Fla. AFL-CIO splits Senate endorsement

[Freddie Stubbs]

By Mike Schneider, Associated Press Writer | June 27, 2004

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Florida AFL-CIO split its endorsement Sunday between two Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in a compromise that snubbed Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas.

Neither former state education commissioner Betty Castor nor Rep. Peter Deutsch won the two-thirds vote needed to get a solo endorsement from the federation of unions, but both agreed to the joint endorsement, said Cindy Hall, president of the group, which represents 500,000 workers statewide.

"We have agreed that once the primary is over, we will be with whoever the candidate is," Hall said.

Penelas' snub stemmed from what union leaders described as the mayor's indifference to the alleged mistreatment of protesters at the Free Trade of the Americas meeting last November.

more: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/us_senate/articles/2004/06/27/fla_afl_cio_splits_senate_endorsement/

[dryan]

1. This was the right thing to do

The governor primary of 2002 was very divisive for organized labor. Several unions (including mine) endorsed Janet Reno while the rest of them endorsed Bill McBride. The endorsing convention held in Jacksonville in 2002 was very upsetting; I don't think that it would have chnaged things in November, 2002 but I think organized labor learned an important lesson. Penalas is not to be trusted.

[bullimiami]

2. Thats a deceptive headline

They fully endorse the Democratic candidate whether it be Castor or Deutsch.

"Splitting the Endorsement" gives the impression that they are divided as to party support in the general election.