With union membership at an all-time low, labor leaders are struggling to remain a relevant force. Unions have suffered due to heavy manufacturing job losses and the movement of white-collar jobs overseas. The AFL-CIO voted to endorse John Kerry last month, and labor leaders are now focusing their energy on mobilizing politically to defeat Bush in the upcoming presidential election.
See "Organized Labor Fights for Survival", The New York Times, March 9, 2004