Unions seek to influence REPUBLICAN party’s pick

[Omaha Steve]

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/unions-seek-to-influence-partys-pick-2007-09-05.html

By Alexander Bolton
September 05, 2007
National labor unions, traditional allies of the Democratic Party, are planning to play a significant role in the 2008 Republican presidential primary.

As a result, next year could be the first time that several major unions endorse a Republican candidate in a presidential primary.

Last week, the International Association of Machinists, which has nearly 700,000 members, endorsed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in the Republican primary and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in the Democratic contest.

The International Union of Painters & Allied Trades also plans to endorse a Republican and a Democrat.

Two of the country’s largest unions, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the National Education Association (NEA) also are contemplating making endorsements in each party’s primary. Even if they don’t, the SEIU and the NEA will seek to influence the outcome of GOP primaries, or, at least, pressure the candidates to make their policy platforms more “worker-friendly.”

“Stopping at the SEIU and getting your ticket punched is not the normal thought process for Republican campaign managers,” said Skip Roberts, the assistant director of government affairs at SEIU. “For almost two years we have been empowering and mobilizing our Republican members.”

FULL story at link.