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OBAMA PROMISED FULL UTU SUPPORT
When John McCain seeks advice on transportation issues, he consults with railroad management.
When Barack Obama seeks advice on transportation issues, he consults with UTU Illinois State Legislative Director Joe Szabo.
Thus, as long-time UTU-friend Hillary Rodham Clinton exited the race for Democratic presidential nominee June 7, the UTU assured Sen. Obama -- another long-time UTU friend -- that he could depend on the extensive resources of America’s largest railroad union and its 125,000 active and retired rail, transit, bus and airline worker members in his fight to claim the White House.
"Sen. Obama can count of our using every resource at our disposal to elect a labor-friendly administration this Election Day," said UTU International President Mike Futhey. "We will work with Sen. Obama at every opportunity to get out the vote in support of his campaign to bring the change we all can believe in."
Szabo was in touch with the Obama campaign Saturday afternoon after Sen. Clinton ended her bid for the Democratic nomination. The Obama campaign expressed to Szabo, for circulation to UTU members and their families, Obama's gratitude for UTU support.
Obama indicated he understood the reasons for the UTU’s previous support for Clinton, who had worked with the UTU on Capitol Hill in support of Railroad Retirement, the Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA), Amtrak and a revision in commercial driver license standards that threaten the livelihood of bus operators.
"Sen. Obama similarly and fully understands these issues from the perspective of working families and UTU members, and has been and will continue to be in our corner," said Szabo, who serves on the Obama campaign’s Transportation Policy Committee, with approval of President Futhey. In that role, Szabo helps to define for Obama various rail, transit and bus public policy issues and the transportation public policy approaches an Obama administration might pursue.
Obama recently was quoted as supporting a policy favoring "significant investment" in the nation’s transportation infrastructure, including connecting the Midwest with a fuel-efficient high-speed rail system that would provide immediate jobs.
Szabo’s close professional relationship with Obama extends back more than a decade to Obama’s first run for public office in Illinois, where Obama served in the state senate. "There is a strong history of Sen. Obama never failing to support UTU's legislative agenda in the Illinois State Senate," Szabo said. "That track track record has continued in the U.S. Senate."
In bowing out of the presidential race, Clinton sent to President Futhey on Saturday a letter hand-delivered by one of her staff members expressing appreciation "for the tremendous support that you have given me and my campaign," and a promise to continue her "fight for the issues and causes that are important" to UTU members and their families.
"We agree wholeheartedly with Sen. Clinton," Futhey said, "that the way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion and our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States."
UTU National Legislative Director James Brunkenhoefer said, "the UTU is looking forward to working with the Obama administration and I am certain his policies will improve the lives of all UTU members and their families."
UTU Illinois State Legislative Director Joe Szabo and Sen. Barack Obama. Their preofessional relationshipi extends back more than a decade.
