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 Garcia's surprisingly strong showing in a first round of voting on
Feb. 24 prompted some big unions to see him as a viable challenger
to the well-funded Emanuel and to rethink their neutral stance in
the race for mayor of the country's financially troubled No. 3 city.
But interviews this week with leaders at major unions that have made
no endorsement indicate none is likely to join the Chicago Teachers
Union, the only major union to back Garcia before the primary.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or
AFSCME, has decided to remain neutral in the April 7 runoff
election, while a raucous disagreement over the mayor's race between
two large locals of the Service Employees International Union, or
SEIU, may also end in a non-endorsement.
The Chicago mayor contest pits President Barack Obama's former chief
of staff against a low-profile county commissioner. The campaign
also reflects divisions between big-money Democrats such as Emanuel
and grassroots progressives like Garcia, each offering competing
visions for how to deal with huge budget deficits.
 Despite being heavily outspent, Garcia started looking like a real
challenger after he took a better-than-expected 34 percent of votes
in the first round. Emanuel needed more than 50 percent of votes to
avoid a second-round, but got 46 percent.
Union membership is down nationally, but organized labor holds
significant political sway in Chicago, where city workers must live
within city limits. All told, Emanuel has backing from 70 unions,
many in the construction trades.
To beat him, Garcia will need to wrest some union endorsements - and
the canvassing volunteers and millions of dollars in potential
contributions that come with them.
Garcia has raised only about $1.5 million, mostly from SEIU
Healthcare and from the Chicago Teachers Union. The teachers clashed
with Emanuel over school closures and briefly struck early in
Emanuel's first term over retirement benefits.
Last year, SEIU took a statewide stance against a mayoral
endorsement. When Chicago's SEIU Local 1 decided to reconsider
neutrality after Garcia became a viable contender, it ran into
bitter opposition from the other main SEIU group, Local 73, which
represents more than 14,000 Chicago city workers.
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Matt Brandon, secretary treasurer of Local 73, predicted an ugly
battle between the two locals, but after talks late on Tuesday said
he thought the neutral stance would prevail.
"He's been one of the best mayors we've had for working people in
the city of Chicago. He created new positions and protected jobs,"
Brandon said of Emanuel.
Brandon has filed a complaint with SEIU International against SEIU
Healthcare, the third arm of the union in Illinois. The health group
defied the statewide SEIU neutrality pact and was one of Garcia's
biggest financial backers in the primary, putting $385,000 into his
campaign.
"We felt he was the candidate who would more clearly address issues
of working people and families in Chicago," said James Muhammad,
spokesman for SEIU Healthcare.
Garcia's campaign did not respond to requests for comment on the
union endorsements.
A key umbrella group, the Chicago Federation of Labor, represents
half a million workers in the Chicago area and 320 small unions, and
is expected to remain neutral or to back Emanuel. The United Food
and Commercial Workers Union and the Illinois Nurses Association are
reconsidering neutrality stances.
(Editing by David Greisling and Doina Chiacu)
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