Q-A with Martin Ludlow *

Bobbi Murray does the honors for CityBeat. Ludlow's ascension to executive secretary of the County Federation of Labor is due to be voted on next week, adding some punctuation to last month's scoop by the Korea Times.

CityBeat: What does it mean for Los Angeles to have a former labor organizer as mayor?

Martin Ludlow: It sets the stage for advancement for working families. Los Angeles can be a model for the rest of the nation as to how you build a family-friendly city. This is a city that has great potential to provide living wages, decent housing, good schools, open space, health care – and that’s what I think the American dream can begin to look like for Americans nationwide.

Murray and Donnell Alexander also have a package of labor stories in this week's CityBeat.

* Add Ludlow: The Times has a story Friday saying that Ludlow's competition for the County Fed post has dropped out, leaving a clear path for him to get it on a voice vote.