Labor Gives Candidates Chance to Shine

WASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential candidates seeking the AFL-CIO's endorsement will get two chances to impress union members: once alone at a town hall-style meeting and again at a multi-candidate forum in Chicago.

The candidates got to choose where they wanted to have their town hall meeting from ones preselected by the union. Once there, they will get to speak to union members as well as face tough questions about their candidacies, labor officials said.

"Working families will have the chance to ask the candidates what they will do to make America work for working families," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

The multi-candidate forum will be held in Chicago on Aug. 6 or Aug. 7, which will coincide with the union's executive council meeting.

Labor delivered millions of votes for the Democratic Party in the 2006 midterm elections, and the unions are gearing up to make a push for the eventual Democratic presidential nominee.

The AFL-CIO represents about 10 million workers in more than 50 unions, and its endorsement would be key for any of the announced candidates.

The scheduled Democratic candidates and their cities are:

_ Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut in Sacramento, Calif., on April 29.

_ John Edwards in Seattle on May 1.

_ Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in Trenton, N.J., on May 14.

_ Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware in Miami in May 16

_ Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York in Detroit on May 19.