The second sense in which unions can be political is that some have a very active internal political life. There are factions that vie for control of the organization through the election of officers. Stay clear of labor's internal politics. When approaching labor for cooperation on a local, district, or state level, go straight to the elected officers or top staff. Don't have dealings with people who want to involve you in intrigue.
Someone wins and someone loses every union election.
You should be able to keep on good terms with the union no matter who wins. Whether you are working with a local, state fed, or labor council officer, being on good terms also means respecting their agenda and realizing that they have responsibilities that must come ahead of work with outside groups. There are certain things that will make your job easier in approaching union local officers to cooperate with a citizens' organization. First, if your issue is one that higher bodies of the union or AFL-CIO have already endorsed and asked the union locals to work on, then the door is partly open. Often, local officers will be trying to find a way to squeeze another hour into the day for this issue.