Key Labor Unions Continue Support for Coakley

For Immediate Release: September 21, 2009

Contact: Alex Zaroulis (617) 549-0358 

Boston, MA – The New England Regional Council of Carpenters announced today their endorsement of Attorney General Martha Coakley for United States Senate.

"I am honored to have the support of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters," said Attorney General Coakley.  "Our economy cannot thrive without the critical work done by the carpenters across Massachusetts. They construct the houses our families turn into homes and the buildings our companies turn into prospering places of business.  In Washington, I will continue to stand up for Massachusetts’ working families by fighting for the Employee Free Choice Act and working towards health care reform that provides a viable public option."

"Martha Coakley’s dedication to Massachusetts’ workers has been exemplary and we are honored to offer her our endorsement," stated Mark Erlich, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters.  "In her work enforcing the wage and hour and employee misclassification laws, Martha Coakley has been a leader in making sure that Massachusetts is and continues to be a safe and rewarding place to work, start a business, and raise a family."

Coakley became Massachusetts’ first female Attorney General in January 2007.  Since then she has established herself as a leader on a variety of issues affecting Massachusetts residents, including addressing the foreclosure crisis that has plagued families in Massachusetts.  In addition, she has protected workers and achieved record recoveries for employees and the Commonwealth in enforcing the Massachusetts wage and hour laws.

Coakley, 56, was born in Pittsfield, MA, and raised in North Adams.  She is a graduate of Williams College in Williamstown, MA, where she was a member of the first class admitted to the college that included female students.  She received her law degree from Boston University School of Law in 1979.  Coakley resides in Medford with her husband, Thomas F. O’Connor, a retired police Deputy Superintendent.

The New England Regional Council of Carpenters (NERCC) includes over 24,000 carpenters, pile drivers, shop, millmen, and floor coverers across New England, including almost 11,000 in Massachusetts. Originating as the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, founded in 1881, the NERCC fights for fairer wages and better working conditions for carpentry workers.

To date, the Coakley for Senate campaign has been endorsed by:

• Massachusetts Coalition of Police
• Teamsters Local 25
• Teamsters Local 127
• IBEW Local 103
• Carpenters Local Union 26
• Massachusetts Police Association
• New Bedford Police Union
• Painters & Allied Trades District Council # 35
• Pipefitters’ Association Local 537
• Utility Workers of America Local 369
• Brotherhood of Utility Workers’ Council
• International Union of Operating Engineers Local 877
  

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