Nevada Unions Endorse Obama

As expected, Barack Obama has secured endorsements from the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union in Nevada and the Nevada chapter of the Service Employees International Union, the Associated Press reports.

With Obama having won the Iowa caucuses and Hillary Clinton taking the New Hampshire primary, Nevada's caucuses take on an added importance. The Nevada SEIU claims to have 17,500 members, and the support of both unions could be a boost to Obama in the Jan. 19th caucuses.

"The culinary union, representing hotel, restaurant and laundry workers in Nevada's casino industry, is the largest and best organized labor group in the state," AP writes. "It has the ability to steer thousands of voters to the state's Jan. 19 caucus and turn an already competitive three-way scramble for supporters into an all-out ground-level frenzy."

In a statement, SEIU Executive Director Jane McAlevey said this:

"Nevada is a caucus state, and as Obama showed in Iowa, organization of every precinct is key to winning. SEIU Nevada members from Reno to Elko to Las Vegas are ready to make a difference in this state for our candidate."

The endorsement means that SEIU unions in other states are permitted to work with their Nevada counterpart on Obama's behalf in the state.

*This post has been updated with news of the Culinary Workers Union endorsement.