And that\'s even though the AFL-CIO is not expected, as a group, to endorse Obama much before mid-June, more than a week after a combination of the Illinoisan\'s win in the Montana primary and super-delegate gains gave him the Democratic nod on June 3 over Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in their hard-fought battle.
The first immediate move came from the Communications Workers, one of the last big unions to remain uncommitted all through the primary season. Its members were almost evenly divided between Obama, Clinton and, earlier, former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C. CWA\'s going to back Obama, union President Larry Cohen said.
In an interview with Press Associates Union News Service after a June 4 press conference on trade, Cohen — an Obama-backing super-delegate himself — said his union\'s executive council would make that recommendation on June 5 to CWA\'s convention, which meets at the end of June. "We\'ll have a major focus on this" at the conclave, he added. And the Air Traffic Controllers endorsed Obama on June 5.
After the expected ratification by the CWA delegates, CWA will concentrate its political efforts this fall on two areas: Its own members, and in seven states — including the unlikely selections of Louisiana and Mississippi — where CWA, the Steel Workers and two other unions who joined together for political action this year form the majority of all unionists. The others include Virginia, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky.
But between the CWA council\'s recommendation and its convention will come the decision by the AFL-CIO General Board to back Obama. To gain its endorsement, he needs the votes of board members — union presidents and officials — representing two-thirds of the federation\'s members.
That may take at least a week to get, even after Clinton suspends her campaign but retains her delegates. That\'s because pro-Clinton unions, notably AFSCME, "need some time" to come to terms with the fact that their favorite lost, Cohen explained. "Today, he\'s got a majority, but not the two-thirds," Cohen said of Obama.
Once the AFL-CIO endorses Obama — it already launched and upgraded its anti-McCain website, focusing on his anti-worker record — the federation can start massing ground troops for the fall. That\'s separate from its non-partisan education, registration and get-out-the-vote campaign, budgeted now at $54.3 million.
The AFL-CIO won\'t be the only labor group acting soon. Other plans include:
• The Steel Workers plan tens of thousands of worksite visits by a corps of political activists, armed with information about Obama\'s positions. They\'ll emphasize his stands for fair trade as opposed to "free trade," and for revitalizing U.S. manufacturing through high-paying — and unionized — jobs in "green" industries, such as making solar cells, industrial-size windmills to power electric turbines, and hybrid auto engines.
• The Service Employees, the largest union in Change to Win, decided at their convention June 2-4 in San Juan to use $85 million for the fall campaign, out of the $150 million they allocated for politics in the next 12 months. Their political plan centers on holding candidates at all levels accountable for creating and backing a system of universal, comprehensive and affordable national health care.
• The Mine Workers started a massive education blitz of their 105,000 members and retirees, showing them how Obama\'s economic issue stands agree with their own, particularly on health care. That\'s important because UMWA, like USWA, has a majority of white working-class men — the group Obama ran weakest among.
• The Teamsters, another Change to Win union, will campaign nationwide but concentrate on key states, union President James Hoffa — also an Obama super-delegate — told PAI after the June 4 trade press conference. Asked to name them, Hoffa responded: "Ohio, Ohio, Ohio."
"We\'ll motivate our members. We\'ll motivate their wives. We\'ll motivate their families. We\'ll motivate their grandmothers. We\'ll motivate their grandfathers," Hoffa said with a smile, to get out and campaign and vote for Teamsters-backed candidates, led by Obama. "We\'ll have thousands of people in every state. I get up on a high-low and tell them: \'You\'re not voting for Obama. You\'re voting for yourselves.\'"
Mark Gruenberg writes for Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.
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And that\’s even though the AFL-CIO is not expected, as a group, to endorse Obama much before mid-June, more than a week after a combination of the Illinoisan\’s win in the Montana primary and super-delegate gains gave him the Democratic nod on June 3 over Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in their hard-fought battle.
The first immediate move came from the Communications Workers, one of the last big unions to remain uncommitted all through the primary season. Its members were almost evenly divided between Obama, Clinton and, earlier, former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C. CWA\’s going to back Obama, union President Larry Cohen said.
In an interview with Press Associates Union News Service after a June 4 press conference on trade, Cohen — an Obama-backing super-delegate himself — said his union\’s executive council would make that recommendation on June 5 to CWA\’s convention, which meets at the end of June. "We\’ll have a major focus on this" at the conclave, he added. And the Air Traffic Controllers endorsed Obama on June 5.
After the expected ratification by the CWA delegates, CWA will concentrate its political efforts this fall on two areas: Its own members, and in seven states — including the unlikely selections of Louisiana and Mississippi — where CWA, the Steel Workers and two other unions who joined together for political action this year form the majority of all unionists. The others include Virginia, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky.
But between the CWA council\’s recommendation and its convention will come the decision by the AFL-CIO General Board to back Obama. To gain its endorsement, he needs the votes of board members — union presidents and officials — representing two-thirds of the federation\’s members.
That may take at least a week to get, even after Clinton suspends her campaign but retains her delegates. That\’s because pro-Clinton unions, notably AFSCME, "need some time" to come to terms with the fact that their favorite lost, Cohen explained. "Today, he\’s got a majority, but not the two-thirds," Cohen said of Obama.
Once the AFL-CIO endorses Obama — it already launched and upgraded its anti-McCain website, focusing on his anti-worker record — the federation can start massing ground troops for the fall. That\’s separate from its non-partisan education, registration and get-out-the-vote campaign, budgeted now at $54.3 million.
The AFL-CIO won\’t be the only labor group acting soon. Other plans include:
• The Steel Workers plan tens of thousands of worksite visits by a corps of political activists, armed with information about Obama\’s positions. They\’ll emphasize his stands for fair trade as opposed to "free trade," and for revitalizing U.S. manufacturing through high-paying — and unionized — jobs in "green" industries, such as making solar cells, industrial-size windmills to power electric turbines, and hybrid auto engines.
• The Service Employees, the largest union in Change to Win, decided at their convention June 2-4 in San Juan to use $85 million for the fall campaign, out of the $150 million they allocated for politics in the next 12 months. Their political plan centers on holding candidates at all levels accountable for creating and backing a system of universal, comprehensive and affordable national health care.
• The Mine Workers started a massive education blitz of their 105,000 members and retirees, showing them how Obama\’s economic issue stands agree with their own, particularly on health care. That\’s important because UMWA, like USWA, has a majority of white working-class men — the group Obama ran weakest among.
• The Teamsters, another Change to Win union, will campaign nationwide but concentrate on key states, union President James Hoffa — also an Obama super-delegate — told PAI after the June 4 trade press conference. Asked to name them, Hoffa responded: "Ohio, Ohio, Ohio."
"We\’ll motivate our members. We\’ll motivate their wives. We\’ll motivate their families. We\’ll motivate their grandmothers. We\’ll motivate their grandfathers," Hoffa said with a smile, to get out and campaign and vote for Teamsters-backed candidates, led by Obama. "We\’ll have thousands of people in every state. I get up on a high-low and tell them: \’You\’re not voting for Obama. You\’re voting for yourselves.\’"
Mark Gruenberg writes for Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.