Report: Unions giving Democrats record donations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Labor unions have sharply increased their political giving this year, showering the Democratic Party with record amounts of so-called "soft money" donations from union treasuries, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing new disclosure reports.

The Post said reports made available by the Federal Election Commission showed that labor unions had donated nearly $15 million for the 2000 race, almost all to Democrats. That was 50 percent more than their entire soft money giving for each of the last two election cycles, the paper said.

The most striking increase in union donations was from the Service Employees International Union, which contributed $2 million to Democratic Party committees during the three months ended June 30.

The union, which represents health care workers, janitors and public employees, had given a total of nearly $3 million in this election cycle, compared with $353,000 during the 1996 campaign and $663,000 in 1998, according to the Post.

"My sense is the labor movement thinks there's a lot on the line in 2000 in terms of the issues that are important to our members and we want to win," it quoted SEIU President Andrew Stern as saying. "Our members want to win. They're tired of waiting." The Post said six of the 10 largest union givers during the 1996 campaign have already exceeded that year's amount in the 2000 race -- with four months left before Election Day.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) has given $2.5 million, including $620,000 in the last quarter alone to the Democratic National Committee -- more than double its giving four years ago, the Post said.

Other unions that have not been at the top of the giving lists have also significantly stepped up their contributions, the Post said, noting that the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades, which gave just $6,000 in the 1998 campaign and $180,000 in 1996, contributed $250,000 to the DNC last month, bringing its total this cycle to $540,000.

Soft money contributions to the parties are not supposed to be used directly on federal campaigns, but can be used to finance get-out-the-vote efforts and in part to pay for the party's "issue advertising" on behalf of its candidates.

In addition to soft money, labor gives through its political action committees and with grass-roots efforts to bolster campaigns.

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Tuesday, July 18, 2000

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