Labor Union Blog

By Doug Cunningham

The UAW is not officially endorsing any primary candidate. But UAW Region 4 Director Dennis Williams is backing Senator Barack Obama. Williams has known Obama since 1995.

[Williams]: “I think Senator Barack Obama brings something new to the table. He’s a good listener. He listens to people before he makes decisions, and I think that’s something new that we need in Washington, D.C. I think he brings a common sense approach to solving problems. And I think that’s what we’re lacking in Washington, D.C.”

But does Obama have the fire in the belly to really fight for labor?

By Doug Cunningham

AFSCME is backing Senator Hillary Clinton. AFSCME’s Andrew Bouska says Clinton is the better candidate and here’s why.

[Bouska]: “I think her strength, her leadership and her experience are unparalleled. She has the plans to move America forward. She has the experience to get that done. There won’t be any quote, unquote on the job training with Senator Clinton. I think in terms of economic security, protecting America, providing health care for everyone, standing up for strong workers, ending privatization Hillary Clinton is the candidate to best do that.”

Bouska believes the momentum in Iowa has swung back to Clinton.

By Doug Cunningham

With just days to before before the Iowa caucuses unions are working hard for Democratic candidates in Iowa. SEIU Local 199 President Cathy Glasson says her union has people in the field doing voter outreach and will work right up to the caucuses to get people to come out for Senator John Edwards.

[Glasson]: “He actually walks the walk and has talked the talk for us. And he’s actually been on our pickets lines, he’s been in our organizing campaigns – not just now, but he was there several years ago. So he’s been a friend of SEIU in Iowa for many, many years. So we believe that he stands on our issues and is the best candidate to actually serve us in the White House and actually make change that’s important to working folks and union members in Iowa.”

It is an axiom in the union movement that organizing, collective bargaining and politics are all part of creating and maintaining good jobs. But in Los Angeles, workers have taken the combination to the next step by integrating the three into one campaign.

Next year not only is an election year with national and local offices on the line. In addition, some 350,000 workers in the L.A. area, members of 30 local unions, will renegotiate their contracts in 2008. And another 30,000 are poised to join a union.

So, under the leadership of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, workers are combining their resources in contract fights, organizing and politics into a single “Fight for Good Jobs” campaign.