Labor Union Limits Focus To 8 Battleground States

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the nation’s most politically active labor unions plans to focus its resources on fewer states this year while working to help re-elect President Barack Obama.

The Service Employees International Union said Tuesday it will target its massive field campaign on turning out voters in just eight battleground states — about half the number it focused on in 2008.

At the same time, the 2.1 million-member union hopes to get 100,000 of its members to volunteer in its political program, twice as many as in the last presidential race.

Overall, the union is expected to spend at least $85 million to help Obama win, similar to what it spent in 2008.

“It’s a matter of figuring out where we can have the greatest impact,” said Brandon Davis, the union’s national political director. “You’ll see an expansion of what we’re able to do on the ground by being more efficient with our resources.”

Read More at OfficialWire. By Sam Hananel.

Photo Credit: SEIU International (Creative Commons)