Labor Group to Stay Neutral in Mayoral Race

The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, in a third and final vote, has decided to take a neutral stance in the city’s mayoral election contest next month.

Delegates for the 320 local unions belonging to the county labor federation made the decision, which was expected, in a voice vote Monday night. It mirrored a decision last week by the federation’s executive board. In February, the labor federation’s political board issued a preliminary endorsement of Mayor Richard Riordan, a business-minded Republican. But labor leaders decided to repeal the endorsement and remain neutral after protests were raised by supporters of Riordan’s challenger, state Sen. Tom Hayden, a Democrat with longtime ties to unions. The final decision by the delegates frees individual member unions to do as they please during the nearly three weeks remaining before the April 8 election.