ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en"> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <meta name="keywords" content="" /> <meta name="description" content="" /> <meta name="robots" content="index,follow" /> <META HTTP-EQUIV="CACHE-CONTROL" CONTENT="NO-CACHE"> <META HTTP-EQUIV="PRAGMA" CONTENT="NO-CACHE"> <title>International Longshoremen's Association</title> <script type="text/javascript" src="js/main.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="js/anylinkvertical.js"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="css/main.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="css/internal.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="print" href="css/print.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" href="css/anylinkvertical.css" /> <link rel="Shortcut Icon" type="image/x-icon" href="favicon.ico" /> <style> <!-- div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> </head> <body> <!-- navigation --> <div id="menu_ilatoday" class="anylinkcss"> <a href="childrensfund.html">Children's Fund</a> <!-- <a href="leg_issues.html">Where We Stand</a> --> <a href="history.html">History</a> </div> <div id="menu_about" class="anylinkcss"> <a href="executive_council.html">ILA Exec Council</a> <a href="executive_board.html">ACD Exec Board</a> <a href="sagcd_executive_board.html">SAGCD Exec Board</a> <a href="bios.html">Officer Bios</a> <a href="directory.html">ILA Directory</a> <a href="links.html">ILA Links</a> <a href="pdf/MasterContractAndMemorandumOfSettlement.pdf">Master Contract and Memorandum of Settlement</a> <a href="http://www.afl-cio.org/">AFL-CIO Website</a> <a href="http://www.clc-ctc.ca/">CLC Website</a> <a href="http://www.itf.org.uk/">ITF Website</a> </div> <div id="menu_constitution" class="anylinkcss"> <a href="pdf/ILAConstitution.pdf" target="_blank">ILA Constitution</a> </div> <!-- end navigation --> <div id="container"> <div id="header"> <div id="logo" onclick="location.href='index.html'" title="Click to Return Home"></div> <div id="email"><a href="mailto:jmcnamara@ilaunion.org" title="E-mail ILA"><img src="img/icon_email.gif" alt="E-mail" width="26" height="20" /></a></div> <div id="animation"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><img src="img/headericons/i1.jpg" alt="Icon" id="img1" width="185" height="140" /></td><td><img src="img/headericons/i5.jpg" alt="Icon" id="img2" width="185" height="140" /></td><td><img src="img/headericons/i4.jpg" alt="Icon" id="img3" width="185" height="140" /></td></tr></table> </div> </div> <div id="sandbox"> <div id="leftnav"> <img src="images/menu/top.jpg" alt="Home" width="193" height="9" /><br /> <a href="index.html" title="Home"><img src="images/menu/home.jpg" alt="Home" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <a href="news.html" title="News"><img src="images/menu/news.jpg" alt="News" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <a href="calendar.html" title="Calendar"><img src="images/menu/calendar.jpg" alt="Calendar" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <a href="leg_updates0729.html" title="Legislative Update"><img src="images/menu/legislativeUpdate.jpg" alt="Legislative Update" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <a href="newsletters.html" title="Newsletter"><img src="images/menu/newsletter.jpg" alt="Newsletter" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <a href="ila_today.html" title="ILA Today" onclick="return clickreturnvalue()" onmouseover="dropdownmenu(this, event, 'menu_ilatoday)"><img src="images/menu/ilaToday.jpg" alt="ILA Today" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <a href="about.html" title="About" onclick="return clickreturnvalue()" onmouseover="dropdownmenu(this, event, 'menu_about')"><img src="images/menu/about.jpg" alt="About" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <a href="constitution.html" title="Constitution" onclick="return clickreturnvalue()" onmouseover="dropdownmenu(this, event, 'menu_constitution')"><img src="images/menu/constitution.jpg" alt="Constitution" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <a href="pdf/CodeOfEthics.pdf" title="Code of Ethics" target="_blank"><img src="images/menu/codeofethics.jpg" alt="Code of Ethics" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <a href="links.html" title="Links"><img src="images/menu/links.jpg" alt="Links" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <a href="ilaPhotos.html" title="ILA Photos"><img src="images/menu/ilaPhotos.jpg" alt="ILA Photos" width="193" height="25" /></a><br /> <img src="images/menu/nav_icon_blank.jpg" alt="Home" width="193" height="125" /><br /> </div> <div id="content"> <div id="content_center"> <table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="content_sandbox"> <tr> <td align="center"><h2>Senator Barack Obama Thanks ILA For Endorsement and Pledges Not To Tax MILA Benefits; Says ILA Members Deserve Candidate  Committed To Improving the Lives of Working Families </h2></td> <td align="right" valign="bottom" class="nav_links"></td> </tr> <tr><td align="right" valign="bottom"><span class="content_date">10/02/2008</span></td></tr> </table> <div class="blue_line"></div> <br> <p><b>NEW YORK</b>  Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama told ILA President Richard P. Hughes that it was  an honor to have the endorsement of the International Longshoremen s Association and its members and that they deserved a candidate  committed to improving the lives of working families. <p>In a letter to the ILA leader, Senator Obama said:  Americans like the members of the ILA have always been the backbone of the American economy, and your commitment and support in this election cycle will help us take back our government and restore a sense of shared prosperity and security to our nation In June, the ILA s Executive Council unanimously voted to endorse Senator Barack Obama s candidacy for President of the United States. At the time, ILA President Hughes commented:  Throughout his years of public service, Senator Obama has stood staunchly with working families and the union movement with a 98% positive voting record. <p>With just three weeks to go in the campaign, ILA President Hughes restated the importance of ILA members and their families voting on November 4th and supporting the ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.  Barack Obama s opponent, Senator John McCain, represents the same anti-union and failed economic policies that we ve suffered through for the past eight years with George Bush, Mr. Hughes said. The ILA leader cited Barack Obama s support of the Employee Free Choice Act and his pledge not to tax ILA members health benefits as two of many examples why the union has endorsed him. <p> I am fighting to make sure that all Americans have access to quality healthcare, enjoy fair treatment at work, receive a fair share of the wealth they create, and that all children benefit from excellent educational opportunities, Obama told ILA members.  Unlike Senator McCain, I will protect the pensions the ILA has negotiated for you, and I will not tax union healthcare benefits. <p>Senator Obama also pledged to drastically upgrade national port security and to  provide funds necessary to build a safe and efficient maritime transportation system that connects our ports to our highways and rail networks. <p></p><a href="pdf/obamathankyou.pdf"><b>Read full text of Senator Barack Obama s letter.</b></a> <br> <br> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer"> <div class="footer_left">&copy; All Rights Reserved.&nbsp;&nbsp;2010 International Longshoremen's Association</div> <div class="footer_right"><a href="index.html">Home</a> | <a href="about.html">About</a> | <a href="contact.html">Contact</a></div> </div> </div> </body> </html>