HELENA - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brian Schweitzer picked up the endorsement over the weekend of the political committee of the state's largest union, the MEA-MFT, and will be seeking the backing of Montana AFL-CIO this weekend.

On Saturday, the Committee on Political Education of the MEA-MFT, comprising 16,000 educators and other school and government employees, decided to back Schweitzer over Republican candidate Bob Brown, a lifetime MEA-MFT member. The decision came after the 35-member COPE interviewed both candidates.

"MEA-MFT COPE believes Brian Schweitzer is dedicated to change - change in how government and public education can work collaboratively with taxpayers and the private sector to grow both Montana's economy and social compact," said Eric Feaver, MEA-MFT president and COPE chairman.

He called Schweitzer "a leader who will build bridges across the deep and partisan divide that has for far too long separated Democrats from Republicans." Feaver said Schweitzer made no promises to the group "except to challenge political complacency and inertia and try new ways of doing business to move our great state forward."

"In this regard, Brian knows that to provide better jobs for our citizens and enhance our quality of life, Montana must invest in the women and men who deliver quality public schools and public programs," Feaver said.

Feaver concluded, "Brian is who we need today, right now, here in Montana. What is past is past, but we cannot permit the mistakes of the past to define our future."

In response, Schweitzer said he appreciates the MEA-MFT's strong endorsement and "the hard work put forth daily by Montana's teachers." As the father of three children in Montana public schools, Schweitzer said he knows "the great impact teachers have in shaping the future of the state."

"I look forward to working with the teachers in the future to ensure that the right investment is made in our state's education system, and I will continue to emphasize in this campaign that economic prosperity starts with strong public education," said Schweitzer, a farmer-rancher from Whitefish.

Brown, Montana's secretary of state, was unavailable for comment, but he was disappointed by the MEA-MFT decision, his campaign manager, Jason Thielman, said. As a lawmaker, Brown received the MEA-MFT's most prestigious award, and Brown and his wife, Sue, are longtime educators who've devoted their lives to educating and promoting Montana's young people, he said.

Brown and his running mate, Dave Lewis "have a lifelong commitment to quality education, to students and teachers, and they've lived that way in the past, and they will continue to honor that in the future, regardless of the union endorsement," Thielman said.

Now attention shifts to the Montana AFL-CIO convention in Butte Friday and Saturday where union members from across the state will gear up for the elections and make endorsements in state races, following candidate interviews by its COPE. Endorsements also will be made for 125 legislative races, with the convention delegates asked to ratify recommendations made by local labor bodies, and some ballot measures.

It takes a two-thirds majority vote for the AFL-CIO to endorse candidates, said AFL-CIO executive secretary Jerry Driscoll. Before the June 8 primary, the AFL-CIO recommended people voting in the Democratic primary back Schweitzer, and those in the Republican primary cast their ballots for Brown.

He declined to speculate over which governor candidates will get the AFL-CIO nod.

However, by snagging the endorsement of the MEA-MFT, which makes up more than half of the AFL-CIO, Schweitzer backers would appear to have enough support to block a move to endorse Brown or jointly endorse him.

And Schweitzer said Monday he believes he will have enough union support to win the two-thirds majority to gain AFL-CIO endorsement too. He released a list of 50 local unions that have endorsed him and five other statewide labor union groups besides the MEA-MFT.

"Our members are very much tuned into this year's elections - both nationally and at the state level," Driscoll said. "Based on AFL-CIO membership numbers, labor in Montana has the potential of delivering over 100,000 votes in this year's important election."

The AFL-CIO has 47,000 active and retired union members in Montana, he said, while the 100,000 figure includes spouses and family members.