A major crack has opened in Karen Bass’ labor coalition, with a carpenters union switching sides to support Nithya Raman in Los Angeles’ mayoral runoff. The endorsement arrives four years after the same union backed Bass, giving Raman a high-profile labor win as she tries to turn an underdog campaign into a citywide governing coalition.
NBC Los Angeles reported Monday that the union had decided to back Raman rather than the incumbent mayor. The reversal is especially notable because Bass has long enjoyed strong support from organized labor, while Raman entered the race after previously endorsing Bass for reelection.
The two former allies are now headed for a Nov. 3 runoff after Bass finished first and Raman secured second place in the June primary. The Los Angeles Times reported that Raman’s late entry left her with just 115 days to build a campaign, organize supporters and persuade voters she could challenge an incumbent with far greater name recognition.
Why The Labor Break Matters
The carpenters’ decision comes after an early labor backlash against Raman’s candidacy. Hoodline previously reported that the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor backed Bass and criticized Raman’s last-minute run as a betrayal of her earlier support for the mayor.
But labor’s opposition to Raman was never completely uniform. CalMatters reported in March that Los Angeles carpenters were more lukewarm toward Bass than they had been in 2022, with union leaders upset over decisions involving housing-construction rules, the Department of Water and Power and worker pensions.
That helps explain why Raman may be attractive to at least part of the building trades: Her campaign has emphasized housing production, faster permitting and construction-related jobs, while also pitching a more aggressive approach to fixing basic city services. NBC’s candidate profile described those proposals as central parts of Raman’s effort to distinguish herself from Bass.
Bass Still Has A Broad Labor Firewall
The endorsement should not be mistaken for a complete labor revolt against Bass. In March, the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council endorsed Bass while citing her support for major infrastructure projects and union work tied to the World Cup, the Olympics and the Convention Center.
The council represents 48 local unions and more than 160,000 skilled workers, according to its endorsement announcement. The countywide labor federation also remains aligned with Bass, meaning Raman has gained an important ally but has not yet pried loose the entire labor establishment.
Still, the switch gives Raman something she badly needs: proof that her coalition can reach beyond progressive activists and into the construction workforce that has helped shape Los Angeles politics for years. Whether the endorsement translates into money, canvassers and votes will be one of the clearest tests of how much influence organized labor still has in a race that is no longer Bass’ to coast through.
