Edwards Makes Courting Labor a Key Strategy in Bid for Nomination -- Backing Meant Little for 2004 Candidates

From The Washington Post:

The value of labor endorsements is in question, especially given the 2004 Democratic primaries. Four years ago, then-Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.) won the support of about two dozen unions but finished fourth in the Iowa caucuses and was quickly out of the race. Former Vermont governor Howard Dean had the endorsement of three prominent unions and collapsed despite their support. The eventual nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), was backed by just one.

As of 2006, 12 percent of U.S. workers were union members, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a sharp decline from more than 20 percent in 1983. About 15.4 million Americans were in a union last year.

But for Edwards, who will be at a significant financial disadvantage against both Clinton and Obama, the support of unions could give him organizational resources that he would not otherwise have at his disposal.

Edwards has made the courtship of organized labor one of the central strategies of his presidential campaign.

Edwards has also tailored his platform to cater to unions.