Hahn takes labor from Villaraigosa

Several locals of the Service Employees International Union — representing 350,000 workers — endorsed Jim Hahn's releection yesterday. Last time, all but one local backed Antonio Villaraigosa, who used to work for SEIU, and the national union also sent money his way. Last week Hahn got the United Food and Commercial Workers local 770 and the Council of Carpenters, and he also has the city firefighters union (the cops have yet to say, but Hahn has given them just about everything they've asked for). The endorsements can mean money and a force of campaign workers, and they have a larger strategic importance for Hahn: it's now impossible for Villaraigosa to win the endorsement of the county Federation of Labor, headed by his close friend Miguel Contreras, that was such a big help last time. So, what do the spinners say? Parke Skelton, on behalf of Villaraigosa, insists these endorsements aren't as crucial as last time, when Villarigosa was a lesser-known figure, and that AV will get his share of labor backing. Bill Carrick, for Hahn, toots that "it's an enormous shot in the arm for the campaign." LAT, DN, Breeze