In coup, Dean wins a key labor union

WASHINGTON -- Howard Dean captured the endorsement of one of the nation's largest labor unions and was on the verge of winning over another yesterday, garnering support from a key Democratic constituency for his bid for the party's presidential nomination.

The support of the Service Employees International Union and the expected endorsement of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, with their combined membership of roughly 3 million, was a campaign coup for Dean, who once was considered a longshot in the race. The endorsements were a setback for Representative Richard A. Gephardt, the Missouri Democrat whose campaign has relied heavily on the backing of organized labor, and Senator John F. Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, who has tried to cultivate union support.

Andrew L. Stern, president of the 1.6 million-member SEIU, told reporters the labor group's executive board met with the former Vermont governor for 45 minutes yesterday morning and later voted on an endorsement.

Stern said he was postponing a formal announcement of the board's decision at the request of the 1.4-million member AFSCME, and labor and political officials speaking on condition of anonymity said AFSCME also planned to back Dean.

"We are hopeful that there are other unions who share our members' excitement for Dr. Dean," Stern said as Dean stood by his side in a shiny purple SEIU jacket with "Dr. Dean" embroidered on it.

Earlier, Stern had said that the SEIU board would endorse Dean or no one, and Dean was the only candidate to meet yesterday with the board of the SEIU, a fast-growing and racially diverse union that represents nurses, hospital workers, janitors, and security guards. With an SEIU endorsement, Dean would be the candidate of the largest union in New Hampshire, one that represents 2,500 nurses in Iowa, and tens of thousands of members in the important primary states of New York, California, and Michigan.

Stern suggested the announcement delay was designed to build momentum for Dean. Labor and political officials familiar with the union politics said AFSCME president Gerald McEntee intends to announce his union's endorsement of Dean jointly with Stern once he obtains the green light from his board next week.

Because the official announcement was delayed, Dean could not publicly thank SEIU for its backing but said he was pleased with the union's endorsement process. "What we are really trying to do here is build a movement to take back this country," Dean said, grinning as he stood in a throng of SEIU board members.

Before yesterday, Dean had been endorsed by only the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. The nation's largest union, the National Education Association, with 2.5 million members, has not yet made an endorsement.

The news was particularly disappointing to Gephardt, who has been counting on his close relationship with labor to build momentum for his campaign, hoping to receive an early endorsement from the AFL-CIO, the umbrella organization of 64 unions, including AFSCME and the SEIU.

"We're always disappointed when we can't get one, but we already have 20 unions representing more than 5 million workers," said Erik Smith, a spokesman for Gephardt. Smith said the SEIU endorsement would not disrupt Gephardt's plan for winning the Iowa caucuses, but was "one step closer to [Dean] sewing it up" in New Hampshire, where Kerry is Dean's closest competitor.

Earlier this year and before the war in Iraq, McEntee said Kerry had the "best chance" of defeating President Bush. At the time, he said he did not expect AFSCME to endorse a candidate before the end of next year's primaries. Kerry has been endorsed by the Fire Fighters and the Utility Workers.

The big unions' rallying around Dean suggests some labor leaders now believe Dean's fundraising prowess, poll numbers, and antiwar message have demonstrated an ability to beat Bush.

The endorsement of AFSCME -- which was an early backer of Bill Clinton in 1992 -- is a major prize because the union spends millions of dollars contacting union households on behalf of candidates and running aggressive get-out-the-vote drives. For the 2004 election cycle, the SEIU aims to make 7 million phone calls, distribute 6 million fliers, and visit 10 million homes.

The national AFL-CIO already has a separate $35 million political operation and is committed to defeating the president. To win the full federation's endorsement, a candidate must have the backing of unions representing two-thirds of its 13.2 million members.

Stern would not disclose the SEIU's campaign war chest but said the union would mobilize "an army" and have the resources "to make sure every single one of our members" knows Dean's record.

Speaking to reporters in Nashua, N.H., last night, Dean said that "the service unions have enormous diversity, which is something we need in our campaign." "They also have huge outreach, and they supply enormous numbers of people on the ground to reach out to voters of every ethnicity and every economic status," he said. "I have always felt that the service unions and our campaign are a perfect match."

Stern said about 35 percent of SEIU members are Latinos and African-Americans. Tyrone Freeman, an African-American who is president of SEIU Local 434b in Los Angeles, complimented Dean for his agenda on minority issues and said he was "satisfied" with Dean's explanation for the statement he made last week, pledging to "be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." Dean spent about 10 minutes of his 45-minute conversation with the SEIU board in what Freeman called a "very frank" discussion of the remarks, which two of his Democratic rivals described as offensive in a debate Tuesday. Dean has since apologized for the remarks. Freeman called it a "great discussion" and said he was "pleased, satisfied, and enthusiastic about the results."

Stern said the SEIU decision was the result of a yearlong process involving consultations with local labor leaders and staff, reviews of candidate positions, and 25 separate straw polls, including two in both New Hampshire and Iowa, of union members.

"Dr. Dean is the candidate who best represents their interests," Stern said. "I know that the decision made here today is the right one."

Glen Johnson and Sarah Schweitzer of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from the Associated Press was also used.