Los Angeles Phone tax gets heavy backing from unions

The campaign for a $243-million telephone users tax on the Feb. 5 ballot has amassed nearly $2.6 million, almost three-fourths of it from labor unions, according to campaign contribution reports filed Thursday.

Unions provided nearly $1.9 million to the Proposition S campaign, which is seeking to preserve a tax on cellular and land line calls that has been challenged repeatedly in court.

Proposition S would lower the city's existing telephone users' utility tax from 10% to 9%, a move designed to entice voters.