CHICAGO, Aug. 8 — The A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s executive council voted on Wednesday against endorsing any presidential candidate, reflecting divisions over which Democrat to support and setting the stage for its 55 member unions to make individual endorsements.þþLabor leaders said several large unions were leaning strongly toward Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and others toward former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. þþThe labor federation, which represents 10 million union members, gave the green light to its member unions to issue endorsements a day after it sponsored a spirited outdoor debate by seven Democratic candidates before more than 10,000 union members at Soldier Field here.þþThe A.F.L.-C.I.O. made no endorsements because it could not muster the two-thirds support for a specific candidate. Labor leaders are highly enthusiastic about the Democratic field.þþ“We’ve got so many good friends on the Democratic side in this race,” said Harold A. Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters. “Any one of them would be far better for workers and working families than the current president.”þþUnion leaders say two giant public sector unions, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, are leaning toward Mrs. Clinton. But the strong support that those unions’ locals in the Midwest feel toward Senator Barack Obama of Illinois could prevent their parent unions from backing Mrs. Clinton. þþMany industrial unions, most notably the United Steelworkers, are especially enthusiastic about Mr. Edwards because of his backing of many labor causes and his strong views on limiting international trade accords. Union leaders say there is a good chance that the Teamsters and Unite Here, which represents apparel, hotel and restaurant workers, will back Mr. Edwards.þþDivided endorsements could put organized labor in the same uncomfortable position it was in during the 2004 presidential primaries, when unions fought among themselves, dividing their endorsements among former Gov. Howard Dean of Vermont, Mr. Edwards, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts and former Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri. þþIn March, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s executive council asked member unions to hold off endorsing anyone until after this week’s council meeting in Chicago. But many union presidents pushed to be freed to make an endorsement after the meeting. þþGerald W. McEntee, chairman of the federation’s political committee and president of the state, county and municipal employees’ union, said he was eager for his union to make an endorsement soon to increase its influence in the caucuses and primaries, which begin in January.þþ“In Iowa, if you don’t have boots on the ground by November, you might as well not be there,” Mr. McEntee said.þþKaren Ackerman, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s political director, said, “When there is a consensus candidate, and that might not happen until Feb. 5 or 6, then we’ll come together in a unified program.”þþMs. Ackerman said the federation’s member unions might make an overall endorsement at that time because a likely Democratic nominee could emerge from all the primaries on Feb. 5.þþLabor leaders say they expect organized labor to mount its biggest political effort ever in 2008.þþ
Source: NY Times
