Unions spend about 4 times as much on lobbying as generally thought

Organized labor spends about four times as much on politics and lobbying as generally thought, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis, a finding that shines a light on an aspect of labor's political activity that has often been overlooked.

The unions are not just spending money in support of candidates for Congress and the White House. They spend money on a wide range of political activities, including supporting state and local candidates and deploying what has long been seen as the unions' most potent political weapon: persuading members to vote as unions want them to.