St. Paul looking to take advantage

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

As Denver worries about union issues, St. Paul looks to take advantage:

The city once thought to be the front-runner for the 2008 Democratic National Convention may be flagging, and Minnesota organizers say they're more hopeful than ever they'll overtake Denver in the quest to host the gathering. Two of Colorado's top convention organizers publicly acknowledged over the weekend that the lack of unionized hotel workers in Denver could hurt its chances of landing the national Democratic gathering.
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Unions have yet to organize a single hotel in Denver, although the convention doesn't open for another two years. ... By comparison, the labor group representing hotel workers in Minnesota, UNITE HERE, lists 13 organized hotels in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul.
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But follow-up responses and the fine print in the party's site inquiry could be the keys to the Democrats' 2008 site selection. The Democratic National Committee's request for proposals includes a provision that "unions of various jurisdictions will not engage in any work stoppage or similar action that would disrupt the convention" in return for the party's exclusive use of union labor "whenever available."

And although the Democrats did convene in Atlanta, a nonunion city, in 1988, the Denver Area Labor Federation said earlier this year it will oppose the city's 2008 bid unless it can successfully organize at least some of the city's hotel workers. The newly opened Hyatt Denver Convention Center Hotel seems to be a particular sticking point.

The 37-story, 1,100-room, publicly financed hotel would play a key role in a Colorado convention but has been buffeted by labor issues at a number of junctures since the project began in 2002.

Are the Democrats more concerned about work stoppages during the convention, or about the symbolism of having the convention in a nonunion city. I suppose it's both, but it would seem rather cynical if promises of no work stoppages would be enough to bypass this issue and put the convention in Denver.