It Was a Struggle, but Gore Gets Big Labor

Crowing "I always get two thirds," AFL-CIO president John Sweeney on Wednesday delivered to Al Gore the endorsement he coveted, that of Big Labor. "More than any other national leader," the resolution shoved through by Sweeney read, "Al Gore has used the power of his office to defend the freedom of workers to choose a union, free from interference by their employers." For Gore, wholl get a stump-thumping grassroots organization that his excitement-deprived campaign sorely needs - and one that has $40 million to spend - the endorsement couldnt have come at a better time. As in now. "Bill Bradley wasnt really counting on getting the union vote anyway, but he was pushing hard for a delay," says TIME White House correspondent Jay Branegan. "Because if the AFL-CIO convention had come and gone without the nod for Gore, it would have been a disaster. And it would have been more evidence for the perception that Gores just not electable."

But despite the collective wrangling of Sweeney, Bill Clinton and Gore himself, 2.2 million of Gores 13 million new friends are sending just that message. The Teamsters (evidently, a presidential photo-op doesnt hold the charm it once did) and the United Auto Workers both dissented, calling Sweeneys dictum "a sod job" and citing southern-fried wisdom about weighing ones pig before wrapping it. Which hardly means they were Bradley backers just that they wanted to soak Gore for a few more concessions before climbing aboard. In fact, what impressed Branegan was how quietly - and quickly the rest of the AFL-CIO went along. "It seems to be a very enlightened group," he says. "Both Bradley and Gore are free-traders Gores biggest moment was defending NAFTA against Perot and there hasnt been a word about that." Of course, George W. Bushs own dad was the father of NAFTA, and the unions know that bickering over this Democrat or that only helps the GOP.