Rep. Charles Rangel
[Elections 2014]
District Council 37, the city’s largest public employee union, with 121,000 members and 50,000 retirees, voted to endorse Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel for re-election to Congress in Manhattan’s 13th C.D. in the June 24th primary.
The vote by the DC 37 Delegate Assembly followed the union’s standard procedure which involved an interview by the DC 37 Screening Committee. Three candidates requested DC 37’s endorsement. All filled out the questionnaire and were scheduled to appear before the Screening Committee on Tuesday, April 22. Congressman Rangel and State Senator Adriano Espaillat appeared. Rev. Michael Walrond did not.
After the candidates addressed the Political Action Screening Committee’s questions and concerns the Committee voted to recommend that DC 37 endorse Congressman Charles Rangel for re-election. That recommendation was presented to the 300-plus member DC 37 Delegate body and approved overwhelmingly.
DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts said, “Our members know that Congressman Charles Rangel is an experienced legislator who’s savvy and passionate championship of issues important to workers both here and around the country has won him a 95% approval rating with the 1.6-million-member American Federation of State, Country and Municipal Employees, our international union.”
Roberts added, “Throughout his 23 terms in office, Congressman Rangel has always aided our struggles to protect the jobs of public employees and the safety-net services they provide. Going forward, we know that with him on our side we can go a long way in our fight against income inequality and our fight for workers’ rights, affordable housing, decent wages, public education, immigration reform and more.”
Roberts also pointed out that the DC 37 endorsement carries with it a strong commitment to deploy dedicated union activists in a get-out-the-vote effort.
