There was an excellent turnout of union members at the Massachusetts AFL-CIO U.S. Senate Special Election Candidate Forum on Thursday October 29, 2009 at the Iron Workers Local 7 Union Hall in South Boston. There was a block party-like atmosphere outside the building prior to the forum as each democratic campaigns had dozens of supporters on the streets chanting, singing and holding signs. The scene outside subsided as the union hall began to fill and the event inside began.

Robert Haynes, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO kicked off the forum with opening remarks, which included a moment of silence in memory of our beloved late great Senator Edward Kennedy. He then introduced the four Democratic candidates; Congressman Michael Capuano, Attorney General Martha Coakley, City Year founder Alan Khazei and Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca, and the moderator of the event, former State Senator, Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor and candidate for Governor, Warren Tolman. Panelists included Rich Rogers, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Boston Labor Council and Vice President of the Mass. AFL-CIO, and Monica Halas of Greater Boston Legal Services/UAW Local 2320, also a Vice President of Mass. AFL-CIO.

To begin the debate, each candidate was given three minutes for opening statements, followed by a round of questions asked by moderator Warren Tolman about health care reform, the right to organize, the economy, and education where each candidate was given one minute to answer. The second round of the debate featured Rich Rogers and Monica Halas asking each candidate one question to further clarify an answer the candidate submitted on a questionnaire they filled out prior to the forum.

The next round, the rapid fire portion of the debate, was moderated by President Haynes who asked questions to each of the candidates and the candidates had to quickly respond with a simple “yes” or “no”. Finally, each candidate was given two minutes a piece for their closing statements.

Each of these candidates claimed steadfastly to be a committed friend to the Labor Movement. Both Congressman Capuano and Attorney General Coakley have proven such during their time holding public office, and have pledged to be with labor on each of its major issues – most notably the Employee Free Choice Act and labor’s key principals for health care reform. Khazei and Pagliuca both support both measures and seemed generally very supportive of labor’s issues, however Khazei went out of his way to denounce expanded gaming and expressed a desire to tax “luxury” health insurance plans, and Pagliuca expressed concern over the card-check portion of the Employee Free Choice Act. Otherwise, each candidate expressed only slight nuances in their alleged commitment to working families and to the Labor Movement. To conclude the evening, each candidate signed the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Organizing Pledge stating that stated they would support the right of workers to organize if elected U.S. Senate.

Click here to see pictures from the Candidate Forum.

The next morning, on Friday October 30th, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Executive Council convened a special Committee on Political Education (C.O.P.E.) Meeting to vote on an endorsement in this race. As each candidate has views that are supportive of labor, and Coakley and Capuano are outspokenly pro-labor each with the endorsement of many different locals, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Executive Council voted 35-7 to make no endorsement in the Primary Election.  While the Massachusetts AFL-CIO will remain neutral during this Primary election, union members can find out who their local union is supporting, if anyone, by contacting the local union.  Once the Primary is over, the Executive Council will convene a C.O.P.E. Meeting to vote on endorsement in the General Election.

The Primary Election will be held on Tuesday December 8, 2009. The General Election will be held on Tuesday January 19, 2010.

Click here to read a story that appeared in the Boston Globe.

Click here to read another story that appeared in the Boston Globe.

Click here to read a story that appeared in the Boston Herald.

Click here to read a third story that appeared in the Boston Globe.

Click here to read a story that appeared on CBS Channel 3 in Springfield.