The San Francisco Chronicle, October 30, 2004, Saturday

The San Francisco Chronicle

OCTOBER 30, 2004, SATURDAY, FINAL EDITION

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A10

HEADLINE: Unions work to make a difference; Members monitor polls, register voters

SOURCE: Chronicle Staff Writer

BYLINE: James Sterngold

BODY:
In a tight election in which victory is expected to turn on which interest groups can get more of their supporters to the polls, few have more experience, money or manpower than trade unions. But union leaders say that, though they are making an unprecedented effort on behalf of Sen. John Kerry, they are nervous because of what they say is the aggressiveness of pro-Bush groups, particularly in the swing states.
The generally Democratic trade unions have always played a big role in modern campaigns, and leaders say they are committing more resources than ever before in key states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Florida to get out the vote, register new voters and monitor the polls. Especially in the final days of the campaign, the sheer numbers of workers they can muster can provide a crucial edge by deluging their millions of members with appeals.
Union officials are hopeful that a heavy labor turnout could prove to be a wild card, turning the vote in favor of Kerry in the states that will really matter.
The national AFL-CIO said there were 27 million union household voters in 2000, about one out of every four votes, and that they supported Al Gore by a 63-32 margin.
The AFL-CIO says it will spend roughly the same this year, about $45 million, but that there are far more volunteers and full-time workers, about 4,500 paid staff compared with 1,500 the last election. In addition, there are hundreds of thousands of volunteers, all focused on 16 critical states.
While the aim is to increase the pro-Democratic turnout among union members Tuesday, many leaders also acknowledge that groups from the Christian right have blunted some of their efforts, even in traditionally strong union states.
"Pennsylvania is a pro-life state, and the Christian groups have really been at it this year," said Bill George, president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.
He added that the union had gathered some moderate Catholic priests to try to mobilize union voters and urge them to focus on issues like jobs and health care instead of abortion and same-sex marriage. The results, he indicated, have been mixed.
"That's our number one challenge, that and guns," said George, referring to the strength of the National Rifle Association. "I think we may have turned it around here a little bit, but cultural values issues are very strong, very heavy here."
Cindy Hall, president of the Florida AFL-CIO, said union workers from throughout the South had been streaming into her state, which may determine the winner in 2004 as it did in 2000.
Through leaflets, meetings at workplaces and union halls, and in door-to-door efforts, Hall said, unions have been far more successful than in past elections at reaching the membership in Florida. But, she acknowledged, the conservative groups are exerting a great deal of influence, too.
"We have told our members it's important to get away from one issue," said Hall. "But we have a lot of members who are interested in one issue, my guns. That's very strong here. It's a real challenge."
That is true across the country, even though the unions have focused their efforts on just a few states.
"The unions are putting out a tremendous effort, and there's no question they played the pivotal role in getting Gore some of the swing states last time," said Kate Bronfenbrenner, the director of labor education research at Cornell University. "But I wouldn't underestimate how aggressive the Bush campaign has been."
Union leaders say it is in the final 72 hours of the campaign that their mobilization programs are most effective, since they have tens of thousands of volunteers going door to door to union households, urging members to vote and offering to drive them to polling places if necessary.
In Ohio, the state's unions began to rethink their election plans in 2002, and by mid-2003 already had formulated a far more aggressive approach to bringing out their members on election day, as well as registering new voters, said Bill Burga, president of the Ohio AFL-CIO.
In addition, the unions have organized hundreds of union workers to volunteer at polling places on election day to protect members against challenges by Republican officials, he said.
Unions made up 36 percent of the vote in Ohio in 2000, and the goal this year is 40 percent, a group that is expected to vote heavily for Kerry over Bush. Still, Burga said, the conservative groups have been more active, and apparently effective.
"The toughest thing to overcome this year is the religious right," said Burga. "I worry more about them than the gun people this time."E-mail James Sterngold at jsterngold@sfchronicle.com.