The largest labor union in California, the Service Employees International Union, with 650,000 members in the state, decided Friday to endorse Barack Obama.

That endorsement, by the California state chapter of the nation’s most political potent union, will help build momentum for Mr. Obama. In addition, because of the union’s large Latino membership, the endorsement could prove important in persuading more Hispanics to vote for Mr. Obama in the California primary next Tuesday.

The S.E.I.U. in California had enthusiastically endorsed John Edwards, and had led the push in the 1.9-million member national union to back him. When the union’s national board was unable to muster majority support for Mr. Edwards or any other candidate, the union gave its state chapters the go-ahead to endorse the candidate of their choice.

With the S.E.I.U. endorsement, two unions that are specially powerful among immigrants in California — the other is Unite Here, which represents hotel, restaurant and apparel workers — have backed Mr. Obama.

“The major immigrant unions are now out there for Obama,” said Mike Garcia, president of S.E.I.U. Local 1877, which represents 35,000 janitors, security guards and other building service workers in California — about 70 percent of them Hispanic. “I think his policies are more in tune with ours for working people, on the disparity of wealth, on changing the nation’s direction.”

Among politicians, the Service Employees International Union is widely seen as highly effective in politics because of so many of its members participate in union activities and donate to the union’s political action fund. Hillary Clinton has been endorsed by two other large, politically savvy unions with more than 1 million members the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the American Federation of Teachers.

Sal Roselli, president of the S.E.I.U.’s giant health-care local in California, which represents 150,000 hospital workers, home-health aides and other workers, said his union would immediately start phone banking on Mr. Obama’s behalf and would focus its efforts in particular districts.

“I don’t think it’s too late to make a difference,” he said. “We’ll get a lot of press. Our members listen to use. We’re going to explain why we feel they should vote for Obama.”

One S.E.I.U. leader said there was some debate among union officials in California on the endorsement. Some S.E.I.U. leaders were eager to throw their union’s considerable weight behind Mr. Obama to help build momentum for his nomination. Others argued that there was little to gain by endorsing him just four days before the Feb. 5 primaries in California and 21 other states, saying that doing an endorsement now would give the union little time to persuade its members to back Mr. Obama.

Mr. Garcia, head of the janitor’s local, said the union’s leaders were swayed in part by the Thursday debate in which he said Mr. Obama appeared friendlier to immigrants. He cited Mr. Obama’s support of providing drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.

“He was good on not scapegoating immigrant and I think Hillary did not do strongly on her position on immigration reform last night.”

The Transport Workers Union, which represents 140,000 active workers, announced on Friday that it had become the first national union that had backed Mr. Edwards to switch its endorsement to Mr. Obama. The union represents transit workers in New York City, flight attendants at Southwest Airlines and ground crew for American Airlines.

The union is strongest in New York State because its New York City branch, Local 100, which represents more than 32,000 subway and bus workers, is one of the citys largest and most vocal unions. The union, based in Manhattan, also claims 60,000 retirees nationwide as members.

Labor leaders say many unions that had endorsed Mr. Edwards, including the United Steelworkers and the United Mine Workers, were waiting for the race to clarify before they decide on another endorsement. Union leaders say that it is awkward to endorse one candidate who falls by the wayside, and even more embarrassing to endorse a second candidate, and that have that candidate also fail to get the nomination.

Richard Trumka, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.s secretary-treasurer, said on Thursday that he did not see the labor federation a grouping of 55 unions representing 10 million workers making an endorsement in the near future.
He said that at the moment neither Mrs. Clinton nor Mr. Obama was in a position to muster the necessary two-thirds support within the A.F.L.-C.I.O. to secure an endorsement.

“We think they’re both very good candidates,” Mr. Trumka said. “They’d both be a vast improvement over the person now in the White House.”

Union leaders say that if Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama develop a commanding lead in the delegate count, the A.F.L.-C.I.O. might seek to move soon afterward to endorse the front-runner.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/calif-service-union-weighs-backing-obama/