So far, labor's a shrinking giant By Lawrence M. O'Rourke
'Labor leaders have less influence as their members become more independent,' said Jack Holmes, a political scientist at Hope College in Holland, Mich. 'But they're united in wanting to get Bush out of the White House, and they know that the Democratic candidate has to carry Michigan to win the election.'
One of Kerry's strongest labor supporters, Harold Schaitberger, president of the 265,000-member firefighters union, predicted that AFL-CIO leaders would by next month throw their support behind Kerry's candidacy and would work until November for his election.