UPDATED:Pennsylvania AFSCME affiliate breaks with National Union to endorse Obama

Henry Nicholas, president of the 150,000-member National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees AFSCME, AFL-CIO, announced today that his 16000-plus members of the Philadelphia local affiliate 1199C, its retirees and members of the United Child Care Union across Pennsylvania will support Senator Barack Obama in the April 22 Democratic primary.

link

(AP) a local labor affiliate of one of rival Hillary Rodham Clinton's biggest supporters broke ranks and backed Obama.

Henry Nicholas... made the endorsement while introducing Obama to the meeting of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO in Philadelphia.

Members of the Philadelphia-based union are "now united behind Barack Obama," said Nicholas, an international vice president with [AFSCME]. The international union endorsed Clinton in October and its president Gerald McEntee is considered one of Clinton's biggest supporters.

AP via google news

Not only that, but the Teamsters' president (James P Hoffa) calls Hillary a dissembler on NAFTA!

Obama told the AFL-CIO gathering that he will oppose pacts that threaten U.S. jobs. His campaign scheduled a call with reporters Wednesday to underscore the role that Bill Clinton's presidency played in enacting NAFTA.

[Obama] and Clinton have spent weeks arguing over which of them did or did not oppose NAFTA. The issue loomed large prior to March 4 primaries in Ohio and Texas that Clinton won. Speaking to the same unions a day earlier, Clinton said as first lady she had forcefully battled the agreement, which her husband labored hard to win.

"I did speak out and oppose NAFTA," she said. "I raised a big yellow flag and said, 'I don't think this will work.'"

The National Archives recently released most of Clinton's daily schedules as first lady. They showed her attending at least five meetings in 1993 aimed at helping win congressional approval of NAFTA.

The Obama campaign says the meetings show Clinton is misrepresenting her record on NAFTA. It got some help Wednesday from Teamsters president James P. Hoffa, who is backing Obama.

"No one who was around in the time of NAFTA remembers her doing that," Hoffa, speaking to The Associated Press by phone, said of Clinton's claim that she argued against NAFTA in 1993. "Let's face it, she's tied to NAFTA no matter what she says."

Ouch!... pretty hard to spin that one...!

UPDATE:

Link to page on Henry Nicholas at AFSCME He has been head of NUHHCE since 1981!  and is also a VP of the international AFSCME.

Interview with Henry Nicholas. He built up the union he heads to become what it is

He comes from the "grassroots wing" of the labor movement :)  I bet they know how to get people to the polls!

Our union is leading the organizing efforts of the national [AFSCME]. But the kinds of resources that are needed are not being expended, to get the job done. The number one need for the American labor movement is to empower the suffering masses. And we have not been an aggressive voice by putting our dollars where our desires are.

Henry Nicholas' son had served 4 tours of duty in Iraq as of 2005.

Hat tip to jeepdad for tip on this story.

UPDATE 2:  The Union of Child Care Workers which also joined in this endorsement, comprises an additional 3,700 members in PA!