New York City's District Council 37, which represents more than a third of the city's municipal work force, has endorsed Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg for re-election. Though the union typically backs Democrats, it has broken with tradition before. The move is slightly surprising, considering the Democrats have yet to even choose a candidate to face Bloomberg. The last contract negotiated between D.C. 37 and the City gave a 5 percent raise over three years, considered by many to be a low settlement.
See "Big City Union Shifts Support to Bloomberg", Jim Rutenberg and Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, July 13, 2005