U.S. unions to work hard for Democrat-in-waiting

(Adds Teamsters union endorses Obama, paragraph 14)

By Andrew Stern

CHICAGO, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. elections in November offer labor unions their best opportunity in half a century to put a broad-based progressive government in power, labor leaders and analysts say. If only they could agree on who should lead it.

In a sense, it doesn't matter whether the ultimate Democratic presidential candidate is Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama because labor unions will rally behind the nominee to take on the likely Republican choice, Arizona Sen. John McCain, they say.

"The traditional thinking is obviously you'd like closure," Laborers' union president Terry O'Sullivan said of the close race between the two top Democrats.

"But regardless of where anybody stands on the (Democratic) candidates in this presidential race, it has the potential to create the biggest and broadest progressive base since at least the Sixties."

Sullivan, whose 500,000-member union represents mostly construction workers, is holding off endorsing either New York Sen. Clinton or Illinois Sen. Obama.

Both Democratic candidates have promised to address issues unions consider essential: curbing the exodus of U.S. manufacturing jobs overseas, expanding health care coverage and passing legislation that eases union-organizing efforts.

"You could essentially have a unified Democratic party in control (of Congress) and the presidency and, for the most part, a party leadership deeply committed and somewhat obliged to the labor movement," said labor expert Robert Bruno of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

"That creates a political opportunity for the labor movement that hasn't existed since 1964" during the presidency of Lyndon Johnson, he said, adding unions are prepared to campaign "for the long haul."

While the number of U.S. workers represented by unions has been dwindling for decades, members and their families vote in larger numbers than the general population.

Unionized households cast between 25 percent and 30 percent of the votes in primaries and caucuses held so far, based on exit polling, greater than their 17 percent share of all households. In recent general elections, union households cast 20 percent of the votes, according to AFL-CIO political director Karen Ackerman.

RIGOROUS CAMPAIGN

Unions can marshal legions of members to do campaign legwork while enlisting their own members to turn out to vote, though some members buck their union's endorsement.

"I've decided on the party, but not the candidate," said Steve Basting, 52, a United Auto Workers' member for 33 years in General Motors' Janesville, Wisconsin, plant, where Obama made his pitch last week.

Unions have split their endorsements of the top Democratic presidential contenders.

Obama gained the endorsement on Wednesday of the Teamsters union, representing 1.25 million transport workers, following endorsements last week by the 1.9-million-member Service Employees International Union and the United Food and Commercial Workers with 1.3 million members.

Unions representing teachers and some government workers have backed the former first lady, though Bill Clinton's support of the North American Free Trade Agreement when he was president poses problems for her because unions say it has cost them jobs.

Several unions, such as one representing U.S. steelworkers, backed the now-withdrawn candidacy of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, and many have yet to switch their endorsement.

Individual unions within the AFL-CIO have made endorsements, but the consortium's backing awaits whoever is the presumptive Democratic nominee, Ackerman said, adding union opposition to McCain's stances on free trade, minimum wage laws, health care, overtime laws and union organizing will provide motivation.

"We will have a rigorous program once both candidates are chosen," she said. "We're not just sitting on the sidelines. We're engaged. ... We need to expand the progressive majority. The stakes are huge."

The AFL-CIO has budgeted $54 million, $6 million more than in the 2004 election, in support of Democratic candidates for president and in dozens of congressional races.

Sullivan said his union's spending on this election could nearly triple to a record $20 million. "Losing is not an option, so money is not an object," he said. (Editing by David Storey)