Trail running: John King on union turnout

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6:32 p.m. ET: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Good union turnout for the Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh. Traditional campaign kickoff – and this week the AFL-CIO kicks its voter contact/turnout operation into gear.

Jack Shea, the veteran Allegheny County Labor Council president, says he knows it's a tough year and many conservative union workers probably thinking of voting GOP. But he says they will get between eight and 12 contacts over next eight weeks – phone calls, work site visits etc. – and he predicts when they hear the "full story" turnout will be strong and vote strongly Democratic.