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“We strongly believe that the Liberals have the best jobs plan and we’re going to support them. That’s what we’re going to stand up for,” said Parton. “I’ve been elected to do a duty as much as she has, to support these guys. When they are not working, they are looking to me. And when I’m not working, I’m looking to her. So we all have people to answer to.”

The move is a blow to the provincial NDP in advance of the May 9 election. Although the Ironworkers have not formally endorsed a party in recent elections, they are traditionally sympathetic to the New Democrats, and former NDP premier Glen Clark was a key Ironworkers organizer in his day.

The criticism from the union strikes at the heart of a problem the NDP faced in the last election, highlighting the party’s internal divide between environmentalists who oppose natural resource projects and the trade unions who support the resource industry’s working-class jobs.

“For years, they’ve been thought of as the labour party, but what’s happened in the past has made my members very concerned,” Parton said of the NDP. “When they come out against the George Massey bridge, that’s a direct attack against the Ironworkers, and I can’t take it any other way. That’s our bridge.”

NDP leader John Horgan brushed off the endorsement, saying it is “a long way from the campaign” and he has other priorities to worry about.

“I’m going to spend my time rather than worrying about what’s happening today with the premier finding two members to stand with her from the labour movement,” he said. “I’m going to continue to work with people across B.C. to talk about their issues.”