Building Trades Like Edwards On the Democratic Ticket.

The selection of U.S. Senator John R. Edwards, for the vice presidential slot on the Democratic presidential ticket headed by Senator John F. Kerry is being greeted enthusiastically by construction union leaders who are pouring time and resources into the November election with the goal of winning back the White House. Rick Diegel, political director for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, notes that though Edwards has only been in the Senate for six years, he has a more than 90% voting record on labor issues. In response to an AFL-CIO questionnaire, Edwards says he supports raising the minimum wage to $6.65 per hour from the current $5.15. The candidate also says he opposes efforts to roll back the federal Davis-Bacon prevailing wage law.