CWA Endorses Senator Bernie Sanders for President of the United States

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders talks with CWA Executive Board members.

Citing the need for a candidate who will break with politics-as-usual and fight for America's working people, CWA voted today to endorse U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the 2016 race for President of the United States. With 700,000 members, CWA is one of the largest unions in the U.S.

"CWA members have made a clear choice and a bold stand in endorsing Bernie Sanders for President," CWA President Chris Shelton said. "I am proud of our democratic process, proud of CWA members, and proud to support the candidate whose vision for America puts working families first. Our politics and economy have favored Wall Street, the wealthy and powerful for too long. CWA members, like voters across America, are saying we can no longer afford business as usual. Bernie has called for a political revolution – and that is just what Americans need today."

The decision followed a 3-month democratic process, including hundreds of worksite meetings and online voting by tens of thousands of CWA members on which candidate to endorse. CWA's 700,000 members represent a cross-section of America's workers, working in industries spanning telecommunications, airlines, media and broadcast journalism, health care, public service, and manufacturing.

CWA President Chris Shelton at the media conference announcing CWA members' decisive vote for Bernie Sanders.

The top issues motivating the endorsement of Senator Sanders – taking on the big banks and Wall Street, providing our children with debt-free higher education, getting big money out of politics, restoring worker rights, stopping job-killing trade deals, affordable health care, and retirement security – reflect the priorities cited by our members and all working Americans nationwide ahead of the 2016 election.

In accepting the endorsement, Sanders spoke about the erosion of the earning power of the working class and the disappearance of the middle class in this country.

"So, my pledge to you is, working with CWA, working with the unions throughout our country, working with the middle class and working families, we're going to create an economy that works for the middle class and working people of America, not just the billionaire class," Sanders said.

CWA's Executive Board voted unanimously this morning to formalize members' endorsement of Sanders. Shelton sent an e-mail to leaders of CWA locals notifying them of the results of the membership vote and the endorsement. Sanders met with the union's 21-member executive board, then attended a news conference with President Shelton who announced CWA's endorsement of Sanders for President of the United States.

"Bernie Sanders stands with working families against corporate greed, against Wall Street and the big banks, against politics as usual," Shelton said. "He stands against the flood of money in politics that's corrupting our democracy and attacking the right to vote. He knows that we have to take on the rich and powerful special interests to turn around this economy and end the 40 years of stagnant wages that working families have endured.

"He's the candidate who can do it, and we are going to help him. When CWA endorses a candidate it is just the beginning. Our 700,000 members are fired up, and we are going to work overtime to elect Bernie Sanders as the next President of the United States."

CWA members' endorsement of Sanders mirrors the deep desire among voters for an economy and political system that responds to ordinary Americans. In November, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 69% of voters in both parties "feel angry because our political system seems to only be working for the insiders with money and power, like those on Wall Street or in Washington, rather than working to help everyday people get ahead."

CWA members have played a significant role in driving turnout in past elections. In 2012, tens of thousands of CWA member volunteers worked on national and state campaigns and for critical ballot initiatives. CWA had ground operations in 38 states, and CWA member-activists played a major role in Florida, Colorado, Virginia, Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

CWA has more than 300,000 active and retired members in the states that will hold primaries between now and April 1. In California, Texas, New York, New Jersey, and Ohio, where CWA has its largest numbers of members, activists are engaged in worksite actions, staffing phone banks, and signing up new contributors to CWA's political program ahead of the 2016 election.

CWA President Chris Shelton will be on MSNBC's "Hardball" tonight with host Chris Matthews, to talk about why CWA members are ready to do everything they can to elect Bernie Sanders as president of the United States. Tune in at 7 pm ET, Shelton's segment starts at 7:25, ET.