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April 21, 2016 - BMWED National Association ask TEAMSTERS to Endorse Bernie Sanders.
April 24, 2016 - Podcast of a radio interview that Susan Reardon did on the Rick Smith show to support the candidacy of Bernie Sanders and to support the idea of single payer health care. Link here.
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Resolution of the National Association of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Bernie Sanders for President
Whereas, Senator Bernard Sanders has been an unflinchingly supporter of the labor movement in general, fighting arduously for many years to defeat legislation like the TPP, NAFTA, while supporting our issues such as card check union organizing, health care for all and workers rights in general; and
Whereas, the officers and membership of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are committed to building a broad, effective movement for democratic change within and without the labor movement; and
Whereas, our goal is a government that carries out the will of the people, not prop up the profits of the 1% at the expense of the rest of us; and
Whereas, we firmly believe that Senator Bernie Sanders is the strongest candidate articulating our issues. His commitment to union principles and labor's values is longstanding and heartfelt, and
Whereas, as a truly progressive candidate for the Democratic Party nomination, Bernie has the chance to inspire millions of Americans with policy proposals that put the interests of the labor movement, front and center. His campaign will draw attention to what unions and collective bargaining have accomplished for workers and energize our movement; and
Whereas, Labor must step up to fundamentally change the direction of American politics, by refocusing on the issues of our time: growing inequality and pervasive racism, the power of concentrated wealth and its corruption of our democracy, an escalating pension and retirement security crisis, runaway trade agreements that pit our workers against those in desperate impoverished countries, lowering our wages and standards of living, Medicare for All, and the need for new, bold solutions to our shared problems; therefore
Be It Resolved, that this National Division Association of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters call upon our International General Executive Board to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to be the next president of the United States, and we call on the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to use the power of our great union to unite behind Bernie Sanders and elect the President America's workers desperately need.; and
Be It Further Resolved, that this resolution be communicated to General President Hoffa and the members of the General Executive Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
April 21, 2016
download resolution
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August 5, 2015 - The Pennsylvania Federation BMWED-IBT unanimously passes a resolution endorsing Bernie Sanders for President of the United States while calling on workers to unite against the power of concentrated wealth and its corruption of our democracy.
Larry Cohen, the outgoing president of the Communications Workers of America spoke to Penn Fed delegates at our 22nd Regular Convention. The longtime leader of one of the country’s most powerful labor unions is joining the Democratic presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and he says presumed frontrunner Hillary Clinton made it an easy call.
Cohen said he will serve as an unpaid volunteer for Sanders as the Vermont senator seeks the Democratic nomination. One of the main factors in his decision, Cohen said, was Clinton’s equivocation on granting President Barack Obama so-called fast-track authority on his mammoth trade deal.
“I did everything I knew how to do to get Clinton to speak out on fast track, and she wouldn’t,” said Cohen, whose 10 years leading CWA came to an end in June. "We begged her to speak out.
 Cohen, a staunch progressive, said Clinton's handling of the trade issue helped clarify why he wanted to get behind Sanders, whose candidacy is still considered a long shot despite standing-room-only crowds he's been drawing early on the trail. Sanders has been a vocal critic of giving Obama fast-track trade authority.
“Without a candidate like Bernie, we’re going to get a repeat of the same stuff," Cohen said. "Bernie is movement-building, and we need a new movement. We need to get big money out of politics."
"Bernie realizes that his campaign is not just about him but also about the populist candidates running for local office, on similar programs, from Waterloo to Manchester, Reno to Charleston. We need a movement of millions, not simply an election for president funded by billionaires in both parties."
Many of us are disappointed right now that we failed by one vote in the Senate and three votes in the House to stop fast track. Many are discouraged that economic inequality is worse now than it was six years ago. Many of us are fed up with promises to hit the streets with us that turn hollow as we watch one White House staffer after another sign on with corporate America as they leave government service.
This is our chance to build a movement that will not answer to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This is our chance to build for 2016 and beyond. Cohen told the Penn Fed delegates that he is excited to support Bernie for president and join with tens of thousands of volunteers across America.
