Tim Sullivan, the legislative and communications director at Massachusetts AFL–CIO, has dropped his bid to become union president and endorsed his opponent, state Sen. Steve Tolman (D-Brighton).
Sullivan, a 31-year-old Dorchester resident, launched his candidacy earlier this year after Bob Haynes said he would not run again for the presidency of the 400,000-member organization. The election was slated for October.
Tolman, 58, has served in the Senate since 1998, after a two-term stint in the state House of Representatives. He is the assistant majority leader.
If Tolman, now running unopposed, wins the election, the move sets up a special election in his Second Suffolk and Middlesex District.
“I don’t view it as a loss for Tim,” said state Rep. Marty Walsh, a Dorchester Democrat and top union official who was briefly floated as a candidate. “I view it as a learning experience. He conducted a great campaign. He worked hard for the position.”
Below is Sullivan’s full statement.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011, DORCHESTER, MA….“Nearly three months ago I began a campaign and a vital conversation about the future of the labor movement in Massachusetts. In the course of the campaign I was joined by my friend and union brother Senator Steven Tolman, and for many weeks we have engaged in a great discussion about how to strengthen the Massachusetts AFL-CIO now and into the future. At our countless joint appearances and in our private meetings it became quite evident that we agree on the direction we need to take. I have campaigned on the notion that unions need to build a team of diverse labor leaders that is representative of the workforce in order to put the focus back onto workers where it belongs. Senator Tolman agrees with this notion. Rather than spend the next number of weeks campaigning against one another in pursuit of nearly identical goals, I am excited to become part of one team to build a plan for the future and unite the labor movement anew for many years to come. I have said all along that this labor movement doesn’t belong to just one generation but to every generation of workers, so I am honored to be part of the team with Senator Tolman as we capitalize on this historic opportunity for labor.”
