UAW To Endorse Nader for President?

Labor unions have traditionally taken the "lesser of two evils" approach to endorsing presidential candidates, meaning they endorse the Democratic contender. Republicans, in their turn, have traditionally decried Democrats as beholden to "big labor".

United Auto Workers president Stephen P. Yokich changed all that yesterday by refusing to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore. In his statement, Yokich exposed the hypocrisy of the two-party electoral system, and the Democrats in particular.

One moment, presidential candidate Gore is telling the labor movement that he believes human rights, workers' rights, and environmental protections should be included in core trade agreements; the next, Vice President Gore is holding hands with the profiteers of the world and singing the praises of the U.S.-China WTO accession agreement while lobbying for PNTR for China. And, obviously, we cannot turn to Republican candidate George W. Bush; his positions on issues of concern to working families are far worse.

America's working families need and deserve a president they can count on to stand with them on their tough issues, not just the easy ones. That's why we have no choice but to actively explore alternatives to the two major political parties. It's time to forget about party labels and instead focus on supporting candidates, such as Ralph Nader, who will take a stand based on what is right, not what big money dictates. Supporting those who support us is our political agenda, not just a slogan.

It's heartening to see labor recognizing their true friend in this presidential race.