Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Labor Council Endorsements

Labor Council endorses Howard Wayne in City Council race and Jim Duffy for Sheriff. Rep. Susan Davis, Sen. Barbara Boxer and Assembly Candidate Toni Atkins also endorsed


SAN DIEGO – (September 24, 2009) – The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council announced today its endorsements of San Diego City Council District 6 candidate Howard Wayne and Sheriff candidate Jim Duffy for the 2010 election.

Wayne, a Deputy Attorney General who specializes in consumer protection cases, has a strong track record on protecting workers, improving access to health care, and preserving the environment. As a former California state assemblyman, Wayne earned a 95 percent lifetime voting record with the California Labor Federation and authored first-in-the-nation laws that provided breast cancer treatment to uninsured women and bacterial testing of coastal waters.

“Perhaps no one in San Diego has been a stronger advocate for working families and public health issues than Howard Wayne,” said Lorena Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer/CEO of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council. “We’re hoping that his experience, leadership abilities and intelligence are put to use at a city government that very much needs them.”

Local union members also endorsed Duffy in the hotly contested race for San Diego County Sheriff. A former President of the Deputy Sheriffs Association of San Diego County, Duffy understands the needs of the public servants who keep our county safe for all San Diegans.

“Jim Duffy has demonstrated a true commitment to public safety and the men and women who provide it here in San Diego County,” Gonzalez said. “It’s refreshing to vote for a candidate who truly understands the needs of the personnel whose charge it is to keep taxpayers safe.”

The Labor Council also announced the endorsements of the reelection campaigns for Senator Barbara Boxer of California and Rep. Susan Davis in the 53rd District Congressional race. Former San Diego City Councilwoman Toni Atkins was also endorsed in the election for the 76th Assembly District.

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO, includes 127 affiliated unions representing more than 189,000 workers in the region. Labor Council-endorsed candidates and initiative positions were victorious in all seven of the organization’s priority races in 2008. For more information, visit www.unionyes.org.