Catherwood LibraryILR School

The Pennsylvania primary is more than a contest between Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. It's a showdown between two rival factions in organized labor and whether they can deliver for their presidential candidate. With by far the largest bloc of union voters remaining on the campaign calendar ? 830,000 workers, the April 22 primary could demonstrate whether Clinton has expanded her edge over Obama among working-class voters and emerged as labor's decisive favorite for president. Or whether Obama has whittled her support to a virtual draw in a state where unemployment is at its highest in more than two years. Each Democrat has the backing of a well-financed coalition of unions determined to produce a crucial victory for its preferred candidate ? and in the process earn the enduring gratitude of the person it hopes will be the next president.