Unions Swagger About Power, Image

Despite the overwhelming re-election of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, organized labor is feeling pretty cocky about its power and its image. (Labor pretty much did the bare minimum for Phil Angelides, his Democratic opponent, anyway.) A poll conducted in Los Angeles found labor with high marks among voters there and union leaders are pushing for "union-led" solutions on contracts, health care and protecting the city's new living wage.

L.A. does not represent the whole of California by any stretch. But the confidence that organized labor is showing undoubtedly will be mirrored in Sacramento, where lobbyists are closely watching Schwarzenegger's health care proposals and a new commission he started to overhaul the state's troubled pension system. The poll was conducted by Democratic pollster David Binder. The Times' Joe Mathews got a copy of it, which shows:

• 67% of people surveyed said state government has been doing a fair or poor job, compared to 29% who said it has been doing a good or excellent job.
• Voters are terribly cynical about government; 72% said the government is worse today than it has ever been, and only 34% said they trust the government to do the right thing.
• A whopping 73% said they care more about themselves than helping people; 51% said, "Most people in politics are corrupt."
• 73% said, "Big corporations are taking advantage of people like you," and 56% said elected officials are in the pocket of special interests.
• As for unions, 55% said that without organized labor, "There would be no middle class left in America." Only 31% said they thought the demands of unions were driving businesses to outsource jobs to other countries.

Just a weighted snapshot folks. Take it for what it's worth. Meanwhile, unions this month want to make sure Schwarzenegger's appointee to a commission on pensions doesn't come from labor groups that stayed neutral during the special election in 2005. They want fighters. Those appointees have yet to be announced.

(Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / AP)