AFSCME and AFL-CIO also provide their slates for Aug. 23 primary
The largest union in Miami-Dade, representing more than 2,100 transportation workers — Metrorail, MetroMover and MetroBus operators and support staff — announced Tuesday a bunch of local, state and federal endorsements for the Aug. 23 primary election.
Transport Workers Union Local 291 President Jeffrey Mitchell said the current housing and transportation crises we are facing make it especially vital to support candidates “who stand up for working families in Miami-Dade and who will protect their right to life, safety and equitable pay.
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“As the backbone of our local economy, we need representatives who will address the issues that are most impacting their quality of life and who will fight to create a community where they can live and thrive with dignity.”
The following is the complete list of endorsements, in alphabetical order:
Maribel Balbin in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 4Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 2Chris Benjamin in Florida State House, District 107JC Bermudez in Miami-Dade County Commission, District 12Danielle Cohen Higgins in Miami-Dade County Commission, District 8Karyn Cunningham for mayor in the Village of PinecrestAJ D’Amico in Florida State House, District 113Val Demings in the U.S. SenateJuan Fernandez Barquin in Florida State House, District 118Dotie Joseph in Florida State House, District 108Jordan Leonard in Florida State House, District 106Janelle Perez in Florida State Senate, District 38Dr. Marta Perez in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 8Anthony Rodriguez in Miami-Dade County Commission, District 10Maria Teresa Rojas in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 6Annette Taddeo for U.S. CongressFrederica Wilson for U.S. Congress
There were no endorsements in the county commission races in Districts 2 and 6 because those races will very likely be decided in runoffs in November, Mitchell said.
Martha Bueno, who is running to replace termed-out Javier Souto in District 10, said they never contacted her before endorsing Rodriguez. But Mitchell said she declined the screening by the AFL-CIO. These are their South Florida nods.
“We invited her to the process. She didn’t respond. So we decided to move on,” Mitchell said.
AFSCME has also made it’s recommendations:
Sheila CherfilusU.S. House of Representatives20Lois Frankel U.S. House of Representatives21Debbie Wasserman Shultz U.S. House of Representatives23Frederica Wilson U.S. House of Representatives24Annette TaddeoU.S. House of Representatives27Robert AsencioU.S. House of Representatives28Sen. Tina PolskyState Senate30Sen. Shevrin JonesState Senate34Sen. Lauren BookState Senate35Sen. Jason PizzoState Senate37Janelle PerezState Senate38Rep. Bryan AvilaState Senate39Sen. Ana Maria RodriguezState Senate40Clay MillerState Representatives101Jim LeonoardState Representatives106Andres AlthabeState Representatives113Dorothy Bendross-MindingallMiami-Dade School Board2Maribel BalbinMiami-Dade School Board4Maria Teresa “Mari Tere” RojasMiami-Dade School Board6Marta PerezMiami-Dade School Board8Micky SteinbergMiami-Dade Commission4Kevin CabreraMiami-Dade Commission6Commissioner Danielle Cohen HigginsMiami-Dade Commission8Rep. Anthony RodriguezMiami-Dade Commission10Juan Carlos “JC” BermudezMiami-Dade Commission12Commissioner Mark David BogenBroward Commission2Commissioner Lamar FisherBroward Commission4Commissioner Beam FurrBroward Commission6Robert McKenzieBroward Commission8Hazelle RogersBroward Commission9Judge Lody JeanCircuit Judge3Judge Robert WatsonCircuit Judge20Judge Mark BlumsteinCircuit Judge34Judge Oscar Rodriguez – FontsCircuit Judge52Judge Fred SeraphinMiami-Dade County Judge5Judge Jeffrey KolokoffMiami-Dade County Judge19Judge Scott JanowitzMiami-Dade County Judge42
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Some of those candidates have received contributions from Limousines of South Florida (LSF), a private transportation provider that has come under fire for substandard service, and getting no-bid contracts with the county to provide transit services, slowly privatizing county buses.. They also provide trolley and other shuttle service in most municipalities.
LSF owners Raymond and Rene Gonzalez, who have dozens of Florida corporations and bundle their donations, have given about $700,000 in total to county, school board and city of Miami and city of Coral Gables candidates in the last 11 years.
“It’s hard to find any [candidate] who hasn’t,” Mitchell said, “but they know we’re not fans of LSF. We will first try to work with them, try to conduct a cleansing.” It’s no secret that the TWU wants the routes driven by LSF back in county employee command.
“It’s our goal to rid the county of pay-to-play transit. At this point, it’s now the very same tax dollars flowing back by donation,” Mitchell told Ladra. “If you don’t engage them, question them and task them, they will do bad things.”
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