On Saturday, the Committee on Political Education for the MEA-MFT, which comprises 16,000 educators and other school and government employees, decided to back Schweitzer over Republican candidate Bob Brown, a lifetime MEA-MFT member. The decision came after the 35-member COPE interviewed both candidates.
"MEA-MFT COPE believes Brian Schweitzer is dedicated to change - change in how government and public education can work collaboratively with taxpayers and the private sector to grow both Montana's economy and social compact," said Eric Feaver, MEA-MFT president and COPE chairman.
In response, Schweitzer said he appreciates the MEA-MFT's strong endorsement and "the hard work put forth daily by Montana's teachers." As the father of three children in public schools, Schweitzer said he knows "the great impact teachers have in shaping the future of the state."
"I look forward to working with the teachers in the future to ensure that the right investment is made in our state's education system, and I will continue to emphasize in this campaign that economic prosperity starts with strong public education," said Schweitzer, a farmer-rancher from Whitefish.
Brown, Montana's secretary of state, was unavailable for comment, but he was disappointed by the MEA-MFT decision, his campaign manager, Jason Thielman, said. As a lawmaker, Brown received the MEA-MFT's most prestigious award, and Brown and his wife, Sue, are longtime educators who've devoted their lives to educating and promoting Montana's young people, Thielman said.
Brown and his running mate, Dave Lewis, "have a lifelong commitment to quality education, to students and teachers, and they've lived that way in the past, and they will continue to honor that in the future, regardless of the union endorsement," Thielman said.
Now attention shifts to the Montana AFL-CIO convention in Butte on Friday and Saturday where union members from across the state will gear up for the elections and make endorsements in state races, following candidate interviews by its COPE. Endorsements also will be made for 125 legislative races, with the convention delegates asked to ratify recommendations made by local labor bodies, and some ballot measures.
It takes a two-thirds majority vote for the AFL-CIO to endorse candidates, said the union's executive secretary Jerry Driscoll. Before the June 8 primary, the AFL-CIO recommended people voting in the Democratic primary back Schweitzer, and those in the Republican primary cast their ballots for Brown.
However, by snagging the endorsement of MEA-MFT, which makes up more than half of the AFL-CIO, Schweitzer backers would appear to have enough support to block a move to endorse Brown or jointly endorse him.
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