In union-heavy Nevada, Clinton and Sanders court divided labor

Source: W Post

By John Wagner

LAS VEGAS — Organized labor’s divided loyalties between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders coursed through the Luxor hotel and casino here this week, where both Democratic presidential contenders courted voters at a statewide convention of the Nevada AFL-CIO.

Clinton, who addressed the gathering late Tuesday, has deep connections to labor. She received significant endorsements during her unsuccessful run against Barack Obama in 2008. But her equivocations on issues such as the looming Trans-Pacific Partnership and whether to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 have given some union members pause this time around.

Sanders, a senator from Vermont, has drawn huge crowds with sizable union representation and his poll numbers have risen in recent weeks as he touts many of the same positions that labor champions. But even boosters question whether a self-described democratic socialist can win a national election.

Although labor unions’ strength has waned in recent years, they remain a force in general-election campaigns in battleground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

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Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-union-heavy-nevada-clinton-and-sanders-court-a-divided-labor/2015/08/18/5844aaf6-45cc-11e5-846d-02792f854297_story.html