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According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Bean, Matheson and Moore each received more than $230,000 from labor during the 2004 election.

But the union presidents' letter "had no impact" on Matheson's decision to support CAFTA, Allyson Heyrend, a spokesman for the Utah congressman, told Cybercast News Service, adding it was "unfortunate" that the labor leaders "chose to present that type of ultimatum."

While acknowledging there are people in the labor movement who disagree strongly with Matheson on what the impact of the trade agreement will be, Heyrend said that the congressman "voted in favor of CAFTA, as he has voted in favor of previous free-trade agreements, because it's the right thing to do for Utah workers and Utah's economy.

"The CAFTA countries are Utah's fifth-largest growth market," Heyrend stated. "The value of our exports has increased by $40 million since 1999 to those countries, and a fifth of all manufacturing workers in Utah depend on exports for their jobs."

Calls seeking comment from Bean and Moore were not returned by press time, and the only response from the union leaders who signed the letter to the DCCC came from McElroy of the AFT, who promised his union would "continue our commitment to work with our allies in Congress to ensure that worker protections are included in future trade agreements."

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