Labor Targets Nonunion Voters
Feeling itself in the crosshairs of a presidency that has struck down occupational safety regulations and stripped federal workers of their labor rights (see WIT's for April 14, 2002, Feb. 10, Jan. 27 and 10, 2003), the AFL-CIO yesterday fired back---committing $20 million to a new strategy aimed at unseating Bush in 2004. Expanding beyond its traditional strategy of getting union members to the polls, the AFL-CIO unveiled the Partnership for America's Families as part of its winter meeting---a program that will mobilize Democratic and center-left voters who are not union members. Rather than donating money to candidate's campaigns, the Partnership will use the AFL-CIO and other funds to run an issues-based independent campaign aimed at increased voter registration and turnout, that it is hoped will be the key not only to defeating Bush but also to bringing Democratic candidates back to their liberal roots.
See "Labor Targets Nonunion Voters", THOMAS B. EDSALL, The Washington Post, February 26, 2003