Labor's role in the Iowa caucuses

Seth Michaels at the News Now blog recaps union participation in the Iowa caucuses in Huge Turnout in Iowa Caucuses. Obama, Huckabee Winners 01/04/07:

According to exit polling by MSNBC, members of union households made up 22 percent of the vote. Obama and Clinton tied for first among these voters, with 30 percent each; Edwards won 24 percent of union household members.

On the one hand, 22% is "just a fifth". But these are a critical fifth for Democratic candidates. They have the organizations and the experience to turn out the vote.

This is also an interesting angle:

With more than twice as much turnout on the Democratic side as the Republican side, it’s worth noting that third-place finisher Clinton brought in more than 73,000 votes, nearly doubling the 38,000 votes that went to Republican winner Huckabee.

Michaels notes that the vote counts are estimates; technically, the Democratic state party doesn't release the raw vote figures.

He also give the lineup of unions by candidates in Iowa:

The three top finishers in Iowa have high lifetime AFL-CIO congressional voting record scores: Clinton has 93 percent, Edwards 97 percent and Obama 96 percent.

Although the AFL-CIO did not endorse, several affiliate unions did, and many of those unions ran active programs in Iowa.

AFSCME released TV ads in support of Clinton, and AFT aired radio ads supporting Clinton. The Fire Fighters (IAFF) union was active in Iowa in support of Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), including a bus tour featuring Dodd and IAFF members from around the state. The Iowa Postal Workers union (APWU) supported Edwards.

In addition to AFSCME and the AFT, Clinton has won the endorsement of 10 unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO: AFSCME, AFT, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the Bricklayers (BAC), the Letter Carriers (NALC), the Machinists (IAM), the Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU), the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), the Sheet Metal Workers (SMWIA), TCU/IAM, the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the United Transportation Union (UTU).

Three national unions are backing Edwards in the Democratic primaries: the Mine Workers (UMWA), Transport Workers (TWU) and United Steelworkers (USW).

IAM’s endorsement of Clinton in the Democratic primaries was accompanied by an endorsement of Huckabee in the Republican primaries. The union earlier this week denounced Huckabee’s move to cross the picket line of striking television writers to appear on the Jan. 2 “Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

In an earlier post (Huckabee Will Cross Picket Line to Appear on Leno 01/02/07), Michaels quotes Tom Buffenbarger, president of the Machinists union, on Huck's Leno appearance:

Governor Huckabee should not cross the picket line. We have made that abundantly clear to his campaign. With such missteps, he risks losing the support his jobs and economic policies have won for him among trade unionists who will attend the GOP caucuses in Iowa or will vote in the later primaries.

Guests have to cross a union picket line to appear on Leno but not to appear on David Letterman's show. Letterman's production company reached an interim agreement with the strikers.

Michaels links to the Iowa Workers Independent News site, Unions React To Iowa Democratic Presidential Caucus Vote, Obama's Victory by Doug Cunningham 01/04/08. Cunningham includes the following statements. Dennis Williams, Director of UAW Region 4 on Obama:

This is huge for Barack Obama. I think it says to our country - we want change. Were tired of the status quo. Barack Obama has a history of working for working men and women of this country. So I don't think there's any doubt in my mind at least that Barack will be a friend of working men and women and organized labor. he will champion workin' people's causes. And We need that in this country.

SEIU Local 199 President Cathy Glasson on Edwards and the stakes in the Presidential race this year:

Raising up the middle class, standing up for working people and their families - nurses and janitors and head start teachers and school bus drivers. It's really about insuring that every man, woman and child has health care, affordable and accessible health care. And it's really about lifting people up in this country, and I think that's really the focus. And the [Democratic] candidates all believe that.

AFSCME Council 62's Andrew Bouska of AFSCME Council 62:

We're gonna allocate the resources that we need in terms of communicating with our members and letting them know that Hillary Clinton is the best candidate for working families and will be the best president for our future. So we look forward to five days away in New Hampshire, moving on to Nevada, South Carolina and then Super Super Tuesday on February fifth.

Tags: barack obama, hillary clinton, john edwards, mike huckabee