On Tuesday, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti announced a round of labor endorsements in her campaign against first-term US Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) for his seat representing the 8th Congressional district. It’s a signal that Cognetti can compete with Bresnahan for union support after he gained endorsements from several key unions over the past few months.
In the past week, Cognetti’s campaign received endorsements from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), the United Steelworkers (USW), and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air and Transportation Workers (SMART).
“AFSCME members work hard every day to deliver for our communities, but it’s becoming harder and harder to keep up with rising costs. Working families need a fighter like Paige Cognetti who will deliver an economy we can afford, not more handouts to corporate billionaires,” said Leslie Raser, an AFSCME member at East Stroudsburg University, in a statement.
Raser added that she believes Cognetti’s political record has shown that she will serve northeastern Pennsylvanians well. “Cognetti has a proven record of taking on corruption and delivering for NEPA families and will stand up for working people against the rich and powerful in D.C.” she stated.
Cognetti now has the support from 11 different labor unions in her race against Bresnahan, who also has support from various local and national labor unions.
Bresnahan recently secured endorsements from the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters, who originally backed Cognetti and their conference, and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which is the largest union representing civilian federal government employees.
Aside from having the support from some local trades, Cognetti has the support of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Pennsylvania State Council, and the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
“As Mayor of Scranton, I’ve stood with our workers, increasing wages, cutting red tape, and standing up to special interests,” Cognetti said in a statement. “As the only candidate in this race who supports the PRO Act, I will continue delivering for our workers in Congress by protecting and expanding the right to organize, fighting for better wages and benefits, and always prioritizing Pennsylvania workers over profit.”
