Presidential contest a focus of Labor Day breakfast in Santa Rosa
The "Follow This Story" feature will notify you when any articles related to this story are posted.
When you follow a story, the next time a related article is published — it could be days, weeks or months — you'll receive an email informing you of the update.
If you no longer want to follow a story, click the "Unfollow" link on that story. There's also an "Unfollow" link in every email notification we send you.
This tool is available only to subscribers; please make sure you're logged in if you want to follow a story.
Clay Cook lived up to his name Monday by serving up a hot mess of pancakes at an annual Labor Day breakfast in Santa Rosa.
In a few days, the Santa Rosa letter carrier will be in Nevada delivering a dollop of support for Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.
Cook was among a number of union members Monday who cited the upcoming presidential election as a priority for the labor movement in coming months.
Cook said he’s worried that if Donald Trump is elected, the Republican will deliver on his promise to roll back labor-friendly policies implemented under the Obama administration.
“It’s very important that we make sure Trump doesn’t get elected,” Cook, a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers Local 183, said while flipping pancakes.
More than 200 people attended the free pancake breakfast and union pep rally at the Carpenters’ Labor Center on Corby Avenue. The annual event is sponsored by the North Bay Labor Council and the AFL-CIO.
Clinton’s large lead in California polls, coupled with a lack of November ballot measures taking direct aim at the labor movement, has freed organized labor to focus attention elsewhere. For many, that means heading out of state to take on Trump.
“We have a chance to stop an absolute train wreck,” Congressman Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, told breakfast attendees Monday. “It is important that everyone come out and vote.”
Thompson also took the opportunity to reiterate his opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, putting him at odds with President Barack Obama, who is pushing the sweeping trade pact with Pacific Rim nations. Organized labor opposes the deal.
“They need to keep working on it,” Thompson said of the Obama administration, following the congressman’s remarks at the podium. “We’ll see what the final product looks like, but as of now, that final product doesn’t adequately address the concerns I have.”
The North Coast’s other congressman, Democrat Jared Huffman, also attended the breakfast event, as did a number of elected leaders representing the region’s interests in Sacramento.
Local politics also took center stage Monday, with both candidates vying for the 5th District seat on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors attending the event. The North Bay Labor Council has endorsed Noreen Evans in the race over opponent Lynda Hopkins.
Joel While, a retired school bus driver from Cloverdale, said he wants a living wage ordinance enacted in the county.
“People can’t live on minimum wage,” he said.
You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek.
