Big Unions to Pool Money for Fall Elections

MELANIE TROTTMAN

The leaders of the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union have agreed to coordinate spending millions of dollars in the midterm elections to support pro-union candidates, most of them Democrats.

The two labor organizations say they have a combined $88 million or more to deploy in this year's election cycle. It's not clear how much of that money they will pool together.

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Associated Press

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, right, at an Aug. 13 rally with U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D., Calif., and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

The renewed alliance between the two big labor groups comes as Democrats are battling to retain control of both houses of Congress. The AFL-CIO and SEIU plan to target elections in 26 states, all but five of which they consider battleground territory, including California, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Most of the unions' cash will be spent on behalf of Democrats, despite dissatisfaction among some union leaders and their members with the results of two years of Democratic control in Washington. While labor officials say unions haven't received everything they've wanted from the administration, they blame Republicans and some Democrats for blocking legislative progress.

The union campaign organizations plan to contact 15 million people in union-member households to generate votes in races for Congress, governor and state legislatures.

Labor officials want more progress from the administration on everything from job creation to laws governing union organizing.

Democrats say they need labor's financial muscle and endorsements in what promises to be a tough year.

"It's unclear to what extent you're going to see the labor and other groups be able to match the right-wing group labor assault," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "I think labor's main message will be that things have clearly begun to improve and the biggest mistake now would be to return to the failed Bush economic policies."

Republicans are prepared to fight back. Nick Ayers, executive director of the Republican Governors Association, said his group realized after the 2006 elections that unions had matched the spending of the Democratic Governors Association in key races.

"We made a concerted effort to go to the private sector and personal business owners and make the case to them that you all have to help the RGA double our budget in 2010," he said. Donors have obliged, he added, saying they've got to help "offset labor buying these elections."

The unions' coordinated election effort is the result of meetings between AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Mary Kay Henry, who took over as SEIU president earlier this year after the retirement of long-time leader Andy Stern.

Mr. Stern led the SEIU out of the AFL-CIO federation in 2005 to form a rival federation. During the following years, relations between the two powerful labor groups were strained. Ms. Henry, however, has said she wanted to work more closely with other unions.

Mr. Trumka says the AFL-CIO will spend more than the $44 million it did in 2006 but hasn't determined a specific amount.

The SEIU, with 1.8 million members, says it has budgeted $44 million, up 26% from 2006.

Most of the SEIU's $44 million comes from the 300,000 of its members who donate $7 monthly to the union political-action committee.

Turnout is a critical concern for union leaders.

"The enthusiasm gap isn't just with the public," said SEIU national political director Jon Youngdahl. "It's with our members as well."

Union leaders have expressed disappointment with some Democratic leaders for failing to push harder to pass pro-union legislation. This was one of the reasons the AFL-CIO's Arkansas affiliate last week voted not to support Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D., Ark.) for re-election.

To counter any possible apathy, Mr. Trumka said the unions planned to put more campaign workers in the field than in 2006 and 2008, knocking on doors of union households and handing out leaflets at work sites. The federation also will coordinate phone banks and mailings, tracking progress through weekly polls.

In the last midterm elections, union households represented 23% of the electorate, according to exit poll data.