WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton has won the endorsements of North America’s Building Trades and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, giving her the public backing of two large organizations as she works to make rebuilding roads and bridges and women’s economic issues central to her campaign.
The building trades, an alliance of 14 national and international unions representing 3 million skilled craft professionals, announced its support on the heels of Clinton’s plan to spend $275 billion to fix the nation’s aging transportation system. The plan includes $25 billion for a national infrastructure bank, which has been blocked by Republicans during President Barack Obama’s administration.
“Her infrastructure plan is further proof that she understands that the state of our nation’s infrastructure is a bellwether for the health of the American economy and for the economic prospects of American workers,” said Sean McGarvey, the organization’s president.
Clinton, who was campaigning Thursday in New Hampshire, has largely swept the support of organized labor in her primary campaign against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley. The unions represent some of the Democratic party’s most loyal supporters and the endorsements can bring organizational strength and voter outreach in the primaries and caucuses.