Teachers Sue to Block Hotel Workers’ Union Vote in Nevada Caucus

from the NY Times

Teachers Sue to Block Hotel Workers’ Union Vote in Nevada Caucus
By STEVE FRIESS
Published: January 12, 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/12/us/politics/12nevada.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin


LAS VEGAS — Nevada’s state teachers union and six Las Vegas area residents filed a lawsuit late Friday that could make it harder for many members of the state’s huge hotel workers union to vote in the hotly contested Jan. 19 Democratic caucus in Nevada.

-snip-

The lawsuit argues that the Nevada Democratic Party’s decision, decided late last year, to create at-large precincts inside nine Las Vegas resorts on caucus day violates the state’s election laws and creates a system in which voters at the at-large precincts can elect more delegates than voters at other precincts. The lawsuit employs a complex mathematical formula to show that voters at the other 1,754 precincts would have less influence with their votes.


The at-large precincts are being established because thousands of hotel workers cannot leave work to participate in the midday caucuses in their home precincts. The Nevada State Education Association has said it would not endorse any Democrat, but some of its top officials have endorsed Mrs. Clinton. The association’s deputy executive director, Debbie Cahill, for instance, was a founding member of Senator Clinton’s Nevada Women’s Leadership Council.

If they can't leave work to caucus, how can they caucus at work?

Furthermore, how neat to see that Nevada uses the "good old boy" system for caucuses, holding them during a point in the day where most people can't get to them, unless they get permission to leave work or are - preferably, I suspect - self-employed.

But if you work for an employer?

There's something just plain wrong about the time during the day this takes place, unless the state wants to give everyone a holiday.

all people can get to caucus in any state. There are always going to be people who can't get there. That is why the system, no matter what state, is a bad one. Plus it is too open to manipulation and deal making. That's not democracy.

Why exactly is the Teachers Union opposing something which would allow more people - particuarly those who work long unsocial hours - to vote. Its disgraceful!

From the link in your post:

“This could shut down those precincts in the casinos and keep culinary members from voting,” said Jon Ralston, a political pundit with The Las Vegas Sun, who broke the story on his blog. Mr. Ralston said it is unclear whether there are ties between the lawsuit and the Clinton campaign but, he predicted, “Even if they’re Hillary supporters, the campaign’s going to say they had nothing to do with it.It is unclear when the court will hear the matter.

:shrug:

Goody. Just what we need.

That is why they gotta go.

but she stayed in Michigan even though the party wanted SC to be next so that black voters could have an impact in the selection of the nominee, and now she (and I'm assuming it was cleared with her campaign, tho' obviously I have no knowledge one way or the other) is trying to suppress the hispanic vote. It seems she doesn't care much about or for minority voters.

:eyes:

lots of those workers will be caucusing for Clinton. She is very popular with those union members. they aren't going to act like sheep when their union management didn't even bother to poll them to see who they wanted to support. And Clinton is not about to do anything to suppress their vote.

nt

And isn't it interesting that the Teacher's Union just discovered this "problem"- after the CWU endorsed Obama. Who do they support?

This is calculated to hurt Obama, make no mistake about that. This sucks!

:grr:

Judging from shit like this, their opposition to a NH recount, and the shit their supporters spew on a daily basis around here, sadly, no there isn't.

Just one more reason I'm not going to vote for Hillary, ever. I don't want to be part of a group that is so severely lacking in ethics and morals.

which will only stimulate turnout in the end.

Dumb.

:puke:

many of those workers will be caucusing for her despite their union's endorsement. She is not going to do anything to antagonize that group of voters. I think the teachers union feels they have a valid complaint about delegates.

The teacher's union backs Clinton. They do this right after the CWU endorses Obama. I'm not saying it has anything to do with Clinton directly, but it stinks. And what really stinks is that this is an attempt disenfranchise voters.

it is an attempt by the teachers to make sure that their vote counts equally. they feel they have a legitimate argument about delegates.
Clinton has been in NV courting the CWU union members, knowing that they are her constituents more likely than Obama's. Why would she go to that trouble if she was going to allow any of her supporters to suppress their vote? She wouldn't.
This blaming Clinton for everything and the mindless hate on the internet are really unproductive and pumped up by visiting freepers. I really wish that everyone else would use some common sense and not just jump on the Hillary Hate bandwagon.

supporters to decide that they want to take the opportunity to give her the edge. And you have no idea why the Teachers' union is doing this. We have only one strong clue: The timing. Why did they wait until after the CWU endorsed Obama? And sorry, the CWU endorsement absolutely helps Obama, and everyone knows it.

