NASHVILLE – Odessa Kelly, Democratic candidate for Congress in TN-07, announced today the national endorsement of the Communication Workers of America Union as well as Laborers International Union of North America Local 386. They join a growing list of unions that have already endorsed Kelly, including SEIU and AFL-CIO. The endorsement comes just in time for Labor Day and on the heels of Kelly’s participation in the Central Labor Council of Middle Tennessee Labor Day Parade, solidifying the candidate as the obvious workers’ choice for TN-07.
“Tennessee needs someone who truly knows the struggle of working families,” said Yolanda Cunningham, Tennessee Legislative/Political Director of CWA. “Odessa’s insight on the issues working people face daily and her proven record of fighting for equality on all levels will give working families a much-needed voice in Congress.”
From Amazon to Starbucks, the labor movement is gaining a tremendous amount of momentum across the nation. Union applications have increased by 58% over the first nine months of the 2022 fiscal year compared to the first three quarters of 2021.
“The fight for worker justice is the fight for human dignity” said Kelly. “Billion-dollar corporations rake in unprecedented profits off the backs of workers who can barely make ends meet or are faced with unconscionable working conditions. This kind of worker exploitation is exactly why we need unions now more than ever. And as a proud dues-paying union member myself, I’m honored to have the support of CWA and LiUNA Local 386. Let’s make TN-07 a union district.”
The endorsement comes as no surprise, given Kelly’s opponent’s hostility toward working families. Rep. Mark Green has come under fire for openly condemning postal workers and teachers across the nation, as well as co-sponsoring the notoriously anti-union “Right-To-Work Act”, which would make it harder for workers to organize and build power. Meanwhile, Kelly has vowed to make the fight for worker justice a central component of her Congressional agenda. If elected, she will make history as the district’s first openly gay, Black Congresswoman.
