Local New Hampshire Union Backs Bernie Sanders, Bucking National Affiliate

The endorsement, which will officially be made Monday, is particularly notable because the union chapter, SEA/SEIU Local 1984, has acted separately from its national affiliate organization, the Service Employees International Union. That group, which represents about 2 million workers nationally, has remained neutral in the endorsement process to this point, balancing relationships with multiple candidates and regional concerns that differ across local chapters.

But the New Hampshire chapter wanted to use its political firepower to back Sanders in time for the state’s first-in-the-nation primary, Rich Gulla, the local president, said in a statement. About 10,000 workers across the state are represented by the union’s collective bargaining contract.

“Sen. Sanders has taken the time to stand with us on multiple occasions,” Gulla said, citing a joint news conference state workers held with Sanders in December. “This type of unwavering dedication to New Hampshire’s workers means that we can trust him to have our backs.”

Both the 2016 primary and general elections for president disrupted many labor organizations and the political process that governs their endorsements. Several groups experienced a split between rank-and-file members and union leadership, emblematic of the larger grassroots and establishment split that has roiled both political parties in recent years.

As a consequence, many labor organizations have been more transparent, democratic and prudent about their endorsement process in this election cycle. At SEIU, there are few plans to back an individual candidate before early-state voting begins in 2020.

Leaders have instead established a lengthy interview process for candidates that includes embracing a “Unions for All” agenda and walking for a day with SEIU members. According to union organizers who were familiar with Local 1984’s process, the national group’s board was aware that the local was set to endorse Sanders before the state primary and did not discourage it from doing so.

It is unclear whether other local chapters will now become more involved in the presidential race. In a statement, Sara Lonardo, a spokeswoman for the national union, said the board respected Local 1984’s decision.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times .