Public Advocate Bill de Blasio's mayoral campaign got a major jolt yesterday when the city's largest union, Local 1199, made the decision to endorse his run. And though City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's been (grudgingly) touted as the favorite, this move could help give de Blasio a significant advantage.
The union represents about 200,000 health care workers, and in an unprecedented move all 150 members on the executive council voted to back de Blasio. And they hope the endorsement, which will be made official on Monday, will push other unions to follow suit. "We wanted to send a strong signal: De Blasio was so far ahead of everyone else it was really a race to the bottom," George Gresham, the union’s president, told the Times. "We plan on a massive effort."
The union, which is predominantly comprised of African-American members, says they chose de Blasio because of his focus on protecting the working class focus. And the endorsement might be yet another indicator that Anthony Weiner's about to jump into the race: "De Blasio was a dead man walking. They have to save his candidacy and also send a message to Congressman Weiner because obviously Anthony hurts Bill," a source close to the union told the Post. Let the mayoral race game-changers begin!
