UUP wholeheartedly supports the decision of its national affiliate to endorse U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president.

Acting on behalf of its more than 1.4 million members, the AFT Executive Council last month announced its endorsement of Clinton, citing her proven ability to advance the nation’s key priorities and her bold plans for a stronger America. The vote of the 41-member Executive Council capped a deliberative seven-month process to solicit input from the membership.

“Hillary Clinton has helped to advance the legislative agendas and education initiatives of UUP, NYSUT and AFT, in New York and at the national level,” said UUP President William Scheuerman, an AFT vice president. “With Sen. Clinton as president, working families will again have an ally in the White House.”

UUP’s state affiliate, NYSUT, also celebrated the endorsement, noting that delegates to its annual policymaking convention earlier this year passed a resolution urging AFT to give every consideration to endorsing New York’s “favorite daughter” in her bid for the White House.

NYSUT President Richard Iannuzzi said Clinton’s message of fair federal funding and her opposition to private school vouchers hit a responsive chord with New York educators. He also noted that her knowledge of the challenges and need for a comprehensive national health care approach resonated very well with health care workers and all union members worried about the growing number of uninsured Americans.

Scheuerman said the next step is to get UUP members to hand out literature and staff phone banks to drum up support for Clinton. UUP and NYSUT were wildly successful in getting out the vote for Clinton in her two Senate campaigns,

and are gearing up for another round of grassroots activism.

“Our members have told us that they want a leader they can trust to strengthen public education, increase access to health care, promote commonsense economic priorities and secure America’s place in the world,” AFT President Edward McElroy said. “Hillary Clinton is that leader.”

The AFT invited all the major presidential candidates to meet with its Executive Council. The seven major Democratic candidates accepted the invitation and individually participated in an extensive question-and-answer session with the council and with rank-and-file members in attendance. Each of the major Republican candidates was also invited to participate, but all either declined or failed to respond to the invitation.

The AFT endorsement adds momentum to the senator’s campaign and is her biggest union endorsement to date. It comes on the heels of a Clinton endorsement from the 100,000-member International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC).

“We need a president whose priorities are our priorities,” said BAC President John Flynn. “We need a president who will govern through strength — not fear.”

— Karen L. Mattison, with affiliate reports