LAS VEGAS — In what has become a proxy battle
between the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary
Rodham Clinton, the large hotel workers union in Nevada on Saturday
attacked a lawsuit by another major union that would make it more
difficult for hotel workers to vote in this state’s hotly contested
Democratic caucuses.
Filed Friday in Federal District Court here, the lawsuit comes
just days after the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union Local
226 in Nevada endorsed Mr. Obama, a blow to Mrs. Clinton.
In the lawsuit, the 20,000-member Nevada State Education Association
and six residents of the Las Vegas area argue that the Nevada
Democratic Party’s decision to create at-large precincts inside
nine Las Vegas resorts on the day of the caucus, next Saturday,
violates state election law and creates a system in which voters
at the at-large precincts can elect more delegates than voters
at other precincts.
The suit uses a complex formula to assert that voters at the
other 1,754 precincts in Nevada would have less influence.
“It may be well-intentioned,” said Mark Ferrario, a lawyer
for the plaintiffs. “But good intentions do not substitute for
complying with the equal protection requirements.”
D. Taylor, the secretary-treasurer of Culinary Local 226,
criticized the lawsuit as “despicable” and “disgusting.”
“I never thought we’d have people in the Democratic Party
try to disenfranchise women, people of color and large numbers
of working people in this state,” Mr. Taylor said. “I am sure
every single elected official in Nevada will renounce it, and
so will the Clinton campaign.
“If there’s not a renouncing of it,” he added, “then there’s
an agreement with it.”
A Clinton campaign spokesman, Phil Singer, said in a statement:
“We hope the courts and the state party resolve this matter.
We will respect their decision and focus our efforts on running
a strong campaign.”
In a statement, an Obama campaign official, David Cohen, said,
“We believe as a party, and a country, we should be looking
for ways to include working men and women in the electoral process,
not disenfranchise them.”
The at-large precincts are being established because thousands
of hotel workers cannot leave their jobs to participate in the
midday caucuses in their home precincts.
The education group has not endorsed in the caucuses, but
some of its top officials are supporting Mrs. Clinton.
