For the past 26 years, I have grudgingly learned that union members don't always vote in their own economic interests, what labor folks call "voting your paycheck."  

Right now, however, the economy and paychecks are center stage, and this year's exceptionally close, historic election will ultimately be decided by working- and middle-class Americans. They are, after all, the deciding demographic in the few remaining battleground states.

One main hurdle for both candidates will be to sway "Hillary voters," those who supported Clinton over Barack Obama by a 2 to 1 margin in the primaries. 

So how can Obama and John McCain win the critical labor vote?

Understand to Whom You Are Speaking. All workers, including union members, are facing increasingly desperate economics times. The fear-inspiring financial meltdown, disappearing jobs, home foreclosures, and shrinking net incomes make them want change, and fast. Every major labor organization has endorsed Obama. That makes McCain's bar, as a candidate from the party that created the crisis, even higher.

Talk about Jobs. Following nine straight months of job loss— 159,000 jobs gone in September alone—workers are scared to death of losing their jobs and homes or have already lost them and are suffering. Investing in America's infrastructure—roads, bridges, schools—and accelerating funding for green energy production will mean more jobs with a living wage. Keeping jobs here in America by eliminating tax breaks for companies sending jobs overseas will give workers a beacon of hope.

Do Something Real About Health Care. More working Americans, 45 million, are going without health care, and some have been bankrupted by a system that makes being sick a financial death sentence. Protecting employer-based health-care plans, insuring retiree health care, and guaranteeing full coverage to each and every American is key. No gimmicks or jargon.

Make it possible to retire with dignity. As companies abandon pension plans and the value of workers' 401ks drop, retiring with dignity is becoming impossible for most working Americans. Expanding Social Security and Medicare, not moving to private retirement accounts subject to the stock market's whims, and bailing out the working and middle class by protecting their pensions and savings reinforces the safety net.

Straight Talk about Taxes. Paying for taxes and how taxes are spent are key issues to working people. McCain has an easier task if he continues to mine the myth that Democrats favor increasing taxes and building big government. Obama needs to hammer home that his tax plan will help support the much-needed social programs used by working families, and remind workers that Republican overspending got us into this fix.