Mike Causey

Obama Three, Clinton One

Yet another federal employee union, representing both members and many non-members, has endorsed a presidential candidate. This makes the union label lineup 3 f...

Federal News Network Staff

May 13, 2008 4:00 am

3 min read

At least four federal unions that represent about half the nation’s civil servants have endorsed a presidential candidate.

Last week the American Federation of Government Employees union gave its endorsement to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

With that endorsement came another super-delegate pledge.

AFGE President John Gage is a super-delegate from Maryland.

The AFL-CIO union said its endorsement came from the union’s executive board and was based on a poll of members.

In February, the AFGE’s 7th district endorsed Obama. The district covers Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin, where AFGE says it represents 16,000 white collar and blue collar feds.

Earlier both the American Postal Workers Union and the National Association of Letter Carriers endorsed candidates.

APWU’s executive board gave the nod to Sen. Obama while the NALC, based on a postcard vote of its members, is supporting Sen.Hillary Clinton (D-NY).

Both the APWU and the NALC are affiliated with the AFL-CIO but they are very different unions in many respects.

APWU represents postal clerks and other “inside” employees of the Postal Service.

The NALC represents city letter carriers, or “outside” workers.

Both groups have frequent contact with the public, but under very different circumstances.

Last month the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers said its 85,000 members favor Obama. The vast majority of the engineers are not federal employees — and many of the feds represented by the union are not members.

Yet to be heard from are the National Treasury Employees Union, the National Federation of Federal Employees and the National Association of Government Employees.

Las Vegas odds-makers, if they take bets on subjects like this, would probably give you 100 to 1 odds that all three — if they endorse — will back the Democratic nominee.

There are major differences between white collar and postal unions.

The number of employees that unions “represent” as their bargaining agent is generally much, much larger than their actual dues-paying membership. By contrast, most of the people represented by postal unions are card-carrying members.

Each endorsement by a union raises the same old questions. Is it a good thing, or not, for members? Does it help the candidate? Should unions speak for members, some/many of whom don’t who they are backing until they read about it or hear it on the news?

Although Sens. Obama, Clinton and John McCain (R-Ariz.) are all Washington-based, each is running to some degree as an outsider.

All have, at times, had unkind or scary things to say about federal workers (a.k.a. bureaucrats) and the way government works, or doesn’t work.

Although we are talking about three millionaire Senators, all of the candidates have a couple of things in common with you: they belong to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program and they are eligible to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan.

For more on endorsements, click here.

Your Vote: So how do you feel about federal-postal unions endorsing candidates.

Let us know.

Nearly Useless Factoid

It is (nearly) impossible to lick your elbow.

More than half the people who read this will try to lick their elbow.

To reach me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com