Area chapter of AFL-CIO backs Peduto in its primary endorsements

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto won the endorsement of the Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council on Saturday, despite some public disagreements with the labor organization and its support for his primary election challenger, Rep. Ed Gainey, during several of his successful campaigns for the state House of Representatives.

The labor council released its picks for the May 18 primary after considering an “unprecedented” number of candidates and conducting more than 20 hours of interviews, according to a statement from its president, Darrin Kelly. Mr. Kelly said those selected would “protect the union way of life.”

The organization, which is the local chapter of the AFL-CIO, is comprised of unions whose leaders participate in the endorsement process.

Mr. Peduto has not always seen eye to eye with members of the labor council. Just last month, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, which has 45,000 members, said it was throwing its support behind Mr. Gainey. Both are Democrats.

In October 2019, when Mr. Peduto announced at an environmental conference he opposed “any additional petrochemical companies coming to Western Pennsylvania,” Mr. Kelly fired back with a blunt statement.

“Calling to banish an entire industry is an insult to a lot of hardworking men and women in organized labor and their entire way of life,” Mr. Kelly argued.

Mr. Peduto’s comments angered many in the council’s ranks who represent unions working on oil and gas pipelines,

infrastructure and the ethane cracker and petrochemical complex Royal Dutch Shell is building in Beaver County.

Nevertheless, the mayor won over at least two-thirds of the labor leaders involved in the decision-making process. Anyone who falls short of that threshold doesn’t get the endorsement.

In the Pittsburgh City Council race, the labor groups favored Theresa Kail-Smith, District 2; Anthony Coghill, District 4; Daniel Lavelle, District 6; and Erika Strassburger, District 8.

While five out of nine seats are up in the election for Pittsburgh School Board, the labor council endorsed only one candidate: current board President Sylvia Wilson, of District 1, who is seeking her third term.

The council also endorsed Superior Court Judge Maria McLaughlin for the state Supreme Court; Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Timika Lane for Superior Court; and Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge David Spurgeon and Amanda Green -Hawkins for Commonwealth Court.

It recommended Patrick Catena, District 4, and Bob Palmosina, District 12, for Allegheny County Council and backed Kevin Kraus for Allegheny County sheriff.

For the nine vacancies on Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, the organization recommended Bruce Beemer, Bill Caye, Jessel Costa, Elliot Howsie, Dan Konieczka, Sabrina Korbel, Zeke Rediker, Albert Veverka and county Controller Chelsa Wagner.

In races with open seats for district magistrates, the organization endorsed Hilary Taylor, Mt. Lebanon; Jennifer Evashavik, Fox Chapel/Sharpsburg/Aspinwall; Nick Martini, West End; and Mark Scorpion, North Side.

The endorsements still need approval from the state AFL-CIO, which usually rubber-stamps the consensus on local races.

Additionally, the Allegheny County Democratic Committee plans to endorse its slate of candidates Sunday.