Union leaders visit Florida beach resort to finalize political efforts

[Judi Lynn]

Union leaders visit Florida beach resort to finalize political efforts

LEIGH STROPE, AP Labor Writer
Monday, March 8, 2004
(03-08) 22:40 PST BAL HARBOUR, Fla. (AP) --

Faced with questions about organized labor's relevance in politics and the workplace, union leaders are revving up for November's election in what many view as the fight of labor's life.

Union chiefs are planning labor's largest multimillion-dollar effort to mobilize working Americans they say have been left behind in a Bush economy, in support of Democrat John Kerry.

"This is an election of a lifetime from my perspective," said Terry O'Sullivan, president of the Laborers Union International of North America. "We can't live four more years under Bush."

With union membership at an all-time low, jobs flooding overseas and U.S. hiring at a near standstill, the AFL-CIO was holding its winter executive council meeting, beginning Tuesday, at this luxury resort just steps away from sand and sea.
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/03/08/national0140EST0420.DTL