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Kenney lands AFL-CIO endorsement

Former Councilman James F. Kenney received another labor endorsement Friday, signaling that he is the labor community’s mayoral candidate of choice. The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, which is comprised of more than 100 local labor unions representing 130,000 working in the public sector, private industry, and the building and construction trades, is endorsing Kenney for mayor.

Former Councilman James F. Kenney received another labor endorsement Friday, signaling that he is the labor community's mayoral candidate of choice.

The Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, which is comprised of more than 100 local labor unions representing 130,000 working in the public sector, private industry, and the building and construction trades, is endorsing Kenney for mayor, the group's president Patrick J. Eiding announced in a statement.

"Jim Kenney is the right choice for Philadelphia. As a Councilman, he stood up time and again to defend working families on everything from prevailing wage to the right to organize," Eiding said in his statement. "We look forward to working with Jim to create a city where everyone has access to fair, safe working conditions and a living wage."

Kenney, who is the son of a firefighter, said in the statement: "Having grown up in a union household, I understand that the most important thing a public official can do is to give people the opportunity to work and to protect their rights once they're employed. As mayor, I'll fight every day for Philadelphians' right to a living wage, paid sick leave and safe work sites."

Kenney and rival, fellow mayoral candidate Anthony H. Williams have been racking up almost all the union endorsements so far. Check out WHYY's "endorsement tracker" for the counts.

Earlier this week, Williams received the Teamster Union District Council endorsement. The group, which represents 2,800 members in Philadelphia, said it was supporting Williams, in part, because he voted against anti-union provisions of the paycheck protection bill in the state House. Williams has also been a public supporter of raising the minimum wage and of pay equity for women, the Teamsters said in the release.

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