WASHINGTON - Janet Connor's teachers union is focused almost as much on dogged politicking these days as it is on the new school year. In the battleground state of Florida, the American Federation of Teachers local 1975 in Broward County is mobilizing foot soldiers who are handing out fliers, giving money and urging other members to vote Nov. 5 for the candidates that will be best for public education.

        Labor Day is traditionally the beginning of the home stretch for political campaigns, and union members will be out en masse through Election Day to help elect worker-friendly candidates - who, they say, are mostly Democrats.

        Organized labor in the last decade has steadily increased its power at the ballot box, representing 26 percent of voters in 2000, up from 19 percent in 1992. For November's midterm elections, unions say they are making an unprecedented effort to mobilize voters on issues such as protecting Social Security, workers' jobs and health care benefits.

        Control of Congress and 36 governorships are at stake in November. This also is the last election before new campaign finance laws kick in.

        The gubernatorial race in particular is dominating Florida's political landscape, and the teachers union desperately wants to unseat Republican Gov. Jeb Bush. It has endorsed Democrat Bill McBride, a political newcomer and Tampa lawyer, who is challenging former U.S. attorney general Janet Reno and state Sen. Daryl Jones of Miami in the Sept. 10 primary.

        Labor doled out $90 million in hard and soft money and individual donations in the 2000 presidential election cycle, of which 94 percent supported Democrats.

        Unions made up 11 of the 20 largest political action committee contributors to federal candidates that year.

        Though labor has become a powerhouse in politics, it still gets outspent 15 to 1 by the business community. Mobilization, not money, is the real key to labor's success, said Steve Rosenthal, the AFL-CIO's political director.

        But Republicans say they won't let labor's political efforts go unanswered, and President Bush has spent a lot of time cultivating some of the trade unions that tend to be more conservative, such as the Teamsters and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. Mr. Bush will attend a Labor Day Carpenters Union picnic on Monday. Last year he spent Labor Day with the Teamsters.

        A number of unions - even the AFL-CIO - say they intend to support more Republicans this year.

        The labor federation of 65 unions is doling out about $33 million this cycle, about the same that it spent for 2000.

        Member unions have lent more than 100 full-time staff to the AFL-CIO's effort to focus on particular races.

        That number will triple in the last three weeks of the election.

How much, to whom labor unions give

        Labor unions made up 11 of the top 20 political action committee contributors to federal candidates in the 2000 election. Here's their rank, how much they gave and whom they supported:

        3. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers: $2.64 million; 96 percent Democrats, 3 percent GOP, 1 percent other

        4. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees: $2.59 million; 95 percent Democrats; 5 percent GOP

        5. Teamsters: $2.56 million; 93 percent Democrats, 7 percent GOP

        7. Laborers: $2.24 million; 91 percent Democrats, 9 percent GOP

        8. International Association of Machinists: $2.19 million; 99 percent Democrats, 1 percent GOP

        9. United Auto Workers: $2.15 million; 99 percent Democrats, 1 percent GOP

        12. Service Employees International Union: $1.86 million; 90 percent Democrats, 10 percent GOP

        13. Carpenters Union: $1.85 million; 85 percent Democrats, 15 percent GOP

        16. United Food and Commercial Workers: $1.74 million; 97 percent Democrats, 2 percent GOP, 1 percent other

        17. National Education Association: $1.72 million; 95 percent Democrats, 5 percent GOP

        20. American Federation of Teachers: $1.6 million; 98 percent Democrats, 2 percent GOP

        Source: The Center for Responsive Politics

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