Unions are busy locally but not all for 1 candidate

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/politics/story/36BC6D7241947CBB862573DF000F57DD?OpenDocument

By Philip Dine
POST-DISPATCH WASHINGTON BUREAU
01/29/2008

WASHINGTON — As the Feb. 5 primaries approach, labor unions are focusing on states where they feel their foot soldiers and dollars can make a difference, mostly for Democrats Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John Edwards.

Missouri is a prime target, largely because of St. Louis, home to 175,000 union members, a half-million residents who live in union households and a union density twice the national average.

"All the unions are out here slugging away. They see how important this primary in Missouri is," Tim Luebbert, Missouri director for the hotel and textile workers union, said last week. His union has 3,500 members in St. Louis, including casino workers.

Labor volunteers knocking on doors in St. Louis neighborhoods have to avoid bumping into one another these days, said Luebbert, whose union has endorsed Obama. "No matter which candidate they're with, they're all out here," he said. "When we're banging on doors doing the canvassing on a block, you'll see Clinton people over here, Edwards people over there."


From Washington, William H. Young, president of the 300,000-member National Association of Letter Carriers, said Missouri has caught his eye — and he knows St. Louis contains the state's biggest chunk of voters, including 2,674 letter carriers.

"Missouri's in play. Missouri, we believe, is a changing state," said Young, who is backing Clinton. "We only play in states where we feel we have a viable candidate and the election's of interest to our members. Missouri, for sure, is a battleground state this year."

FULL story at link.