The Hill News

The AFL-CIO's top officials plan to fan out for a series of get-out-the-vote events in the last few days of the campaign, concentrating primarily on Midwestern states with a high union density.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler and Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker plan a "final four" effort to boost union turnout in the final four days of the 2010 cycle.

The top labor officials will largely concentrate their efforts in Midwestern states featuring hotly contested House, Senate and gubernatorial contests, where Democrats can use all the help they can get.

Trumka will spend Friday in Chicago, leafleting and phonebanking; Saturday in Philadelphia with Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.); Sunday in Columbus, Ohio; and Monday and Tuesday in western Pennsylvania.

Shuler plans to phonebook in Harrisburg, Pa., on Wednesday, undertake similar work Thursday and Friday in Louisville, Ky., and assist with get! -out-the-vote events on Saturday in California, Sunday in Colorado and Monday and Tuesday in Illinois.

Holt Baker will participate in similar get-out-the-vote efforts, concentrating her work throughout the weekend and through Election Day in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Connecticut.

The labor leaders are expected to lead some 90,000 volunteers throughout the weekend, who hope to make 5.6 million calls, knock on 4.1 million doors and distribute 1.9 million fliers.

The "final four" effort appears aimed toward helping Democrats stave off defeat in some key races, especially with respect to Senate seats. Each of the states benefiting from a visit by one of the AFL-CIO leaders features a key Senate race, and many also have contested gubernatorial contests.

Unions have been some of the biggest contributors to Democrats' efforts to maintain control of the House and the Senate. AFSCME, part of the AFL-CIO, has spent a reported $87.5 million on the 2010 elections, a figure that eclipses the spending by some of the largest outside groups aligned with the GOP.