BAL HARBOUR, Fla., March 9 — The A.F.L.-C.I.O. rewarded the president of the first union to endorse Senator John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, by naming him on Tuesday as vice chairman of a new campaign strategy committee. þþTop officials of the labor federation named the union leader, Harold A. Schaitberger, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, as a committee vice chairman to give him a major role in helping shape labor's efforts to elect Mr. Kerry. The federation endorsed Mr. Kerry two weeks ago; the firefighters endorsed him last fall.þþMr. Schaitberger was chosen for the position as several union presidents here pushed unsuccessfully to oust Gerald W. McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, from his post as chairman of the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s political committee. þþSeveral union leaders attending the labor federation's midwinter meeting here said the new campaign strategy committee was set up in part to dilute Mr. McEntee's power and to help put Mr. Schaitberger in the spotlight. The leaders spoke on the condition that they would not be named.þþMr. McEntee has come under fire for political vacillation — he first leaned toward Mr. Kerry and then to Gen. Wesley K. Clark before his union endorsed Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor. After Dr. Dean lost several early primaries, Mr. McEntee announced that his union would not help Dr. Dean in the Wisconsin primary, angering several union leaders who said it smacked of disloyalty.þþSeveral union presidents who backed Representative Richard A. Gephardt's unsuccessful run for the nomination spearheaded efforts to oust Mr. McEntee because they were convinced that he had helped block the federation from endorsing Mr. Gephardt. þþLabor leaders said John J. Sweeney, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s president, decided to keep Mr. McEntee as chairman of the political committee. Mr. McEntee played a major role in orchestrating Mr. Sweeney's election to the federation's helm in 1985.þþOfficials from several unions that endorsed Mr. Gephardt wore buttons here saying ÿGephardt for Vice President.ÿ Several labor leaders said they would call Mr. Kerry to urge him to choose Mr. Gephardt as his running mate.þþDenise Mitchell, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s communications director, said the new campaign strategy committee was not being formed to dilute Mr. McEntee's power. Ms. Mitchell noted that Mr. McEntee would be a vice chairman on the committee as would Richard L. Trumka, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s secretary-treasurer. Mr. Sweeney will be the committee's chairman.þþMr. McEntee's spokesman, Ethan Rome, said, ÿGerry McEntee will continue to run the political committee of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and looks forward to working with everyone in the labor movement to defeat George Bush.ÿþþþþ
Source: NY Times
