AFL-CIO president: Vickers made threat
By Margaret Toal
Staff writer
ORANGE - Harry Hubbard, president of the Texas AFL-CIO, said Tuesday the campaign manager of a candidate for sheriff made a threat after the labor organization endorsed incumbent James Wade.
"I guess you'd call it a threat," Hubbard said.
He said Huel Fontenot's campaign manager, Harrison Vickers, came to him and told him labor "wouldn't get anything out of Fontenot" if Fontenot is elected.
Vickers said he did not threaten Hubbard. He said he has known Hubbard for 20 rears and wanted to talk to him about the labor endorsement.
Vickers said Fontenot has backing from union members and "friendly relations will continue" with labor if Fontenot is elected.
Hubbard conducted a news-conference Tuesday afternoon at the local boilermakers hall to announce the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education endorsement of Wade.
COPE issued the endorsements after the screening committee of the Sabine Area Labor Council made the recommendations, Hubbard said.
The group is backing Wade in his democratic primary runoff against Fontenot. The election is Tuesday.
The AFL-CIO also is endorsing Orange County commissioner runoff candidates Joe Ware in Precinct 1 and J. R. Burns in precinct 3.
Wade was present at the press conference but Ware and Burns were not Burns said he was not notified about the announcement.
Vickers said the COPE endorsement "is old news. It was issued several months ago."
This past week the Texas Combined Law Enforcement agencies of Texas, which assists local police associations in collective bargaining, endorsed Fontenot.
Local police associations in Orange, Vidor and Bridge City also are endorsing Fontenot.
Hubbard said "upwards of 80 percent of the households" in Orange County have a union member.
"Historically, that has been the figure we have determined," he said.
Wade, who trailed Fontenot by nearly 2,500 votes in the primary March 8, said the union endorsement is a boost to his campaign.
Wade said the backing of the union shows he is "a sheriff of the people."
He said he will "not be dictated to by law enforcement associations."
"If we're not careful, our state is going to end up like a police state," he said.
The FBI on Jan 29 identified Wade as a subject in an investigation after receiving information from an informant that Wade had been involved in the manufacture and sale of methamphetamine.
A number of witnesses, including several deputies, have appeared before a federal grand jury. No indictments or charges have resulted thus far.
Hubbard said he has been watching Wade's work.
"From all the reports I see, he has done a fine job," Hubbard said.
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