LINCOLN — The AFL-CIO federation of labor unions endorsed Gov. Gina Raimondo’s reelection bid Wednesday night, taking sides in a gubernatorial race for the first time since 2006.

The endorsement was not unanimous, but AFL-CIO president George Nee said Raimondo had the “overwhelming support” from the group’s member unions, which span a broad swatch of organized labor, from construction workers to government employees, teachers and health-care workers.

Raimondo has received strong support from the building trades and social service unions, which appeared to have overcome any lingering resentment from state government workers and teachers about pension cuts she engineered as general treasurer.

“It wasn’t obvious four years ago I would be able to be here saying all this. We had endured more than a decade of Republican governors,” Raimondo told union members at Twin River Casino on Wednesday. “You know what you get with Republican governors? Furlough days, a freeze on school construction ... Vote in November because you don’t want to go back to that.”

After proposing minimum wage increases in four consecutive years, Raimondo promised to “raise it again and again and again” if reelected.

But Raimondo’s Republican opponent, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, who was the only GOP candidate to attend the event, fought back against accusations he was anti-worker and anti-union.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I stand together with you on many issues, and even though I am Republican, there is nothing to be afraid of,” Fung said. “All I can say is, change is coming. We will do things the right way. And there is a place in my administration for the union.”

Fung attacked Raimondo for “ramming through” pension cuts and for the poor-performing public-benefits computer system that complicated caring for his late father.

Raimondo has pushed for the passage of several union-friendly policies in recent years, including a bill approved by the General Assembly this year that will allow home care workers to unionize. She also successfully campaigned for rate hikes for childcare workers.

The building trades have welcomed Raimondo’s economic development incentives, highway-funding truck tolls and support for large commercial projects.

Fung drew the ire of unions four years ago for his support in a Republican primary for so-called “right to work” laws, although said he has “evolved” on the issue and said he no longer wants them for Rhode Island.

In a statement after the vote, the Fung campaign said it remains "confident many of the rank and file members will consider supporting Mayor Fung because of the way they have been ill-treated by Governor Raimondo.”

Four years ago with tension from pension overhaul still raw, the federation did not endorse Raimondo, Fung or Moderate Party candidate Robert Healey.

Four years before that, mixed feelings about Democrat Frank Caprio, Republican John Robitaille and independent Lincoln Chafee resulted in no endorsement. Chafee won.

In other races, the AFL-CIO did not endorse a candidate for lieutenant governor.

Incumbent Dan McKee, the Democratic nominee, did not attend the convention.

His support for charter schools has irked teachers unions. He was not endorsed by the AFL-CIO four years ago, either.

In the other statewide races, the AFL-CIO endorsed Democrats Seth Magaziner, for reelection as general treasurer; Nellie Gorbea for reelection as secretary of state; and Peter Neronha for attorney general.