Government union endorses Chavez

DEVELOPMENT IN THE CAMPAIGN FOR MAYOR OF ALBUQUERQUE - A MAJOR CITY WORKERS LABOR UNION ENDORSES MARTIN CHAVEZ - THE THREE TERM MAYOR THEY VE OFTEN CLASHED WITH STUART DYSON IS LIVE AT CITY HALL TO ASSESS THE IMPACT THIS IS A STUNNING DEVELOPMENT - TAKING THE CANDIDATES AND EVERYBODY ELSE BY SURPRISE - AFSCME - REPRESENTING THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED CITY WORKERS - IS THROWING ITS WEIGHT BEHIND CHAVEZ - ABANDONING RICHARD ROMERO - THOUGHT BY MANY TO HAVE THE UNION VOTE ALL WRAPPED UP ROMERO - FORMER LEADER OF THE STATE SENATE - ENJOYED STRONG SUPPORT FROM AFSCME IN HIS TWO UNSUCCESSFUL RUNS FOR CONGRESS IN 02 AND 04 - BUT HE S NOT GETTING IT THIS TIME INSTEAD AFSCME BACKS CHAVEZ - FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS FOUR RUNS FOR MAYOR AND MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT - THIS UNION WORKS HARD FOR ITS CANDIDATES - TURNING OUT THE VOTE I was very pleasantly surprised - they ve never ever supported me in a mayoral election - I look forward to working with them - clearly I think the handling of the city s budget was important CHAVEZ CRAFTED A BUDGET THAT NOT ONLY AVOIDED LAYOFFS - IT ACTUALLY GAVE RAISES TO MANY CITY EMPLOYEES - MANY OF THEM UNION MEMBERS - IN A TIME OF PLUNGING CITY REVENUES - ROMERO PUTTING THE BEST SPIN ON IT HE CAN The rank and file that I talk to - people that call me - send emails to me - people I talk to every day - are not happy with the leadership here in this city and they re the ones that are gonna vote ROMERO AND CHAVEZ - BOTH DEMOCRATS CONTENDING FOR THE UNION S SUPPORT REPUBLICAN R J BERRY WAS NEVER CONSIDERED A REAL CONTENDER FOR THE UNION ENDORSEMENT SOME MEMBERS OF THE CITY BLUECOLLAR WORKERS LOCAL ARE TELLING US THEY RE UNHAPPY WITH THE CHAVEZ ENDORSEMENT - FIREFIGHTERS ENDORSED CHAVEZ BACK IN FEBRUARY - NO ENDORSEMENT YET FROM THE POLICE UNION - AT CITY HALL STUART DYSON EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR