How your Kentucky State AFL-CIO endorses candidates

By BERRY CRAIG

Alliance for Retired Americans

Your Kentucky State AFL-CIO will announce endorsements for this election cycle on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, we thought it would be a good idea to explain how endorsements are made. 

For the umpteenth time: The state AFL-CIO nod goes to candidates based on where they stand on union issues, not on their party affiliation. In other words, it's not the "D” or the “R” by the candidate’s name that counts. It's the “U” -union. 

Okay, we mostly endorse Democrats, but not because they're Democrats. It's because Democrats are a lot more likely to stand with us on our issues than Republicans are. 

Anyway, the endorsement process is spelled out in the state AFL-CIO constitution. The charter says endorsements go to "honest, sincere, qualified, progressive candidates for public office, who by their record have demonstrated their support of the objectives to which the AFL-CIO is dedicated." Criteria for endorsement include "capability, intelligence, integrity, and the past record of individuals." 

Here's how it works:

The state Executive Board, acting as the state COPE committee, makes endorsements for federal and state candidates. Federal candidates are those running for the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. State candidates include those running for governor, lieutenant governor, constitutional offices, state judicial posts and the General Assembly.

Central labor councils and area councils, acting as local COPE committees, may endorse local candidates. They include those running in city and county races. 

An endorsement requires a two-thirds majority for federal, state and local candidates.

In addition, the constitution requires that federal and state candidates complete and return a questionnaire from the state AFL-CIO. They may also be interviewed by central labor council or area council COPE committees where they live. In addition, "candidates with a COPE voting record shall have their record considered." Central labor or area councils may send their own questionnaires to local candidates.

Typically, the state COPE Committee votes on federal and state candidate endorsements based on recommendations from central labor councils and area councils. But the state committee has the final say.

Candidates cannot be present when endorsements are being considered and voted on at any level. 

In the endorsement process, the state COPE committee and central labor and area council COPE committees have four options:

a. ENDORSE: All affiliates shall support the candidate endorsed by COPE.

b. NO RECOMMENDATION: No endorsement is conferred by COPE. Affiliates are free to make their own endorsement decision. 

c. NO ENDORSEMENT: Affiliates shall refrain from supporting this candidate.

d. NO ACTION: Candidate was not considered for any action at this time. Affiliates should refrain from taking any action on this candidate.

We all know that union haters love to claim that union endorsements are made in smoke-filled rooms by "union bosses" who ignore the wishes of rank and file members. That's a lie. As you can see, the endorsement process is democraticand inclusive from top to bottom. 

State AFL-CIO officers and all delegates to the state Executive Board are electedfor four year terms at state conventions. Affiliated unions elect or appoint delegates to central labor or area councils. Each area council elects a COPE director who has a seat on the Executive Board.

So stay tuned for Tuesday!