The leadership of the United Steel Workers’ union is backing Quebec MP Guy Caron in the NDP leadership race.

A statement signed by USW directors Ken Neumann, Marty Warren and Stephen Hunt said Caron is “clearly the best-placed candidate to build on Jack Layton’s hard-fought breakthrough in Quebec.”

The statement praised Caron for bringing “strong policy ideas” to the table, particularly his basic income proposal and ‘Workers First’ policy plank.

The union represents more than 225,000 workers in Canada.

The joint statement “encouraged debate” within the union, and said that brass will respect individual members’ opinions, “particularly concerning Quebec politics.”

“We cherish democracy within our union and respect those choices.”

The Caron campaign also picked up another major endorsement earlier in the week from former NDP party leader Alexa McDonough, and another federal caucus endorsement from Quebec MP Karine Trudel.

Caron’s campaign sees the union endorsement as a huge deal.

The USW had hosted an NDP leadership debate in June focused on labour issues.

It’s the second major union endorsement in the race this week. Tuesday, Jagmeet Singh netted an endorsement from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), which has more than 250,000 members. UFCW brass had encouraged its membership to back Singh in the race.

Singh still leads the field in federal caucus endorsements.

The party chooses its next leader in October.