Group urges teacher organizations, local unions to follow suit

HELENA -- The Montana Progressive Labor Caucus Political Action Committee on Friday endorsed Democrat Brian Schweitzer for governor and asked all local unions, teachers' organizations and other groups to follow suit.

''The 2004 election of a new governor in Montana is clearly the most important election facing our state in well over a decade," the PAC said in a press release. ''2004 signals an end to Republican business as usual in Montana. This election marks a clear opportunity for Montana to effectively seek higher paying jobs and some answers to the need for affordable health care."

The group said Montanans next year ''have an opportunity to end the failed economic policies of Republican administrations that have brought our state's workers the lowest wages of America.' Voters have a chance to bring to an end Republican administrations that gave the state ''energy deregulation that has wrought economic disaster and devastating electrical rate increases to Montana consumers and businesses," it said.

In addition, the PAC said Montanans have a chance to end the attack from the governor's office on ''reasonable conservation and environmental laws" and to end ''corporate tax giveaways" that have made it impossible to adequately fund public education, the Montana university system and critically needed social programs."

The Progressive Labor Caucus PAC called on its members and affiliates ''to work tirelessly on Brian Schweitzer's behalf from this date through the 2004 election."

Schweitzer faces Democratic opposition from Tom Petrillo of Essex. Republicans in the governor's race are Secretary of State Bob Brown of Whitefish, investment adviser Pat Davison of Billings, former state Sen. Tom Keating of Billings and former state Sen. Ken Miller of Laurel.

The Montana Progressive Labor Caucus, formed in June 2001, is made up of some local trade unions, affiliated organizations and individuals. Its Web site says the caucus organized after concluding the new leadership of the Montana AFL-CIO, elected in May 2001, ''would no longer promote an agenda of progressive tax policies, human rights, sound environmental protections, legal rights and the protection of the less fortunate."