May's C.O.P.E. Political Rountable Features the Three Democratic Candidates for State Auditor

  

On Thursday May 20 the Mass. AFL-CIO held its monthly Committee on Political Education (COPE) Political Roundtable.  Mass. AFL-CIO Political Director Robert Bower opened it up by giving an update on the Democratic State Convention, that there are already well over 500 Labor Delegates going, and to urge people to sign up as Labor Delegates if they have not already done so.  He also touched briefly on the developing outlook of the 2010 state legislative elections, saying that there will be 8 open seats in the Senate and 25 open seats in the House, and could be over 100 challenges to incumbents.  He then reminded everyone that the Mass. AFL-CIO will not be making any endorsement in any of the 2010 races until August, once the current 2009-2010 Legislative Session has adjourned.


 The Roundtable then heard from each of the candidates.  Each was given 15 minutes to speak.   Each candidate spoke of their strong support for the Labor Movement’s principles and their enthusiasm for collective bargaining. There is no doubt that whoever the Democratic nominee is after the Primary, they will be a good friend to Labor. 

Mike Lake went first. Mike is the only Northeastern graduate in history  have completed five undergraduate majors simultaneously, graduating summa cum laude with degrees in Finance, Management Information Systems, Political Science, Communications, and Entrepreneurship. After college he went to work at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, worked as a policy research analyst for the Former Prime Minister of Ireland, and was Special Assistant for White House operations under President Clinton.  His current position is Executive Director of NortheasternUniversity’s World Class Cities Partnership.

 

Guy Glodis was next to speak. Guy was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1996, and then to the State Senate in 1998. During his time in the State Senate, he spent part of that time as Chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and as Chair of the Joint Committee on Insurance. He was elected Sherriff of Worcester County in 2004, a position he still holds.

Suzanne Bump was the final speaker. Suzanne started off as a Legislative Aide to Braintree’s state representative. She then held four terms as Braintree’s state representative, spending part of that time as House chair of the Commerce and Labor Committee. She then went to work for the private sector until she was appointed Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development by Governor Patrick, a position she held until just several months ago.


The next COPE Political Roundtable will be the Annual Summer Kick-Off BBQ held on the front lawn of the Archives Building.  Please note that due to the Bunker Hill Day holiday that falls on the third Thursday of the month, June’s COPE BBQ will be held on Wednesday June 16 at 1:30.