NYSUT endorsed John Hall

Congressional candidate John Hall received the endorsement from the state's largest teachers union, New York State United Teachers (NYSUT). This is the first time any candidate has been endorsed by NYSUT prior to a primary election.

"John Hall offers fresh hope for New York's working families who care about improving education, health care and creating good jobs in the Hudson Valley," said NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan B. Lubin.

"Sue Kelly's record in Congress has been abysmal. She has lost her way. Instead of standing up to the extremists in her party and fighting for the best interests of her constituents, Kelly has become a 'rubber stamp' for the George Bush conservative agenda. It's time for a change.

Added Lubin: "Our members work and vote for candidates who support the issues they care about: quality public schools, colleges and hospitals, as well as access to affordable health care for all New Yorkers. John Hall supports our issues, so NYSUT is supporting John Hall."

New York State United Teachers, a federation of more than 900 local unions and a part of the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO, is comprised of 535,000, mostly teachers, teacher assistants and aides, college and university faculty and professional staff, school bus drivers, custodians, secretaries, cafeteria workers, nurses and healthcare technicians.

Raul Soto, a teacher at Fox Lane High School in Bedford, NY, applauded the early endorsement, and said, "John Hall is an intelligent and honest politician who will help us teachers across the district and around the nation do our jobs better in educating the youth of our country."

Upon hearing the union's announcement, Hall said, "This is an incredible endorsement of my candidacy to unseat Sue Kelly, and it's testimony, too, that working men and women in this country are recognizing the dire need for change in Congress. As the son of two teachers, the father of a teacher, and as a former school board president, I am honored to be recognized by NYSUT."

Update: Down with Tyranny has a good article about John Hall.