A wine aficionado recently wrote about “capacity of site,” referring to a wine’s “terroir” or the effect a vineyard’s soil and climate can have on the quality and character of the wine that is produced.

When the UFT, NYSUT, AFT and AFL-CIO consider political endorsements, they also have a “capacity of site.” For us, it is broadly an evaluation of a candidate’s quality and character, and position on education, labor and human rights issues.

For an endorsement as important to labor as backing a presidential candidate, we look into some very important issues before making such a major commitment. For us, it is these specific issues that guide and motivate us before we take this kind of a major step of political support and recommend a candidate to our members.

Here are some of the issues, positives and negatives that have been considered and evaluated in making this AFT endorsement recommendation.

Would you like the next president of the United States to:

• Increase funding for public education
• Support affordable tuition at public colleges
• Reform immigration laws with a road to citizenship
• Regulate hedge funds and investment and banking firms
• Strengthen regulatory laws akin to FDR’s Glass Steagall Act of 1933
• Improve and enhance Social Security
• Base the Social Security COLA on seniors’ needs (CPL)
• Improve the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
• Allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices as it does for the Veterans Administration
• Fight pharmaceuticals to control skyrocketing drug prices
• Provide day care support for working families
• Invest in infrastructure
• Control nuclear weapons
• Support NATO alliance resistance to an expansionist Russia
• Support only labor friendly trade agreements
• Support Israel
• Protect Planned Parenthood and the right to choose
• Support marriage equality and fairness on sexual orientation
• Support equal pay for women
• Support a $15 minimum wage
• Overturn voter discrimination laws and promote voter access
• Support the appointment of Supreme Court nominees who are progressive and labor friendly

Or would you like the next president of the United States to:

• Support private school vouchers
• Provide public funds/tax credits for for-profit charter schools
• Exclude Muslims from entry into the United States
• Deport all 11 million illegal immigrants
• Cut or privatize Social Security
• Create Medicare vouchers that could limit the program
• Eliminate the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

These are the labor movement’s “capacity of site” issues for us to consider as we approach political action.

While not exact science, if you based your election choice on these issues for whom would you vote?

The AFT and the AFL-CIO recommend that you cast your ballot for Hillary Clinton for president. How does she do on the majority of issues listed above? It’s your decision; your personal, private choice.

In solidarity, I hope this helps in your decision-making.