Here's an update on the union troubles around the 2008 Democratic National Convention, from the Denver Post. From the article, "AFL-CIO president John Sweeney said Thursday that "a lot of work" remains to be done before he'll be pleased with the selection of Denver as the site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Sweeney's visit threatened to be a nonstarter. A canceled flight delayed his arrival and caused him to miss a meeting with Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean and Mayor John Hickenlooper held shortly before a convention rally. Dean, in town to build support for the convention, did meet with representatives from local union chapters, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, whose national president, Jimmy Hoffa, also has criticized Denver, saying protests could "blow up" convention week. The local Teamsters joined members from building and trade unions, the Communication Workers of America, and Unite Here for the 45-minute meeting at the Hyatt Regency Denver. Also included were members from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, whose original objections to holding the convention at the nonunion Pepsi Center almost scuttled the DNC's choice of Denver. Conversation focused on the Pepsi Center disputes and the lack of unionized hotels in Denver, officials said...
"Thursday, Sweeney said the issue of whether to hold the convention in Denver wasn't discussed. He said this week that he is willing to work to resolve those issues. Sweeney said he plans to meet with Ritter April 23. The concern for unions and Denver is that members pick union hotels when they travel, and other than the Hyatt, Denver doesn't have any. The result is that there may be no room at the inn for the many pro-union delegates who will attend. 'There was reference to the fact that other hotels are not organized and that workers can't even explore the possibility of being organized,' Sweeney said. 'Right here in this hotel, the union organizers aren't allowed to even come in and meet with the workers here.' The Hyatt's general manager, John Schafer, said Sweeney's description of the situation was incorrect. The union Unite Here had signed a typical organizing agreement with the hotel, he said. Such agreements allow workers to talk with unions at the workplace without employer interference. In exchange, workers agree not to strike or protest. Schafer said a clause in the agreement stated that the union would be allowed to work at the hotel during the organizing process. Now that the process was complete, he said, the access has ended."
Here's the coverage from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "Organizers of the Democratic National Convention made progress Thursday in resolving labor disputes that threatened to overshadow the event. Labor officials were granted a seat on the Denver 2008 host committee that they had sought since last summer. The leader of one of the state's largest unions said it was time to 'move on,' and national AFL-CIO President John Sweeney flew into Denver to 'tone down the rhetoric' that has surrounded the debate over labor issues in Colorado."
More coverage of Howard Dean's stop in Denver yesterday, from the Denver Post. From the article, "Howard Dean celebrated Denver's selection as host of the 2008 Democratic National Convention on Thursday by declaring the Democrats as the party of fiscal responsibility and firmly in support of the U.S. troops in Iraq. 'This is a fiscally conservative state, and we are a fiscally conservative party - the other guys ran up a huge budget deficit,' Dean said to cheers from the crowd of about 400 at the Colorado Convention Center. Dean, the Democratic National Committee chairman, also announced Leah Daughtry as the CEO for the Democratic National Convention Committee. Daughtry, Dean's chief of staff at the DNC, previously served as the managing director for the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York."
Here's another story about Howard Dean's visit from the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Thursday that holding the Democratic National Convention in Denver will show the nation that the West has a road map for Democrats to win the White House next year. 'This is going to be the beginning of a new America,' Dean told an overflow rally of supporters at the Denver Convention Center.Dean said Democratic gains in the West show that voters want politicians to focus on collaboration and values. He said those values include fairness, honesty and a system of government for all Americans, not just a chosen few...
"Julia Hicks, former vice chairwoman of the Colorado Democratic Party, said she was moved by Dean's speech and that Dean was right about his support for western values that have allowed Democrats to make steady progress in the region, picking up governorships from Montana to Arizona in recent years and in Colorado in November. The party also has gained House seats and made significant inroads in state legislatures. She said Democrats in the West want to focus on problems, not divisive social issues, and that many regional Democrats are moderates who support gun rights, taking away issues traditionally considered Republican standards. 'People in the West are independent. They march to their own drummer,' Hicks said."
Here's Westword's look at Howard Dean's visit through the eyes of Worst Case Scenario.
"2008 pres"
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