Union Views Loom Large as Los Angeles Picks a Mayor
LOS ANGELES — They are both Democrats with years of experience at City Hall, who have both chided and courted labor unions over the years. Now, in a race with little separating them ideologically, the two candidates for mayor face the challenge of simultaneously fighting over this powerful force in Los Angeles politics while trying to convince weary voters that they will be independent enough to force unions to accept cutbacks needed to solve the city’s looming budget problems.
As the two candidates — Wendy Greuel, the city controller, and Eric Garcetti, a City Council member — have struggled through the final weeks of this campaign, it is becoming increasingly clear that this delicate dance does not come easily.
The dynamic sets Los Angeles apart from much of the nation, at a time when politicians, including Democrats, have distanced themselves from unions and see pensions as the top problem for city budgets. Ms. Greuel has received backing from most of the city’s public employee unions, while many private-sector unions have thrown their support to Mr. Garcetti.
But while they welcome this support from organized labor — and given the challenges in getting voters to turn out at the polls here, they need it — it poses challenges for them, as well. Many voters in Los Angeles have grown increasingly angry at what they see as waste at City Hall, frequently blaming the unions. But the candidates’ embrace of labor support has those in more conservative circles worried that unions will emerge from the race with even more power, making it all but impossible to push through policies they say are needed to keep the city afloat.
full: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/us/unions-loom-large-in-los-angeles-mayors-race.html?pagewanted=all
