Labor and the Democrats
Unions back mostly Democrats, but some members lean Republican.

[Left: Union members made up a sizable contingent at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. (Photo by Bing Wong of the American Federation of Teachers).]

Record crowd turns up at Labor Day picnic
One of the largest gatherings in the country took place at Oaks Park in Southeast Portland, where more than 18,000 union members, their families and friends gathered for a day of hot dogs, hamburgers, carnival rides and politics.
Health care: expect to pay more
Workers will have to pay more out of their own pockets for health care, and unions will have to come to terms with that notion, because they’re facing so much pressure in bargaining with employers, many of whom are reaching the tipping point in their willingness to pay for health care.
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