Even As Big Unions Back Clinton
Rank and File Warm to Obama

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

Even as much of the New York labor establishment mobilized to get out the vote for Hillary Clinton last week in preparation for the Feb. 5 primary, some union activists were putting their energy into her competitor Barack Obama's campaign, including some members inside unions that endorsed New York's junior U.S. Senator.

Local 1707 photo SUPPORTING OBAMA: District Council 1707 members are organizing to get out the vote for Barack Obama for the New York primary Feb. 5. Mabel Everett (far left), Sylvia Philipp (center), and Dolores Dow (far right) are DC 1707 members running as Obama delegates. Joyce Johnson (second from left) is a New York State Obama campaign coordinator, and Miranda Galindo (second from right) is a DC 1707 staff member and Obama delegate.

The union members organizing for Senator Obama were no doubt dwarfed by the resources devoted by some of city's biggest unions to Ms. Clinton. The AFL-CIO New York City Central Labor Council sent out an e-mail blast last week urging union members to volunteer in all five boroughs to aid the AFL-CIO's "favorite sister," although the CLC did not formally endorse her.

The pro-Obama members were working with what they had, building workplace networks, running as delegates and spreading the word through groups such as DC 37 New Yorkers for Obama.

'Message Speaks to Me'

"What's most important for union members is participation," said Michael Oman-Reagan, a member of DC 37's Local 2627. "Obama's asking us to be involved in a movement to change America, and that speaks to me as a union member."

Several of the union members involved in Mr. Obama's campaign said they did not believe Senator Clinton stood alone as "the labor candidate," as she has been portrayed by most major city unions, pointing to their similar records on issues traditionally important to unions, such as raising the minimum wage and legislation that would make organizing a union easier, known as card-check.

The Obama supporters said that in addition to union issues, they were motivated by his early opposition to the war in Iraq and his ability to inspire hope in people.

"In the beginning I was a Hillary supporter because I knew where she was on the issues and she was familiar," said Sylvia Philipp, a member of DC 1707's Local 107 who is running as an Obama delegate.

NORMAN SEABROOK: An Obama guy.

She said the Illinois Senator's experience as a community organizer convinced her that he was closer to the issues that mattered most to her and her co-workers. "I found out he had first-hand knowledge, he had his hand in the boiling pot," said Ms. Philipp. "He dealt with housing, he was there and was more hands-on on issues that we face every day. He knows what it's like living in poverty, needing health care and day-care for poor people."

Members Split

An internal union survey by DC 1707 found that members were split about 50-50 on which candidate to support, according to Ms. Philipp.

The Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, which endorsed Mr. Obama in the fall, turned over its offices last week to his campaign for phone-banking. COBA President Norman Seabrook also was not convinced by the assertion that Ms. Clinton was the best candidate for labor. "They also said that about Mark Green when he and Mayor Bloomberg ran and they were absolutely wrong," he said. COBA was the only major union to endorse Mr. Bloomberg in 2001.

He acknowledged that Ms. Clinton had "been there" for labor, but said that Mr. Obama had no fewer labor credentials. "It's almost like the analogy that my father's been there for me," he said. "It doesn't mean I love my father any [more] than my mother. We have the democratic right to campaign for the candidate we think will be the best for labor and for the country."

Some Obama supporters were disillusioned with Senator Clinton because of what they believed were a slew of broken promises made to labor by Bill Clinton during the 1992 presidential campaign. They pointed to President Clinton's support for free trade and NAFTA and cuts to social services. "We had our Clinton moment; we know what those policies were," said former long-time DC 37 staffer Alan Howard. "There's no indication that they've changed. They're nothing to look forward to. Looking back through the fog of the last seven years is what makes Clinton look good."

'Doesn't Have Her Baggage'

He echoed other Obama supporters' belief that, contrary to Ms. Clinton's claim that her experience in government would make her more effective as chief executive than Mr. Obama, the freshman Senator would be better at building a coalition to get legislation passed. "Obama's chances of actually being able to get this stuff done are greater," said the former editor of DC 37's newspaper, "just because of who he is and how he operates. He comes in without all the baggage that she has."

Rather than emphasizing the fact that Mr. Obama could be the country's first black president, the union members involved in his campaign said they were inspired by his message of inclusion. "I'm a pale white guy from the country," said Mr. Oman-Reagan, "but when I go out to volunteer for Obama I see people of all backgrounds, all religions, all political parties. Barack Obama brings people together, and it's the unity in the campaign that is so historic."