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

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/12/us/politics/12nevada.html?ref=politics

By STEVE FRIESS
Published: January 12, 2008

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.

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.

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.

Nobody from the either union could be reached for comment late Friday. One plaintiff, Vicky Birkhead of North Las Vegas referred questions to the plaintiffs’ attorneys, who also could not be reached.

“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.

[dkf]

1. See how dirty Clinton is?

That is why they gotta go.

[Radical Activist]

2. First Iowa students, now hotel workers

I guess anyone who doesn't support Clinton doesn't need the right to vote. Disgusting.

[ikojo]

3. How elitist and exclusionary can one group

of workers be against another group of workers?

I hope this is thrown out of court as being blatantly partisan and an attempt to keep one class of workers from exercising their rights as Americans!

[enlightenment]

4. Given that caucuses are inherently undemocratic anyway,

and by their nature disenfranchise many "workers from exercising their rights as Americans" it's hard to understand why this is so much worse . . .

Single day open primaries for all the states - one day, one vote.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

5. The at-large precincts are being established because thousands of hotel workers cannot leave work to

I can't believe this shit. And of course, the hotel workers would vote for Edwards or Obama. This is getting sick. The Clinton campaign is using Rovian-Nazi techniques.