ERIE, Pennsylvania — The United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) voted at their annual convention on August 30 to endorse US Green Ralph Nader's candidacy for president, stating, “The wasted vote in this election would be for the pro-business Democrats and Republicans”.

The 35,000-member independent union represents workers in manufacturing, public sector and private non-profit sector jobs. “Decades of corporate controlled Democratic and Republican presidencies convince us that we have no choice but to escape the two-party trap”, says a resolution passed by UE.

Nader's platform calls for triple back-pay for workers fired illegally during an organising drive, expanded power for the National Labor Relations Board to issue injunctions to stop unfair labour practices, a ban on the permanent replacement of strikers, and, most prominently, repeal of the anti-labour Taft-Hartley Act.

In June, the 31,000-member California Nurses Association, endorsed Nader and in August the 1200-member AFSCME Local 1108 followed suit. The latter, a union of workers in non-profit organisations including Head Start, child-care and social service workers, cited Nader's support of universal health care, expanded child-care and better wages for child-care workers as reasons for the endorsement.

Growing numbers of rank-and-file union members are organising “Labor for Nader” groups in major metropolitan areas. For more information on the US Greens presidential campaign, visit <http://www.votenader.org>.

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