Obama-file 3 Socialist Unionists Endorse Barack Obama

Obama-file 2 here

While US labour unions are not the force they once were, Democratic Party candidates live or die on union endorsements. Union approval means publicity, campaign volunteers and money.

In the battle for the Democratic US presidential nomination, bioth Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are each trying to lock in as many union endorsements as possible.

In recent years the hard left has recaptured the US labour movement. The president of the AFL-CIO, John Sweeney is a member of the Marxist Democratic Socialists of America and has presided over the re-conquest of the US labour movement by the socialists and communists.

The DSA and Communist Party use their considerable influence to steer union support behind their favoured candidates.

Barack Obama has had a long relationship with DSA and the Illinois labour movement.

It's not therefore surprising to see DSA linked unionists throwing their support Barack Obama's way.

From PolitickerNV.com December 3rd 2007;

Ill. Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign held a conference call for Nevada reporters today to highlight Obama’s record of support both by and for organized labor. On the call were Tom Balanoff, president of the Illinois SEIU State Council and Local 1, Henry Bayer, executive director of the AFSCME Council 31, Margaret Blackshere, former president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, Dennis Gannon, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO and Henry Tamarin, president of UNITE HERE Local 1.

“He comes from us,” said Balanoff on Obama. “He understands our problems. We could count on Barack on all issues important to working families. Healthcare, general economic justice, jobs… Barack was there, not only there but oftentimes leading.”

The conference call came at a difficult time for Obama’s campaign in his effort to court organized labor in the state..."

What is interesting here is that at least three of the five unionists named here, Bayer, Balanoff and Tamarin have connections to DSA;

Every year Chicago DSA hosts the Debs - Thomas - Harrington Dinner, a major event on the Illinois socialist calendar.

The dinner honours outstanding "community leaders" activists and unionists.

Many if not most of the honorees are DSA members. All have done their bit for the socialist cause.


The late DSA member Carl Marx Shier (right) presents Henry Bayer with the 2001 Debs - Thomas - Harrington Award

In the '70s Bayer was organizer for the Chicago Socialist party (a forerunner of DSA) and a member of the Young Peoples Socialist League National Executive Committee.

The Illinois chapter of the country's major government-employees union broke with its national organization Saturday to endorse Barack Obama for president.

Bayer is a strong backer of Barack Obama

Nationally, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is backing Hillary Rodham Clinton. But the union's Illinois leaders decided to make their own endorsement.

''It is an unusual step, but we've had a long relationship with Senator Obama,'' said Henry Bayer, executive director AFSCME Council 31. ''We've had a better opportunity to observe him up close than people in other parts of the country.''


Socialist, Roberta Lynch, presents the 2002 Debs - Thomas - Harrington Award to Tom Balanoff

Balanoff is a longtime friend and supporter of Barack Obama.

Tom Balanoff, president of the SEIU Illinois State Council, said Obama's voting record is sound, with votes against trade deals like the Central America Free Trade Agreement and support for issues such as the Employee Free Choice Act. "We know that he's the real thing," Balanoff said.


Henry Tamarin accepts the 2006 Debs - Thomas - Harrington award

A former student leftist, Tamarin has been involved with Barack Obama in the socialist dominated Independent Voters of Illinois.

Chicago DSA openly endorsed Barack Obama in his first election-the 1996 contest for a seat in the Illinois State Senate.

It seems Chicago DSA may be backing Obama again-just a little more discreetly this time.

Obama-file 4 here