Transcript for the Piece Audio version of rustbelt series labor

PRX Rust Belt series :Labor

Democratic presidential candidates traditionally depend on Labor to provide both cash and votes in union strongholds across the country. This year is no exception. Thew cash and votes are particularly important in states like Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. With plants closing and union jobs leaving Labor is working overtime to demonstrate the differences between Barak Obama and John McCain. Gil Halsted of Wisconsin Public Radio reports.

open with chants from the Kimberly rally (run it, or sell it , run it ,or sell it fade under voicetrack)

Union members from the New Page paper plant in Kimberly Wisconsin rallied outside the state capitol this month demanding action. The Ohio based New Page Corporation closed the plant in July idling more than 600 workers. Since then the owners have refused several offers to buy and re-open it. Bob Brukhardt brought his 6 year old daughter Sailor to the rally. She carried a sign reading save Daddy's job. Brukhardt worked at the plant for more than 25 years. He's worried about his children's future if it doesn't re-open.

Cut" It'll mean some major change 's in my lifestyle from where we're at and where we're going probably schooling for Sailor and my other two daughters Amber Robin had a change few venues on that end some of the luxuries we've enjoyed over the years maybe even the house it's going to mean a lot of changes for me."

Bruckhardt says he'll probably vote for Obama , but he's disappointed in what he's hearing from both candidates about preventing the loss of manufacturing jobs. Jobs like his that pay more than 20 dollars an hour.

"they want to create jobs let's sustain the jobs we have sustain the good paying jobs we have now and pass them on to the next generations and we can still create new jobs let' add them to the jobs that we can sustain right now especially like our mill that could be running with an owner that's willing to run it we do have orders and people who want to run it."

Owners of the plant say they closed it because cheaper paper imports from China are undercut their profits. Bruckhardt and his fellow union members are backing Barak Obama because they believe he will bring an end to the Free trade agreements they say led to the loss of their jobs. It's an issue Obama hit hard on the camping this trail this spring speaking to auto workers in Michigan.

"I'm not gonna tell you we're going to be able to bring back every job or that we're gonna stop every single job from going overseas, but What I will tell you we can stop giving Bush tax breaks to companies that take those jobs overseas(applause) and we can start giving those tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in America"

Obama also promises to include protections for American workers in any future trade agreement he signs. Something John McCain has made clear he will not do. Speaking to Auto workers in Ohio earlier this year McCain promised to provide re training in high tech industries for laid off workers but made it clear he will pursue more free trade agreements.

"I don't think we are gonna get some of the old labor high labor intensive jobs back to America but I do believe we are the most innovative and most productive and we will not only keep jobs in America but we will grow jobs in America , I just don't think it's through protectionism."

That difference between the two candidates is one that unions are hitting hard this year in the most massive get out the vote effort the labor movement has ever undertaken It 's fueled by 800 million dollars in campaign spending and according to Andy Stern president of the Service Employees International Union it's already having a big impact.

"I know in our union we've made knocked on 90 thousand voters doors made 400 thousand phone calls and talked to 5 thousand members in the work site because in the end the most important role we can do is give people information.."

But union voters account for only about 15 percent of the electorate. University of Wisconsin Political Scientist Charles Franklin has run the polling numbers for the upper Midwest. He says they show the most important role that unions can play is drawing in White voters.

Cut Democrats have lost the white vote the total white vote in every election going back 30 years now and so among white union members the fact that they vote much more democratic than whites as a whole do is strong evidence that unions continue to have an influence."

Labor's get out the vote effort this year is paying attention to the race issue very explicitly In leaflets and at the door union members are telling voters that Obama's race is not a reason to vote against him, and they've been touting the message is that Obama walks the Picket line while McCain believes there's shouldn't be picket lines.

I'm Gil Halsted in Wisconsin