By Sam Wroblewski WPRO News
Gina Raimondo has picked up another union endorsement, this one from the New England Regional Service Employee International Union 1199.
This is the second private-sector union to get behind Raimondo’s campaign for governor in the past week; the first was an endorsement from the local The United Food and Commercial Workers 328 last week.
The endorsement from the regional SEIU comes nearly a week after Raimondo said she would be reaching out to the local unions to have a dialog on supporting her campaign.
“Gina was proud to have the support of eleven labor organizations, including the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council during the primary and that UFCW and SEIU Local 1199 have endorsed her in the last few days,” said Raimondo’s spokeswoman Nicole Kayner in a statement. “She has continued reaching out to labor leaders over the course of the last week. Gina will be a governor who is on the side of middle class.”
The AFL-CIO said in a release Tuesday they will meet with the Treasurer in the coming weeks before making a decision on endorsement.
Raimondo isn’t the only candidate attracting union support, Providence Mayoral candidate Jorge Elorza also picked up the endorsement of the UFCW 328 and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 23. And the AFL-CIO is considering Catherine Taylor for an endorsement for Lieutenant Governor.
Still, not all union leaders are ready to back Raimondo — Local 580 Executive Director Phil Keefe said supporting the Treasurer would be “political suicide.”
