CBC to meet with labor group

The Congressional Black Caucus plans to meet today with union representatives from the Change to Win Coalition, a labor group that split off from the AFL-CIO a year ago.

Labor unions and their corporate foes, such as Wal-Mart, have been waging parallel lobbying campaigns to win favor with black lawmakers. The Change to Win Coalition treated staff of CBC members to lunch at posh Constitution Avenue eatery Charlie Palmer’s last week.

Wal-Mart held a reception for CBC members at the same restaurant in July where it announced a $1 million grant to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Another company, Fannie Mae, sponsored a CBC reception at Union Station in early September.

Change to Win spokeswoman Carole Florman said today’s meeting was a “get to know you” session to talk about “issues of mutual interest.”