Unions divided between Edwards, Clinton

[draft_mario_cuomo]

==CHICAGO, Aug. 8 — The A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s executive council voted on Wednesday against endorsing any presidential candidate, reflecting divisions over which Democrat to support and setting the stage for its 55 member unions to make individual endorsements.

Labor leaders said several large unions were leaning strongly toward Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and others toward former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina.==

==Union leaders say two giant public sector unions, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, are leaning toward Mrs. Clinton. But the strong support that those unions’ locals in the Midwest feel toward Senator Barack Obama of Illinois could prevent their parent unions from backing Mrs. Clinton.

Many industrial unions, most notably the United Steelworkers, are especially enthusiastic about Mr. Edwards because of his backing of many labor causes and his strong views on limiting international trade accords. Union leaders say there is a good chance that the Teamsters and Unite Here, which represents apparel, hotel and restaurant workers, will back Mr. Edwards.==

Read the rest at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/us/politics/09labor.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

The best scenario for Edwards is winning the backing of most of the AFL-CIO's 55 unions and having Obama supporters prevent the AFT and AFSCME from being able to endorse Clinton.

[billyoc]

1. AFT and AFSCME can't be outsourced. n/t

[fwiff]

2. Hmmm...well, Clinton hires union busters and Edwards doesn't.

It seems like a no-brainer to me.

Mark Penn, adviser/strategist, has also advised corporations to bust unions.
Why unions would endorse such a candidate is beyond me.

Edwards should have come out swinging with this one.

(BTW, I am not yet committed to a candidate)

[saltpoint]

3. Informative and interesting, too. If unions are not as prominent as

they once were in U.S. politics, they can still make significant differences, and no candidate would be ashamed to have a dedicated block of support like that in their camp.

Unions and Democrats go back a long way, and mosty it's been a profitable alliance. The Republicans want all union power dissolved, which tells you how their priorities are ordered.

Go, unions.

Go, Democrats.