Yuddy get's a big labor endorsement

119th State Rep John Yudichak picked up a plum endorsement from the Northeast PA Building and Construction Trades Council.



The Pennsylvania State Building & Construction Trades Council is made up of 16 Regional Council and more than 115 local unions from 15 International Building Trades Unions.

The local unions come from the following Internationals:

•International Association of Bridge, Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers
•International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers
•International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers
•International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
•International Brotherhood of Teamsters
•International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
•International Union of Elevator Constructors
•International Union of Operating Engineers
•International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
•Laborers International Union of North America
•Operative Plasterers and Cement Mason's International Union
•Sheet Metal Workers International Association
•United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada
•United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
•United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers


This is a big deal in a Democratic primary. Many endorsements, especially from sitting or past office holders, are good for a press release then forgotten the next day but the ones that count come from unions or organizations that can bundle money. On the Republican side the Club for Growth can steer some money to a candidate if they are pure enough and sign on to their agenda. In a Democratic primary union endorsements are coveted because they can provide boots on the ground and spend independent money communicating with their members.


Yudichak Receives Unanimous Endorsement of NEPA Building and Construction Trades Council


John Yudichak, Democratic State Senate candidate in the 14th Senatorial District, received the unanimous endorsement of the Northeast PA Building and Construction Trades Council. The announcement was made April 1st by Mike Rozitski, Business Manager for the Trades Council.
“John Yudichak has an outstanding voting record on labor issues,” said Rozitski. “He has always been very union-oriented and a true friend of labor. Our endorsement of John was unanimous and extremely enthusiastic.”

The Northeast PA Building and Construction Trades Council represents 15 different construction industry unions and approximately 15,000 union members. This coveted endorsement for Yudichak follows last week’s unanimous endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police, Wyoming Valley Lodge No. 36. More major endorsements of Yudichak will be announced in the coming days.

“I am honored to have received the unanimous endorsement of the Building and Construction Trades Council,” said Yudichak. “My father was a union miner and my mother was a lifelong AFSCME member. At an early age, they instilled in me an appreciation for the American labor movement and the principles of fair wages and working standards that unions hold dear. I have always stood with the labor movement and I always will.”

During his past 12 years as State Representative, Yudichak was instrumental in creating many good paying jobs for Building Trades members in northeastern PA, including the currently-under-construction Culinary Institute at Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke, which is being built with a 90% union workforce.

Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton will probably not get the nod from the firefighters union.