[Marxism] Teachers Union vs. Hotel Workers Union

[Anthony Boynton]

Teachers Sue to Block Hotel Workers’ Union Vote in
Nevada Caucus

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By STEVE FRIESS
Published: January 12, 2008

LAS VEGAS — Nevada’s state teachers union and six Las
Vegas area residents filed a lawsuit late Friday that
could make it harder for many members of the state’s
huge hotel workers union to vote in the hotly
contested Jan. 19 Democratic caucus in Nevada.
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The 13-page lawsuit in federal district court here
comes two days after the 60,000-member Culinary
Workers Union Local 226 in Nevada endorsed Senator
Barack Obama, a blow to Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Obama
addressed the Culinary Union at their hall earlier
Friday.

The lawsuit argues that the Nevada Democratic Party’s
decision, decided late last year, to create at-large
precincts inside nine Las Vegas resorts on caucus day
violates the state’s election laws and creates a
system in which voters at the at-large precincts can
elect more delegates than voters at other precincts.
The lawsuit employs a complex mathematical formula to
show that voters at the other 1,754 precincts would
have less influence with their votes.

The at-large precincts are being established because
thousands of hotel workers cannot leave work to
participate in the midday caucuses in their home
precincts. The Nevada State Education Association has
said it would not endorse any Democrat, but some of
its top officials have endorsed Mrs. Clinton. The
association’s deputy executive director, Debbie
Cahill, for instance, was a founding member of Senator
Clinton’s Nevada Women’s Leadership Council.

Nobody from the either union could be reached for
comment late Friday. One plaintiff, Vicky Birkhead of
North Las Vegas referred questions to the plaintiffs’
attorneys, who also could not be reached.

“This could shut down those precincts in the casinos
and keep culinary members from voting,” said Jon
Ralston, a political pundit with The Las Vegas Sun,
who broke the story on his blog. Mr. Ralston said it
is unclear whether there are ties between the lawsuit
and the Clinton campaign but, he predicted, “Even if
they’re Hillary supporters, the campaign’s going to
say they had nothing to do with it.It is unclear when
the court will hear the matter.


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