Great news [1] from our press shop:

Alaska’s largest employee union has endorsed Mark Begich for the U.S. Senate. In a vote yesterday, the ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Political Action Committee put its support behind Begich, who is challenging Sen. Ted Stevens for the seat.

“Mark Begich exemplifies the new direction that Alaska needs to move in order to restore the public’s faith in our elected leaders,” said Jim Duncan, Business Manager for ASEA/AFSCME Local 52.

“I am very pleased to receive the support of thousands of Alaska’s public employees,” Begich said. “This, again, shows how hard working Alaskans appreciate someone who is fighting for our state on issues such as better health care, fair pay, energy and other areas that impact our lives everyday.”

ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 represents over 8,000 members in both state and municipal government in the State of Alaska. Alaska State Employees Association is also affiliated with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which is the largest public sector union in the United States.

“Our congressional delegation needs to understand that frontline public employees are the backbone of providing services to our citizens. Ensuring that these employees are valued should be a concern to all elected officials,” Duncan said. “ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 believes that Mark Begich is the best person to fight for these values. Issues such as health care, living wage, retirement security and the right to organize workers without the fear of harassment, are issues important to Mark Begich.”