What drew heavy union involvement into this year's municipal elections, specifically the CFL and the Service Employees International Union, was Mayor Richard Daley's veto--and the Chicago City Council's failure to override it--of a controversial "living wage" ordinance that would've forced only big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot to pay their employees a higher wage than a "smaller" store such as a Safeway-owned Dominick's.
From the Chicago "free registration required" Tribune:
Six labor groups reported spending almost $2.6 million on council campaigns since Dec. 1, state records show. The Service Employees International Union led with at least $890,000 behind their aldermanic choices in the seven-week runoff campaign alone.
Wal-Mart donated some money to individual opponents, but drew ire from the CFL for contributing $100,000 to a political action committee linked to Mayor Daley, as the CFL wrote about on their site:
After watching organized labor make a difference for working families in the Chicago municipal election, Wal-Mart made a $100,000 contribution to the First C.D. Victory PAC on Wednesday to support pro-business candidates for alderman in the April 17 run-off election. Many of the candidates the fund supports face labor's endorsed candidates who will stand up for issues working men and women care about, such as a living wage, health care benefits, pension funding, and privatization.
Here's my take on a few of the races:
In a contest I've covered here, one union backed candidate, Bob Fioretti, defeated Madeline Haitchcock in the 2nd Ward. But if you go to Fioretti's web site, you'll see not see any mention of the big-box bill.
Changing demographics--development has radically changed the demographics of the ward--leading some to believe that in just a few years the ward has gone from majority-black to majority-white, plus Haithcock's reputation as a lackluster alderman, led to Fioretti's victory.
Disclosure: I've known Bob for a few years, although I typically only see him sipping coffee in front of his home on Chicago Marathon day. He's a decent guy.
In the neighboring 3rd Ward, Dorothy "The Hat" Tillman, a declared big-box store supporter, was defeated. She was probably my least favorite Chicago alderman because of her obsession with slavery-reparations. Her ward was dominated by the forbidding Robert Taylor Homes housing project east of US Cellular Field, but many of those buildings have been demolished, and to keep her ward viable--in other wards, to have enough people to make up a ward, the heavily Hispanic Back of The Yards neighborhood became part of the 3rd Ward during the last reapportionment. Slavery reparations are not a hot issue there. Good riddance, Dorothy.
The unions can rightfully claim credit for the defeat of Alderman Shirley Coleman in the impoverished 16th Ward on the South Side. Coleman switched sides, she originally voted for the the living-wage bill, but after Daley's veto, she voted the other way. Coleman however, like Tillman and Haithcock, were not regarded as effective legislators.
But the unions were heavily involved in the 21st Ward, also on the South Side. Howard Brookins, Jr. was a major opponent of the living-wage bill, and he easily won re-election over Leroy J. Jones, Jr.
Up on the north side, within shouting distance of Morton Grove, union money, plus the odious involvement of far-left Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, could not topple perhaps city's biggest opponent of the big-box living-wage bill, Alderman Bernie Stone.
But the big surprise last night was just east of the 50th, in Joe Moore's 49th Ward. Moore, who uses his City Council seat as a platform to promote national issues, while arguably overlooking basic city services in his densely-populated ward, declared victory last night with a whopping 138 vote lead over his opponent, Don Gordon, with one precinct yet to report its tally. Gordon refuses to concede. Tom over at Rogers Park Bench is reporting on all types of Election Day irregularities, mostly involving the Service Employees International Union. Moore was the sponsor of Chicago's big-box living-wage bill.
Even if Moore ends up winning, and survives any legal challenges by Gordon, his political standing is weakened. If Rep. Jan Schakowsky decides to abandon her office, or if Obama resigns his senate seat to become the nation's next president or vice president and Governor Blagojevich appoints Schakowsky to replace him--a horrible thought--it's been speculated the Moore would leap at the opportunity enter the race to replace her. That could still happen, but on the day after his run-off election, the political world's most prominent foie gras foe clearly had his wings clipped by the people who know him the best.
What's next? Look for the unions to make nice with Daley and "agree to disagree" on the big-box issue. A lot of building will need to take place if Chicago wins in its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, and while there is no chance non-union labor would be used to get the city ready for the games, the unions will want to keep close to the guy writing the checks. Even if it means a Wal-Mart opens up in the 21st Ward or a few other places.
Related posts:
Cong. Schakowsky's husband enters federal prison
Ald. Joe Moore, retail genius
NOW pulls endorsement from Chicago aldermanic candidate for second time
Big-box shy Chicago facing "food desert"
Chicago's first Wal-Mart brings $500K to Chicago in sales tax revenue in six months
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Richard Daley 
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