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Kalyn Free says union pressuring Democrats
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Filed Under: Politics

Kalyn Free, the organizer of the Prez on the Rez forum, says the Unite Here union is pressuring Democratic candidates to skip the upcoming debate.

Only two candidates -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel -- have agreed to take part in the August 23 forum on the Morongo Reservation in California. "Tribal leaders are going to remember who came to 'Prez on the Rez' and, more importantly, who didn't," Free told The Los Angeles Times.

Jack Gribbon, Unite Here's political director in California, denies the union is pressuring any candidates. But he said Democrats are concerned about tribes and their impact on workers' rights.

United Here was behind the sovereignty challenge to the National Labor Relations Act. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that tribes must comply with the law if they employ non-Indians or if their businesses impact non-Indians.

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Relevant Links:
Prez on the Rez - http://www.prezontherez.org
Indigenous Democratic Network - http://www.indnslist.org

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