I haven't blamed Clinton for anything and I made that crystal clear. It says something rather unsavory about your that you insist on putting words in my mouth. I don't hate Clinton and just about everyone here knows I've ferociously defended her even though I don't support her. You might have ascertained my being a Hillary hater before you accused me of it.

It makes no sense for her to allow her supporters to try and suppress the vote she is going after. Yes Obama got the endorsement. I never said it didn't help him. But here is a clue... right after NH when everyone else went to SC, she went right to NV and walked precincts with members of the CWU who are supporting her. The union is about 68 percent women. Clinton is doing very well with women and working class democrats. So she is competing very well for this group of workers. Brilliant of her actually. These women (mostly women over 40) are her natural constituents and she would not spend the time and money to get their votes and try to suppress it too.
Try to be rational and not just another knee jerk Clinton hater.

newbie, you put words in my mouth and I don't care for that shit. One more time, pumpkin, I don't think she has anything to do with it, and the teachers' union timing is odd. Nevada is competitive. The union may think this is helpful to her.

Furthermore, cupcake, I am not now and never have been a Clinton basher, and your ignorance of that fact and insistence that I'm doing something I'm doing, isn't going to serve you well. Coming in here gangbusters and accusing long time posters of all kinds of crap is just a bizarre way to introduce yourself. It won't fly, pookie.

Hillary would never try and rig the rules to her benefit...

The Teachers Union knew this would happen for how long? And they wait until a few days after the Obama endorsement. The Democratic Party needs to decide if they're Republican or not. This is a Bush tactic.

:eyes:

nt

there is nothing here but suspicion.

has approved the plan to allow Nevada dem voters to caucus at these sites. That's just a fact.

how very 2006 of you.

But to the point, you have nothing but suspicion and distrust on your side. Clinton is out polling Obama with working class democrats, single women particularly single mothers. It makes no sense for her to at once go to NV to court these very people and then try to suppress their vote.
But I have no doubt this tired old ignorant shit about Clinton will continue to be spread. Thank God real America has more sense.

aren't real Americans. Who knew?

The devotion you are showing to your candiate is only exceeded by your naivete.

Thank God real America has more sense.

"I don't think real America is Iowa. I don't mean that in a mean way, but this is where the real people are, in the Western states."

:puke:

She's a mini George Bush when it comes to counting votes.

It's about at-large precincts affecting the delegate count, and the charge is that this is illegal and skews results.

They should lobby to be allowed to leave work, or to have polls stay open longer, or as last resort, I'm guessing they could vote absentee.

not a primary. How could someone vote absentee?

:dunce: :blush: :dunce: :blush:

Why wouldn't you want as many people as possible to vote??

That was approved by the DNC. All campaigns have had access to it. I wonder why the complaint is being made now?

I would guess that a court would not get involved, saying the Party has the right to control it's selection process.

The 13-page lawsuit in federal district court here comes two days after the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union Local 226 in Nevada endorsed Senator Barack Obama, a blow to Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Obama addressed the Culinary Union at their hall earlier Friday.

Students should not vote in IA. Hotel workers should not vote in NV. Who's next?

they should vote where they live like everyone else has to. What about nurses and hospital workers? Do they have special sites set up for them at their work place? Why is their vote less important? How about retail workers and convenience store clerks?

You accusation is what I expect from the irrational Obama crowd. when Hillary is in NV campaigning for these very same union voters support she would try and suppress their vote? That's nonsensical.

Wake up.

I will never vote for the Clintons this year.

:grr:

and I'm of the mind that you let as many people who want to vote, vote.

Why is that idea foreign to some of our candidates?

The only reason it's a problem this late is because Hillary didn't get the Culinary endorsement. Plain and simple.

Why didn't the teachers' union file the suit months ago?

Because more people should see this.