Patrick receives endorsement of the state's second-largest teachers' union
The state's second-largest teachers' union yesterday endorsed the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Deval L. Patrick.
This brought Patrick's tally of endorsements from unions to a total of 16.
``Deval Patrick . . . has demonstrated clearly his commitment to the principle that students need resources to be able to learn and teachers need support in order to be able to teach," union president Thomas J. Gosnell said.
The American Federation of Teachers, Massachusetts, represents 20,000 teachers in mostly urban districts. The union's Boston local, which has 8,700 members, also endorsed Patrick earlier this week.
Patrick has been endorsed by the United Auto Workers State CAP Council; the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, Central Massachusetts Area Local 4553; and United Food and Commercial Workers locals, 328 and 791.
The Massachusetts AFL-CIO, which has 400,000 members, will endorse a candidate at the end of this month. The Massachusetts Teachers Association, the state's largest teacher union, has not made an endorsement.
Patrick, who is the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate, is competing with Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly and Christopher F. Gabrieli for the Democratic nomination.
Emma G. Fitzsimmons 