AFL-CIO's Trumka warns Democratic union endorsement not automatic

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka warned Democrats on Wednesday that they could not take union endorsements for granted and would have to meet a higher bar this election cycle to get them. The leader of the nation’s largest labor federation also urged Republicans to try to win union endorsements, saying it was possible if they backed unions in key issues.

“Being a Democrat is not a qualification for our endorsement, and being a Republican isn’t a disqualifier,” Trumka said at an event hosted by the Iowa Federation of Labor. “Simply put: It doesn’t matter if there’s a D, R, or I next to your name. If you support us, and I mean really support us, we will support you. But you better come with more than platitudes and a party label.”