When comparing Barack Obama and John McCain on union issues, it helps to consider that employees are defined by three distinct interests. The first interest group is the union bosses and their most active acolytes. The second group is the rank-and-file union membership. The third group is that of non-unionized workers – who now make up more than 90 percent of the private sector work force.
The legislative voting records and campaign promises of the presidential candidates show that Obama regularly supports the interests of the first group, the bosses, while McCain regularly supports the third group, the non-unionized workers. In a real sense, the critical question is who has the best interests of the middle group, the union rank and file, at heart.
