Local transit workers union endorses candidates in local, state, federal races

• Tweet
• Sumo

• Tweet

AFSCME and AFL-CIO also provide their slates for Aug. 23 primary

The largest union in Miami-Dade, representing more than 2,100 transportation workers — Metrorail, MetroMover and MetroBus operators and support staff — announced Tuesday a bunch of local, state and federal endorsements for the Aug. 23 primary election.

Transport Workers Union Local 291 President Jeffrey Mitchell said the current housing and transportation crises we are facing make it especially vital to support candidates “who stand up for working families in Miami-Dade and who will protect their right to life, safety and equitable pay.

Read related: Miami-Dade transit workers finally get COVID19 protection, riders get relief

“As the backbone of our local economy, we need representatives who will address the issues that are most impacting their quality of life and who will fight to create a community where they can live and thrive with dignity.”

The following is the complete list of endorsements, in alphabetical order:

• Maribel Balbin in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 4
• Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 2
• Chris Benjamin in Florida State House, District 107
• JC Bermudez in Miami-Dade County Commission, District 12
• Danielle Cohen Higgins in Miami-Dade County Commission, District 8
• Karyn Cunningham for mayor in the Village of Palmetto Bay
• AJ D’Amico in Florida State House, District 113
• Val Demings in the U.S. Senate
• Juan Fernandez Barquin in Florida State House, District 118
• Dotie Joseph in Florida State House, District 108
• Jordan Leonard in Florida State House, District 106
• Janelle Perez in Florida State Senate, District 38
• Dr. Marta Perez in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 8
• Anthony Rodriguez in Miami-Dade County Commission, District 10
• Maria Teresa Rojas in Miami-Dade County School Board, District 6
• Annette Taddeo for U.S. Congress
• Frederica Wilson for U.S. Congress

There were no endorsements in the county commission races in Districts 2 and 6 because those races will very likely be decided in runoffs in November, Mitchell said.

Martha Bueno, who is running to replace termed-out Javier Souto in District 10, said they never contacted her before endorsing Rodriguez. Mitchell said she declined the screening by the AFL-CIO. These are the AFL-CIO South Florida nods.

“We invited her to the process. She didn’t respond. So we decided to move on,” Mitchell said. Bueno said she did go to the AFL-CIO screening, but was not contacted by the Police Benevolent Association and the Hispanic Builders, both of which recommended Rodriuez.

AFSCME has also made it’s recommendations:

Sheila Cherfilus	U.S. House of Representatives	20
Lois Frankel	U.S. House of Representatives	21
Debbie Wasserman Shultz	U.S. House of Representatives	23
Frederica Wilson	U.S. House of Representatives	24
Annette Taddeo	U.S. House of Representatives	27
Robert Asencio	U.S. House of Representatives	28
Sen. Tina Polsky	State Senate	30
Sen. Shevrin Jones	State Senate	34
Sen. Lauren Book	State Senate	35
Sen. Jason Pizzo	State Senate	37
Janelle Perez	State Senate	38
Rep. Bryan Avila	State Senate	39
Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez	State Senate	40
Clay Miller	State Representatives	101
Jim Leonoard	State Representatives	106
Andres Althabe	State Representatives	113
Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall	Miami-Dade School Board	2
Maribel Balbin	Miami-Dade School Board	4
Maria Teresa “Mari Tere” Rojas	Miami-Dade School Board	6
Marta Perez	Miami-Dade School Board	8
Micky Steinberg	Miami-Dade Commission	4
Kevin Cabrera	Miami-Dade Commission	6
Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins	Miami-Dade Commission	8
Rep. Anthony Rodriguez	Miami-Dade Commission	10
Juan Carlos “JC” Bermudez	Miami-Dade Commission	12
Commissioner Mark David Bogen	Broward Commission	2
Commissioner Lamar Fisher	Broward Commission	4
Commissioner Beam Furr	Broward Commission	6
Robert McKenzie	Broward Commission	8
Hazelle Rogers	Broward Commission	9
Judge Lody Jean	Circuit Judge	3
Judge Robert Watson	Circuit Judge	20
Judge Mark Blumstein	Circuit Judge	34
Judge Oscar Rodriguez – Fonts	Circuit Judge	52
Judge Fred Seraphin	Miami-Dade County Judge	5
Judge Jeffrey Kolokoff	Miami-Dade County Judge	19
Judge Scott Janowitz	Miami-Dade County Judge	42

Read related: Miami-Dade: $9 mil no-bid contract for private transit provider hops around

Some of those candidates have received contributions from Limousines of South Florida (LSF), a private transportation provider that has come under fire for substandard service, and getting no-bid contracts with the county to provide transit services, slowly privatizing county buses.. They also provide trolley and other shuttle service in most municipalities.

LSF owners Raymond and Rene Gonzalez, who have dozens of Florida corporations and bundle their donations, have given about $700,000 in total to county, school board and city of Miami and city of Coral Gables candidates in the last 11 years.

“It’s hard to find any [candidate] who hasn’t,” Mitchell said, “but they know we’re not fans of LSF. We will first try to work with them, try to conduct a cleansing.” It’s no secret that the TWU wants the routes driven by LSF back in county employee command.

“It’s our goal to rid the county of pay-to-play transit. At this point, it’s now the very same tax dollars flowing back by donation,” Mitchell told Ladra. “If you don’t engage them, question them and task them, they will do bad things.”

  transit