“I am honored to receive the support of the Carpenters Union,” Edwards said in a statement. “For more than a century, they have been fighting for working Americans and standing up for the values that have made our country great — hard work, responsibility and fairness. America was built by men and women who worked with their hands, and it’s labor that made our country great. I look forward to joining with the Carpenters to build one America, where every person has the chance to work hard and get ahead.”

The union has more than 520,000 members, and Edwards is the first presidential candidate it has endorsed in the primaries in “several” cycles.

“Our endorsement is based on the senator’s outspoken support for all of organized labor and his focus on America’s working families,” union President Douglas McCarron said. “In addition to his support for labor, our leadership was particularly impressed with the senator’s strong stand on trade.”

McCarron added: “We also believe that Senator Edwards will have a great appeal in a general election. He has the ability to reach out to moderate voters, including the members of our union, and to address their very real concerns about jobs, healthcare and the economy.”

Edwards has built much of his 2008 campaign around poverty and union issues.

The carpenters’ union endorsement will not officially be announced until Sept. 8 in New Hampshire, but the campaign released a statement just hours after Clinton announced her support from the IAM.

An Edwards spokeswoman said the campaign did not move up its announcement to follow Clinton’s.

“Edwards is in a competitive position to gain the support of several unions, but each of the Democratic candidates, especially Sen. Clinton, is doing everything they can to secure endorsements,” Edwards spokeswoman Colleen Murray said in an e-mail. “The truth is it’s a dogfight, but no matter what, Edwards will continue to be a strong voice for working families and the middle class as the campaign continues.”