Labor Is the Backbone of Bradley’s Vote Gifts

Entertainers added a splash of glitz and glitter, but organized labor built the foundation for Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s most recent fund-raising efforts, according to a campaign finance report made public Friday.

Of the $719,761 in cash and in-kind contributions Bradley received between May 18 and June 30, more than $120,000 came from labor groups. The California Federation of the AFL-CIO was the biggest single contributor with $30,000. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees gave $10,000.

Prominent recording artists and film stars lent their names to Bradley’s effort to unseat Republican Gov. George Deukmejian, but, taken together, did not constitute a major force in the mayor’s fund raising.

Pop idol Michael Jackson, along with brothers Marlon and Jermaine, gave a total of $2,700. Comedian Richard Pryor contributed $5,000, record producer Quincy Jones gave $4,500 and Ray Charles Enterprises donated $4,000. Others in the entertainment business giving less than $1,000 were director Norman Jewison, actor Martin Landau, actress Jayne Kennedy and writer-director Nicholas Meyer.

Labor Helped in ’82

Labor provided significant support to Bradley during his first bid for the governorship in 1982 and is doing so again, said campaign press secretary Ali Webb.

“We have strong support . . . not only financially but also among the rank and file, which will be helpful in getting out the vote on Election Day,” Webb said. “We depend on organized labor.”

Bradley is fighting an uphill battle to match Deukmejian’s bankroll, which totalled nearly $5.1 million on June 30. The mayor’s campaign reported having only $504,268 in the bank. The Times reported details of Deukmejian’s finance statement Friday; Bradley’s were not available until Friday.

Other significant contributions to the Bradley campaign came from the Los Angeles law firm of Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Heine, Underberg, Manley, Myerson & Casey, which gave $15,300, and from a Wall Street group called Friends of California, which contributed $15,000. The organization was not further identified on Bradley’s campaign statement and Webb said she could not immediately determine who the group represents.

Bradley’s campaign manager, Robert E. Thomson, is managing partner of Finley, Kumble, one of the 10 largest law firms in the nation.

Two nationally prominent black politicians gave the mayor small contributions. Georgia legislator Julian Bond’s campaign organization gave $250, while Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young contributed $100.