Firefighters endorse Pritzker
Friday, May 26, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As expected…
Today, the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois announced their endorsement of JB Pritzker for Governor at a press conference in Peoria. The endorsement comes after careful consideration of every candidate in the race and their commitment to fighting for Illinois working families.
The Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois represents 15,000 fire fighters and 221 local chapters across the state. They are Illinois’ first responders, keeping our state safe from harm.
“I am so proud to receive the endorsement of the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois and their 15,000 hard working members across our state,” said JB Pritzker. “Our fire fighters put their lives on the line every day to keep our families and our state safe, but they have been let down by their governor. Bruce Rauner has failed to pass a budget for 695 days and his special interest agenda is a direct attack against working families. Our fire fighters deserve a governor who stands with them and I will always work to protect the right to organize, fight for safe working conditions, and ensure our children have access to high quality education. It is an honor to have our state’s heroes standing with me in this campaign and I will always stand with them as governor.”
“JB Pritzker has the competence and the compassion to be the governor Illinois working families need and we are so proud to endorse his campaign,” said Pat Devaney, President of the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois. “JB is committed to lifting up Illinois working families and making sure our economy works for everyone. He has a record of creating opportunity and fighting for quality education for all Illinoisans. This is a stark contrast to the willful neglect of Bruce Rauner, who has failed to pass a budget and shows contempt for Illinois working families. Illinois needs a governor who is ready to fix Rauner’s mess and we are proud to support JB Pritzker to lead our state.”
- Evanstonian - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:01 pm:
It’s infuriating to see unions, who are supposed to fight for the equitable distribution of wealth, back this guy.
Pawar, or maaaybe Biss, are the only real options if anyone really wants to make things better.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:04 pm:
- Evanstonian -
The goal is to defeat Rauner, as Labor sees it.
Right now, in the Primary, Labor is leaning Pritzker’s way.
Pritzker is better than Rauner in Labor circles it seems.
The end goal is to defeat Rauner… right?
- ste_with_a_v_en - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:07 pm:
It worked out well for Quinn…in 2010
- Grandson of Man - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:20 pm:
“willful neglect of Bruce Rauner, who has failed to pass a budget and shows contempt for Illinois working families”
The firefighters union gets it. This is the message.
“Pritzker is better than Rauner in Labor circles it seems.”
What should scare labor are those who think Pritzker is not “pure” enough, and that he’s an oligarch or some other infantile hyper-ideological drivel.
If Pritzker turns out to be a good candidate, his wealth should not be an issue.
Union members have to close their eyes for a moment and imagine Illinois under Republican control and with Rauner as governor. Imagine who Bruce Rauner really is, and what he would do to union rights if Democrats–even the neoliberals–are not there to stop him.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:40 pm:
- ste_with_a_v_en -
We’ll see if Rauner can hold 2 in 5 Labor households.
===Another paid for endorsement===
Based on?
- Common Sense - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:44 pm:
Oswego Willy,
Labor is only interested in helping labor. They aren’t interested in any other taxpayer in this state, other than for them to continue to fund their sky high benefit costs. They don’t want to help all the people. Just their people.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:47 pm:
===They aren’t interested in any other taxpayer in this state, other than for them…===
So they can’t advocate for themselves?
That’s an odd way of looking at things.
“You can’t advocate for you, but I can advocate for for me, and against you too”
Hmm.
I’ll grant you, you did recognize they’re taxpayers too, lol
- Real - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:52 pm:
@Common Sense
Rauner has suceeded in decieving you. He is pretending to care for all people by saying so and so makes too much and he wants to lower taxes. Thats simple divide and conquer. Rauner cares about nobody and for you to think he does is……….
- Grandson of Man - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:59 pm:
“Labor is only interested in helping labor.”
If I remember correctly, AFSCME made a deal with the Quinn administration to forgo raises to save the state money. This partially blew up in the union’s face, as state workers are still owed back-pay.
The union is also willing to accept modest concessions, but Rauner is pushing with all his might for harsh concessions and the gutting of rights and protections.
Rauner and the IPI are willing to give nothing–zero–extra to help the state, unless there are vicious cuts to state workers and others. They don’t support the millionaire surcharge that the voters overwhelmingly support.
Plus, Rauner criticizes special interests and the so-called political class when he as sitting governor buys an entire political party AND makes money off of the political class and special interests of one or more states, public employee pensions.
- QCLiberal - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 1:11 pm:
@common sense
Look at the average wage in right to work states and then tell me Labor looking out for Labor isn’t the same as looking out for all working people.
- City Zen - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 1:12 pm:
==Labor is only interested in helping labor.==
That’s nothing new. What bothers me more is the “working family” badge the union leaders purport to carry. Case in point, the AFFI pays their president $240/hr on top of his full time job. It comes across as another lecture by yet another high-paid consultant.
Maybe after this election, AFFI can focus their efforts on their members’ extremely underfunded pensions at the municipal level.
- Robert the 1st - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 1:31 pm:
The rich Republican trying divide and conquer the lower classes doesn’t play as well in IL as other areas. People remember the “raise the taxes!” chants, and they remember who was yelling them.
- Arsenal - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 1:42 pm:
==It’s infuriating to see unions, who are supposed to fight for the equitable distribution of wealth, back this guy.==
That’s not really what unions are about, and Pritzker’s running on a progressive income tax.
- Arsenal - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 1:43 pm:
==Labor is only interested in helping labor.==
Yes, that’s the entire point of a labor union. Don’t get mad at a hammer because it can’t play a podcast.
- Anonymous - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 2:00 pm:
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170301/BLOGS02/170309976/will-this-donation-hurt-pritzkers-chances-for-guv
$10,000 donation from him and his wife for pension reform.
- Honeybear - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 4:00 pm:
Zen City that’s rich saying unions don’t care about the working class because of AFFI making 240 an hour
Rauner makes 90,000 an hr, drops his G’s, wears costumes, and drives a crappy van to get his working class card
Girrrrrrlll please! Who’s the poser?