After equivocating for several months, the American Federation of Government Employees has officially announced its support for the presidential candidacy of Vice President Al Gore.
AFGE, the largest federal employee union, refrained from endorsing Gore in October when its parent organization, the AFL-CIO, announced its early support of the Vice President.
"Our members have expressed a clear preference for Gore and AFGE's National Executive Council has voted to endorse Gore's candidacy," Bobby L. Harnage, president of AFGE, said in a statement.
"We had not yet polled our membership on this important issue," AFGE acknowledged in the statement. But a survey taken through AFGE's membership publication showed the union's members support Gore, AFGE officials said.
AFGE dispelled rumors that it withheld its endorsement of Gore due to pending negotiations with the General Services Administration over the fate of more than 2,000 AFGE members' jobs. Those jobs would be lost if GSA Administrator David Barram decides to close the remaining warehouses in its Federal Supply Service distribution network.
"The reasons for Gore's endorsement are not hinged in any way on GSA. We just want to figure out ways to keep the [warehouse] system working for those who rely on it," an AFGE spokesperson said.
Harnage cited Gore's labor roots and dedication to civil servants as among the reasons he garnered AFGE's endorsement.
"Al Gore has always valued government employees. There's no reason for us to believe there would be partnership in government without Al Gore or under any other administration," Harnage said.
The second-largest federal employees union, the National Treasury Employees Union, has also endorsed Gore.
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