Bloomberg: Edwards's Stance on Trade May Attract Union Support

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aatIQ0KG3WSo&refer=home

By Kim Chipman and Nicholas Johnston

Aug. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Presidential candidate John Edwards stopped by a Teamsters union barbeque in Chicago last weekend to give President James Hoffa a preview of the speech he delivered yesterday, talking tough about labor rights and trade protectionism.

Hoffa liked what he heard, and quickly realized Edwards's labor platform could pump up pressure on other 2008 presidential hopefuls on trade and overhauling labor laws to make it easier for workers to form unions. Hoffa now plans to ask Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, ``Do you agree with this?''

``Obama's not talking about it and Hillary isn't,'' Hoffa said in an interview at the cookout. ``They've got to articulate this if they are going to have the support of organized labor.''

Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, is urging union-friendly labor laws and higher taxes on the wealthy. He also would raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2012, target countries such as China that are accused of undervaluing their currency and impose new trade rules to help safeguard the interests of workers.

``It's not about closing trade down, but about the rules and making sure they work for working people and not just transnational corporations,'' David Bonior, Edwards's campaign manager and a former Democratic congressman from Michigan, said in an interview today.

Creating Distance

Clinton, 59, has already put some distance between herself and the free-trade policies of the administration of her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Edwards's plank may force her to go further, starting tonight with a Democratic presidential candidates' forum in Chicago before the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor federation.

FULL story at link.

[jsamuel]

1. Five recs and no comments :D So I'll add one.

Edwards leads on trade... again...

[benny05]

2. Actually...

JRE was not at the BBQ, but he did visit with Hoffa for a half hour after his townhall at Yearly KOS. Hoffa announced at the BBQ that John Edwards was the only candidate with a labor plan.