October 15, 2007

Labor Council endorses Ward, plus 2 GOP and 4 Democratic council hopefuls

Press release from The Greater Bristol Labor Council:

The Greater Bristol Labor Council has announced their list of endorsed candidates for election to local offices in the upcoming elections in November.

The GBLC represents working men and women in the Bristol area and is affiliated with the Connecticut AFL-CIO which represents 220,000 workers in Connecticut and nearly 900 local union affiliates.

Greater Bristol Labor Council President Mike Petosa, in announcing the endorsements, said, “It is important that working men and women rally around candidates for office who are willing to stand up and fight for them.” He said this is especially important during an era when “America's middle class in under attack.”

The local Labor Council voted last week to endorse the following candidates;

Art Ward (D) – Mayor
Mike Rimcoski (R) – 1st District City Council
Cliff Block (D) – 1st District City Council
Kevin McCauley (D) – 2nd District City Council
Bruce Lydem (D) – 2nd District City Council
Frank Nicastro (D) – 3rd District City Council
Robert Merrick (R) – 3rd District City Council

The endorsement meeting was held on October 10 at Nuchie’s Restaurant in the Forrestville section of Bristol.

Petosa added, “The candidates endorsed for election this November have demonstrated their determination to fight for issues important to workers and therefore make them ideal candidates for Bristol’s working men and women.”

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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

23 comments:

Steve Collins said...

Shut out in the labor endorsements were Democratic incumbent Councilor Craig Minor and a Democratic hopeful in the 1st District, Rich Kilby. Also passed over were Republican council contenders Ken Cockayne and Joe Geladino in the 2nd District.

Anonymous said...

Ouch Craig Minor!

Anonymous said...

I think the labor council is controlled by Mike Petosa and Mayra Berios, and they are Ward people but also very anti-Ellen, which also means anti-Craig Minor. They probably supported McCauley and Nicastro because they'll win no matter what.

It's disgusting how personal some of these people take politics. Whether you like Craig Minor or Ellen, their positions are almost identical with the other Democrats, so it's stupid to support some but not the others.

Anonymous said...

when you talk about controlling, you have to be talking about ellen

Anonymous said...

Re: 8:52 PM comment

Ellen's not running. Let it go, please.

Anonymous said...

ellen might not be actively running for office but she has been seen in kahoots with the "other" side after her primary defeat - poor sport.

Anonymous said...

Way to shift attention away from the point being made that Art Ward's cronies Myra and Petosa, both Town Committee members, appear to have influenced the backing of a Republican against Craig Minor because of his close relationship to Zoppo, even though Minor votes the same way as other Democrat candidates and supports the same things.

Very petty to make it so personal at this stage.

Anonymous said...

Re: 9:46 Post

Oh my goodness, Ellen was actually seen in "Kahoots." I am not familiar with this Bristol establishment. Paranoia reigns in Bristol politics.

Anonymous said...

is there proof that Ellen has helped Ken Johnson in any way? I would like someone to prove it. I know they are friendly, as are other people on the Council, but to continue to infer she has turned on her fellow Democrats is not true. She just wouldn't do that.

Anonymous said...

Gossip and heresay mean nothing, especially from "anonymous" posters.

If there is FACTUAL and verifiable information thats what the voters need.

The voters of Bristol do not need or want to gossip and heresay that keeps get presented on the internet boards and blogs.

Anonymous said...

This has nothing to do with Ellen.

The union supported the people they believe support them. Craig has been open about how he feels about the union - he isn't happy with them. Therefore, they didn't endorse him.

McCauley is a member of the union that endorsed him. Block spoke better than Kilby and Frank, well, Frank always gets his way.

Lydem is a union guy and Merrick is also a union guy with the school system.

If you look at the endorsed list again, you will notice that all of the endorsed candidates are connected to this union in some way or another - except for Block. He just simply outspoke Kilby.

Anonymous said...

Anon @ October 16, 2007 8:00 AM - You nailed it right on.

Now let's hope that somewhere between now and November 6th these candidates both endorsed and not, start spending more time on the issues that matter. Same for all of us on this Blog.

To the Ward supporters and die hard Democrats can we please get off the Ellen thing. It's gone beyond boring. Ellen can support, endorse or promote anyone she wants. It's her prerogative and her party affiliation should have nothing to do with it. Membership in the Democratic Party is not indentured servitude.

Come on folks. Back to the Mall, the BOE proposal, the SE Industrial Park, Water Dept and etc. The debate gets really good here at times. Let's get back there. Time’s wasting!

Anonymous said...

I think Craig Minor is also in a union for his planner job in Cromwell, so how does that make him different from Merrick and his teachers union? Craig is still more pro-labor than any of the Republicans. But because he is friends with Zoppo they turned on him. How petty. but then again, the Bristol Labor council leaders are the definition of pettiness.

Anonymous said...

There could be some union snobbery involved too. Minor's union is not part of the AFL-CIO gang and are second-class citizens in the eyes of the Labor Council.

Anonymous said...

Minor and McCauley are still Ellen's lap boys - do you think they will change once back in? I think not!! So time to vote them both out.

Anonymous said...

If Myra and Petosa are part of the DTC then why didn't they get Ward endorsed? Your proof is full of holes - like the ones in your head.

Anonymous said...

As individual voters, does it matter to you that a Labor Council has endorsed a slate of Candidates?

I think it is important that each person educate themselves as to which candidate will represent as closely as possible their own personal ideals of where they would like to see our City in the future.

Anonymous said...

Exactly what are you smoking when you say "Way to shift attention away from the point being made that Art Ward's cronies Myra and Petosa, both Town Committee members, appear to have influenced the backing of a Republican against Craig Minor because of his close relationship to Zoppo, even though Minor votes the same way as other Democrat candidates and supports the same things."

You really need to get off the sauce!

Anonymous said...

How funny that an Art Ward supporter would lecture others to lay off the sauce.

Anonymous said...

just opened my mail and received an invitation to the October 27, 2007 Bristol Republican's $45.00 per person party fundraiser; couldn't believe that it is being held in BURLINGTON rather than Bristol - unbelievable.
great way to support your community moccabee, schaffrick and johnson. I'll remember that the next time that you are looking for my Bristol business to donate to your cause. I'll also remember it when I cast my vote in the election on November 8, 2007.

Anonymous said...

must be because the threesome are mad because the endorsements were conducted by the union at Nuchie's Restaurant in Forestville- why take it out on the Psquallichio's?
how about Bristol places like jakes, blackstone or the clarion?

Anonymous said...

October 16, 2007 8:36 PM poster:

Please don't go then. I can't believe there's someone on the mailing list that would trash the Republicans like you are doing. Well here's a possibility; there was no where else (but maybe Nuchies) available.

Again a piece of garbage like you doesn't even belong on the mailing list (if you actually are). I wasn't going to attend (to save money and because I go to enough things), but just because of what you posted, I'm paying the $45 and I'm going. Hopefully I won't see your pathetic face there (who ever you are).

Anonymous said...

...and just remeber that the owners of Marinelli's are Bristol residents.