Voters go to the polls tomorrow to elect the successor to Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald.  The story line coming out of the election seems to be labor v. tribes.  They are both spending more money than the candidates have raised themselves.

State Senator Jenny Oropeza, as dday detailed on Saturday, has been the beneficiary of over $270,000 in independent spending from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.  The tribe has dropped mailers, door hangers, newspaper ads and called voters in a push to repay Oropeza for voting for the massive gaming expansion.  That vote was one factor for the LA County Labor Federation’s support of Assemblywoman Laura Richardson.  They are spending their money on member to member communication, urging the members of their local affiliated unions to vote for Richardson.  No specific total in terms of spending, but it is not an insignificant sum.

I would put my money on the Fed being much more effective with their communication rather than the blanketing of the district done by the tribe.  Turnout is going to be pretty small, less than 15% and those hard core voters are not easily swayed by mailers and door hangers.  This campaign really is all about identifying likely voters and making sure they get to the polls.  Who ever has a better turnout model and plan will win.

The amounts that the campaigns have raised are relatively modest.  Oropeza reported $219,000 on June 6, while Richardson listed $105,000 in contributions.  The tribes efforts have surpassed both of them easily.

If you are in the district make sure you vote and drag all of your friends and family around with you.  The winner will likely be in office for a few decades.

Two big endorsements have come out in the last week for the special election down south.  Sen. Jenny Oropeza walked away with the California Democratic Party endorsement, allowing her to say that she is officially endorsed by the CA Democratic Party.  It sounds good, but does not mean extra resources.  The bigger prize, that of the Los Angeles County Labor Federation goes to Assemblywoman Laura Richardson.

Like Steve Maviglo at CA Majority Report says, this means boots on the ground, especially useful in a low-turnout election like this one.  The Fed will get their phone banks working, labor members walking precincts and spend money to message their own members.  The LA Fed is a particularly strong one, in a very labor friendly area, making it a particularly plum endorsement.

Orepeza is chalking up the decision to her vote for the massive Indian gaming expansion compacts.  Labor has been in strong opposition and people were pretty surprised when she voted in favor.  As for the role of that vote in the endorsement decision:

Maria Elena Durazo, the executive secretary-treasurer of the County Fed, said the vote on the tribal compacts did come up in endorsement discussions, but that it was one of a number of issues.

“It was by no means the only reason or the driving reason,” she said.

(cross-posted from Working Californians)

We have now officially moved into the auto-renewal phase of the contract.  It will continually renew the temporary contract extension until one of the two parties gives 72 hours notice that they are pulling out.  The next meeting is set for the 16th and the UFCW has announced that they do not plan to cancel the extension this week.

The LA County Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, the Screen Acters Guild, Teamsters, CWA, SEIU, AFT and several other unions announced that they have sanctioned a USFC strike request.  That means that the 800,000+ members will honor the picket line in the event of a work stoppage through a strike authorization or lockout.

Maria Elana Durazo at the LA Labor Fed:

Workers throughout Los Angeles have made a commitment today, to stand in solidarity with our grocery workers in their fight to make their jobs, good middle class jobs again.  No Longer will we tolerate companies, who in their race to make more profits, are destroying what once made this city great, a strong middle class.

In granting a strike sanction, the Federation will support the grocery workers in various forms including picket line support, rallies, demonstrations, boycotts, food drives for strikers and coordinating public officials, unions and community support.

Robert Turner:

As an International Representative for the Teamsters, I can tell you this, we will not cross a picket line.  It wouldn’t be morally right to go against workers who work hard to make businesses profitable, but have no health care and struggle to provide for their families.

Elliot reminds us of what happened during the last labor dispute over at the Courage Campaign.

About 8,000 Teamsters tractor-trailer drivers and warehouse employees refused to cross the picket lines during the last Southern California supermarket labor dispute three years ago, forcing the markets to hire replacement workers to keep their supply lines flowing.

You should have seen the store managers trying to back an 18-wheeler into the stores’ loading dock.  Pure comedy.

Hopefully it will not come to that, but it does, there will be hundreds and thousands of people who have their back.