031022 Food Workers Union Backs Gephardt for President

Washington - Presidential hopeful Dick Gephardt is about to pick up the endorsement of a one- million-member union, making 18 international labor unions that back the Democratic Missouri congressman.

The United Food and Commercial Workers support Gephardt based on his broad plan for universal health care. Internal polls show health care is the top issue for the union's members, which include workers in retail food, meatpacking, poultry and health care.

The endorsement announcement is set for tomorrow in Davenport, Iowa. The state's presidential caucuses are just over three months away.

The union is one of the five largest in the country. The 18 unions endorsing Gephardt have nearly five million members.

Gephardt hopes ultimately to get a labor-wide endorsement from the A-F-L-C-I-O.

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