Carpenters Union adds on support for Coleman; Franken gets nod, too

Last update: August 21, 2008 - 10:17 PM

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Sen. Norm Coleman has picked up the endorsement of a labor union that endorsed his opponent in their race six years ago.

The Carpenters Union is Minnesota's largest construction union, with more than 13,000 members.

Also on Thursday, Democrat Al Franken said he has been endorsed by another construction union, the Minnesota Building and Trades Construction Council. Franken has racked up endorsements from most of the state's largest labor unions.

The Carpenters Union endorsed Democrat Paul Wellstone in 2002, but the group's political director, Kyle Makarios, said it decided to go with Coleman, a Republican, this time.

He said Coleman has supported many of their goals, including more spending on infrastructure and requiring federal contractors to pay the prevailing local wage rather than importing cheaper labor.

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