Specifically, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney told about 70 union leaders gathered at the
Sheraton Tacoma Hotel to vote Democratic, vote for local candidates who are union members
and vote for the Gore-Lieberman ticket.
"Let the members know that this is probably the most important election in a
generation on the national scene," Sweeney told the audience. "It certainly is
the closest."
While labor leaders were traveling around the Puget Sound area Monday, Vice President Al
Gore was making another campaign stop in this state as well. The latest CNN/USA
Today/Gallup poll shows Texas Gov. George W. Bush ahead of Gore, 50 percent to 41 percent,
among likely voters. Other polls show the race it tighter.
In Washington and Oregon, with a combined 18 electoral votes, polls show Gore and Bush
neck and neck.
Sweeney was part of a bus tour of national labor leaders who have been hitting key and
close states during the last three weeks to rally support for Gore. After speaking in
Tacoma, Sweeney hopped on the bus for Seattle to attend a health care rally with
Democratic Senate candidate Maria Cantwell, who is locked in a tight race with incumbent
Slade Gorton.
After campaigning in Seattle and Everett today, Sweeney is scheduled to return to Tacoma
Wednesday to support Labor Ready workers at the company's annual shareholders meet at the
LaQuinta Hotel.
According to a press release, the Wednesday rally will protest Labor Ready's treatment of
its temporary and contract workers and other perceived anti-union activities.
AFL-CIO spokeswoman Deborah Dion said the leaders have repeatedly hit nine states,
including Washington, Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia, that are considered borderline in
the Bush-Gore presidential race or that have close U.S. Senate races.
Rick Bender, president of the Washington State Labor Council, estimated there are 450,000
AFL-CIO union members in the state of Washington who need to get to the polls Nov. 7.
In Pierce County, there are approximately 58,000 AFL-CIO members, said John Thompson,
secretary-treasurer of the Pierce County Central Labor Council.
Sweeney was joined on the bus tour by Andy Stern, head of the Service Employees
International Union and by Machinists union president Tom Buffenbarger.
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* The Associated Press contributed to this report.
