Teamsters endorse Madia

By Joe Bodell
Friday, February 01, 2008 at 4:45 pm

Teamsters Local 120 has endorsed Ashwin Madia in his bid for the DFL endorsement in the 3rd congressional district.

Press release inside…From the press release:

“As a first-generation American, an Iraq War veteran and a professional legal advocate, Ashwin is everything a congressman should be,” said Brad A. Slawson, Jr., president of Teamsters Local 120. “He will use his experience and insight to pursue Teamster priorities — ranging from healthcare reform to pension protection; from passage of the Employee Free Choice Act to stopping cross-border trucking with Mexico.”
Local 120 is the largest Teamsters local in Minnesota.
“We will deliver the support of over 13,000 members for Ashwin,” Slawson said. “We know he will deliver on the issues for us.”
Madia, who has made advocating for working families a centerpiece of his campaign, vowed that he’ll work tirelessly to justify the faith Teamsters Local 120 has placed in him.

The ability to rightfully place the words “labor-endorsed” on literature is a big boost, but Madia still faces large obstacles in the labor community — the American Federation of Municipal, State, and County Employees (AFSCME), one of the largest and most politically active unions in the state, is backing Terri Bonoff.