’t going to endear anyone to the Green Party. It just makes you look ignorant.