Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean gained the endorsement Thursday of the largest union in the AFL-CIO and was on the threshold of winning support from a secnd major union, backing that would provide a major boost to his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination. The Service Employees International Union's executive board delayed formal announcement of a decision to back Dean until next Wednesday, when it could act jointly with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. But sources close to labor and the Dean campaign said the SEIU had endorsed Dean and that AFSCME was expected to follow suit.
Eric Hauser, a Democratic strategist who is not yet backing a candidate in the nomination contest, said the SEIU support of Dean and the expected endorsement from AFSCME is evidence that "the institutional players in the Democratic party think he can win, or they wouldn't have done this. Secondly, it's like a breath of fresh air for him after the flag (controvesry). He must feel like a new man." Hauser added that in a Democratic race with nine candidates, "if you can turn out an extra 10% that can be a huge difference."
Tyrone Freeman, the president of an SEIU local in Los Angeles, stepped to the microphone to say he was speaking for "people of color" adn that he was "satisfied with the explanation and program and agenda of Gov. Dean with regards to dealing with issues of minorities."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-union7nov07000440,1,4830279.story?coll=la-news-politics-nationalHere are some statistics on those unions
SEIU members range from those at the bottom of the economic ladder to doctors. Nearly 40% of the union's members are ethnic minorities, with 28% black or latino, a union official said.
Members of AFSCME hold a range of jobs at all levels of govenment, and more than one-third are college educated.