Almost all I've seen in the background lately in pics of Kerry rallies are union reps, who probably make $80K per year like the lummox painters union rep I spoke with here last year. This guy didn't realize he would be hit by the Dem "tax the rich" strategy until I informed him he was probably in the top 20% income percentile.
Doesn't look good for Kerry if he has to pay people to show up.
Many union guys (the ones who aren't being paid to attend the rallies, anyway, like those from SEIU) are only lukewarm about Kerry or are outright Bush supporters. I freeped a Dem rally at a steelworkers union hall yesterday at which several prominent state politicos spoke, and the "crowd" was barely 75, many of whom were Kerry staffers and various other local politicians (
freep report posted at #73 here).