On the heels of the August 6, 2015, GOP debate, Hillary Clinton tweeted "Watch the #GOPdebate?” @HillaryClinton "Bet you feel like donating to a Democrat right about now.” Re-tweeted just 5,000 times. You go girl, grab for the dollars, while Bernie Sanders tweets “It's over. Not one word about economic inequality, climate change, Citizens United or student debt,” @BernieSanders "That’s why the Rs are so out of touch.” Re-tweeted over 20,000 times.
Hillary Clinton wants campaign dollars, Bernie Sanders wants equality and justice.
Bernie 2016
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Resolution Twenty Eight
Bernie Sanders for President
Whereas, Senator Bernard Sanders has been an unflinchingly supporter of the labor movement in general, fighting arduously for many years to defeat legislation like the TPP, NAFTA, while supporting our issues such as card check union organizing, health care for all and workers rights in general; and
Whereas, the membership of the Pennsylvania Federation Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are committed to building a broad, effective movement for democratic change within and without the labor movement; and
Whereas, our goal is a government that carries out the will of the people, not one that props up the profits of the 1% at the expense of the rest of us; and
Whereas, we firmly believe that Senator Bernie Sanders is the strongest candidate articulating our issues - his commitment to union principles and labor's values is longstanding and heartfelt, and
Whereas, as a truly progressive candidate for the Democratic Party nomination, Bernie has the chance to inspire millions of Americans with policy proposals that put the interests of the labor movement, front and center-his campaign will draw attention to what unions and collective bargaining have accomplished for workers and energize our movement; and
Whereas, Labor must step up to fundamentally change the direction of American politics, by refocusing on the issues of our time: growing inequality and pervasive racism, the power of concentrated wealth and its corruption of our democracy, an escalating pension and retirement security crisis, runaway trade agreements that pit our workers against those in desperate impoverished countries, lowering our wages and standards of living, Medicare for All, and the need for new, bold solutions to our shared problems; therefore
Be It Resolved, that this Twenty Second Regular Quadrennial Convention of the Pennsylvania Federation Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters hereby endorse Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to be the next president of the United States, and we call on the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the National Division officer, our fellow System Federations, our affiliated organizations and all union members and working people everywhere to unite behind Bernie Sanders and elect the President America's workers desperately need; and
Be it further resolved, that we support Bernie Sanders 2016 and his campaign to become the nominee of the Democratic Party for president; and
Be It Further Resolved, that this resolution be communicated to General President Hoffa, Division President Simpson and the General Chairpersons of the various System Federations under the jurisdiction of the BMWED.
Adopted August 5, 2015
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Download Resolution 28 for printing
Bernie Joined the Picket Line
September 5, 2015, Robert Reich
Bernie joined workers in a picket line today at a plant in Iowa, where they're seeking higher wages. The last candidate for president I recall joining a picket line was Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.
For years labor unions have been marginalized or castigated by Republican politicians, and taken for granted by Democratic ones. Every four years the Democratic candidate for president promises organized labor that he or she will push hard for labor law reform once in office, but nothing ever happens. In 2008, Obama committed himself to the "Employee Free Choice Act," which would have strengthened labor protections and enabled workers to organize with a simple majority in an up-or-down vote -- but Obama never followed through. In 1992, Bill Clinton promised labor that if elected he'd make labor law reform a central issue -- but Clinton never pursued it.
Bernie is making stronger promises. He believes, accurately, that the decline of organized labor (from 33% of the private sector workforce in 1955 to less than 7% today) is directly related to the decline of the American middle class. If elected, I believe he'll follow through.
Almost Every Major Poll Shows Bernie Sanders Challenging or Defeating Clinton and Republicans. Here's Why
excerpt from a Huffington Post article
Polls once extolling Hillary Clinton's enormous lead over Sanders are now dwindling for the same reason Sanders beats Republicans in various other polls: Americans have had enough of dynasties, scandals, wars, and Wall Street corruption. I will be voting for Bernie Sanders because I too have had enough of endless wars, and Bernie says"I'll be damned" if more Americans are sent back to fight in the Middle East. I'll also be voting for Sanders because like the polls illustrating his lightning fast surge, more and more Americans have had enough with a two-party system that doesn't give people a choice. I want my Democratic nominee to vote against counterinsurgency wars and vehemently oppose environmental disasters in the making like Keystone XL, not evolve towards the most politically expedient position available at the time.
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