U.S. Democratic presidential forerunner Hillary Clinton gained advantage over her rival, independent Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, when she bagged the support of another major teachers' union. Composed of three million members, the National Education Association (NEA) gave its support to Clinton, joining a host of other unions, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the machinists' union, in supporting Clinton.
NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia said in a statement that they "proudly support the Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States."
According to Garcia, Clinton shows strong leadership and they believe that she will do what's best for the country's students. She also added that Clinton has lobbied to make education fair for all children for more than 40 years.
Garcia also said that the secretary of state will continue fighting for the students, teachers, and those who make a living for their families, stating that she understands that a strong economy starts with a good education.
Grateful for NEA's endorsement, Clinton issued a statement saying, "As president, I will fight to defend workers' right to organize and unions' right to bargain collectively, and I will ensure that teachers always have a voice and a seat at the table in making decisions that impact their work."
Even though the former first lady, senator for New York, and secretary of state failed to gain the endorsement of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Clinton currently has eight labor endorsements composed of about seven million workers, including her most recent one from NEA and another one from AFT during the summer.
According to a poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos last Sept. 29, Clinton gained the support of her party at 44 percent, while his rival Sanders only had 28 percent. As early as August, Clinton already has 56 percent support for the nomination to face the Republican candidate in the November 2016 elections.
