Leaders from more than a dozen labor organizations continue to stick together as they size up the strengths and weaknesses of the three announced candidates for St. Paul mayor.
In several hours of meetings over the past few months, discussion has been blunt, covering everything from candidates' personalities to positions on issues, from fund-raising to perceived electability, from knowledge on vital issues to lack of it.
The goal is to reach a decision, if possible, that will unite St. Paul's unions behind the same candidate, making labor a decisive ? if not the decisive ? force in the November election.
The Trades and Labor Assembly, the local labor federation, intends to hold formal endorsement interviews with the mayoral candidates on March 23. That makes it possible Assembly delegates could vote on an endorsement at their April 13 meeting.
For now, consensus does not exist. But the "house of labor" is not divided, either, as it was in 2001, when Randy Kelly defeated Jay Benanav by 403 votes.
Seeking maximum impact
The unions ? including unions not affiliated with the Assembly ? have given each other their word that they will, to use a common phrase, keep their powder dry, at least for now. None is rushing to endorse a candidate. None will endorse individually without first letting the others know and giving everyone a final chance to remain united.
How long that agreement lasts is up in the air. Although the candidate filing deadline is not until July 19, many feel that, for maximum impact, unions should make their decision in time to influence the DFL city convention on April 30. That, they say, would make it clear there is indeed an ?L? in the DFL. (The mayoral election is legally nonpartisan, but all three announced candidates consider themselves Democrats.)
Kelly remains the focus
Some unions who represent city employees say they are dead set against re-electing Kelly. Others point out that Kelly and his two declared opponents ? Chris Coleman and Rafael Ortega ? generally have been good friends of labor for years.
But Kelly's decision to endorse the re-election of President George W. Bush clearly weakened his chances for a broad labor endorsement. It's not a matter of Democrat or Republican, union officials say, but something far more basic: There's no way unions should endorse a candidate who endorsed a president who has declared war on unions.
Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org
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Leaders from more than a dozen labor organizations continue to stick together as they size up the strengths and weaknesses of the three announced candidates for St. Paul mayor.
In several hours of meetings over the past few months, discussion has been blunt, covering everything from candidates’ personalities to positions on issues, from fund-raising to perceived electability, from knowledge on vital issues to lack of it.
The goal is to reach a decision, if possible, that will unite St. Paul’s unions behind the same candidate, making labor a decisive ? if not the decisive ? force in the November election.
The Trades and Labor Assembly, the local labor federation, intends to hold formal endorsement interviews with the mayoral candidates on March 23. That makes it possible Assembly delegates could vote on an endorsement at their April 13 meeting.
For now, consensus does not exist. But the “house of labor” is not divided, either, as it was in 2001, when Randy Kelly defeated Jay Benanav by 403 votes.
Seeking maximum impact
The unions ? including unions not affiliated with the Assembly ? have given each other their word that they will, to use a common phrase, keep their powder dry, at least for now. None is rushing to endorse a candidate. None will endorse individually without first letting the others know and giving everyone a final chance to remain united.
How long that agreement lasts is up in the air. Although the candidate filing deadline is not until July 19, many feel that, for maximum impact, unions should make their decision in time to influence the DFL city convention on April 30. That, they say, would make it clear there is indeed an ?L? in the DFL. (The mayoral election is legally nonpartisan, but all three announced candidates consider themselves Democrats.)
Kelly remains the focus
Some unions who represent city employees say they are dead set against re-electing Kelly. Others point out that Kelly and his two declared opponents ? Chris Coleman and Rafael Ortega ? generally have been good friends of labor for years.
But Kelly’s decision to endorse the re-election of President George W. Bush clearly weakened his chances for a broad labor endorsement. It’s not a matter of Democrat or Republican, union officials say, but something far more basic: There’s no way unions should endorse a candidate who endorsed a president who has declared war on unions.
Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org