AFSCME Council 93 Endorses Congressman Edward Markey for United States Senate 02/23/2013



BOSTON - The Executive Board of Council 93 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) today voted to endorse Congressman Edward J. Markey's candidacy for the United States Senate.
An affiliate of the 1.6 million member AFSCME International Union, AFSCME Council 93 represents more than 35,000 state, county and municipal employees in the state. Council 93 also represents an additional 7,000 public sector workers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
"AFSCME is proud to place our strong support behind Congressman Ed Markey," said AFSCME Council 93 President Charles C. Owen, Jr. "When it comes to fighting for the middle class and securing adequate federal funding for the essential public services that Massachusetts needs and we provide, we know we can always count on Ed Markey. He is an outspoken and highly respected leader in Congress who works to build consensus but refuses to yield to the ongoing pressure to balance our budget problems on the backs of public employees and the middle-class. Now more than ever, we need leaders like Congressman Markey in the United States Senate."

Representing workers in dozens of job titles in public higher education, state human services, adult and juvenile corrections, and more than 275 municipalities and school districts across Massachusetts, AFSCME Council 93 members are the most diverse group of workers of any union in the state. "Our members are the backbone of public services in Massachusetts," said AFSCME Council 93 Executive Director Frank Moroney. "We're the men and women working quietly behind the scenes in state and municipal government. We care for the developmentally disabled and the mentally ill, we keep our state community colleges and universities safe and running smoothly, we clear the snow and ice from our roads. We do a lot for the public and we do it very well. But somehow, we always seem to find ourselves defending against attacks. Ed Markey knows, understands and appreciates the value of the work that AFSCME members do every day. He knows that when we get cut, everyone bleeds. He is exactly the type of leader our members and the entire nation needs in the United States Senate."