Clinton Wins First 2008 Union Endorsement

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton picked up the first national labor endorsement of the 2008 White House race on, winning the support of the 125,000-member United Transportation Union.

The union, which represents active and retired members of the railroad, bus and public transit industries, said it would devote “considerable resources” to backing the New York senator in the 2008 race.

“The UTU has a long history of picking winners early. Hillary will be a president that America’s working families can count on,” said union president Paul Thompson.

Democratic candidate Chris Dodd, a Connecticut senator who has lagged his top rivals in opinion polls, is expected to win the endorsement of the firefighters union on Wednesday.

Clinton holds a big lead over her 2008 Democratic rivals in national polls five months before the first nominating contests are scheduled and more than 14 months ahead of the November 2008 presidential election.

But top rivals Barack Obama, an Illinois senator, and John Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential nominee, also have made strong pushes for labor support.

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