Jan. 20—ATLANTA — The Georgia AFL-CIO and its affiliated unions endorsed Stacey Abrams for governor at a press conference held outside the IBEW Local 613 offices in Atlanta. Abrams was joined by Georgia AFL-CIO President Charlie Flemming, Savannah Regional Central Labor Council President Christi Hulme, Communications Workers of America Local 3204 President Ed Barlow, among other Georgia labor leaders.

The following is an official statement from Flemming regarding the endorsement:

"There is no better champion for Georgia's working families than Stacey Abrams, which is why we are extraordinarily proud to endorse her run for Governor.

"Stacey has been and continues to be an ally to the labor movement across our state and will continue to do so as the next governor of Georgia. She knows our critical need for a governor who understands first-hand how the union difference can transform lives and drive progress for generations to come. She will work to fight our skyrocketing racial and economic inequalities, plagued further by the coronavirus pandemic, to ensure Georgians make not just a minimum — but a livable — wage.

"We know that the state has the resources and opportunity to do the right thing and show up for working people and their families, but they continue to abdicate their responsibilities and fail us time and time again. Georgia's future is on the line. The stakes of this election could not be higher. We know Stacey Abrams is the governor Georgia needs right now, and we're ready to give her our full support."

Following is an official statement from Abrams regarding the endorsement:

"I am honored to have the support of Georgia AFL-CIO and affiliates representing working families across the state. As one of six children to a shipyard worker and a librarian, I know the struggles faced by working families across our cities and throughout our rural areas. Georgians want the opportunity to thrive, and many in our state find that opportunity because of membership in a labor union.

"Unions built America's middle class. Organized labor gave our nation's work force the eight-hour workday, overtime pay, family leave, sick leave, worker safety protections, paid holidays, Social Security and more. I am a proud pro-labor candidate and I will be a proud pro-labor governor. Work as we know it is changing, and we must seize this moment for workers. We must support and protect the right to organize because success in Georgia should not be determined by background, zip code or access to power.

"As governor, I will reject a false choice that being pro-business means being anti-worker. For Georgia to compete, we must foster an inclusive, diverse economy in which business and workers can thrive together. We are One Georgia."

The Georgia AFL-CIO is the state's largest labor federation, representing tens of thousands of union members statewide.