Taiwan's ruling DPP is pushing to end 20 years of opposition control in New Taipei City, and its candidate just picked up a show of union strength.

• Su Chiao-hui launched a labor support group in Banqiao, with Taiwan's five main labor federations all turning up.
• Labor Minister Hung Sun-han backed her, calling New Taipei a working-class city with the widest mix of trades in Taiwan.
• His pitch: the KMT has run New Taipei for 20 years, and it is time for a change.
• Su's record was framed around labor law work in parliament, including insurance protection for job injuries and employment rules for older workers.
• Getting all five federations in one room is rare, and it was cast as cross-party trust rather than a party-line endorsement.

Outlook: Labor votes are shaping up as a central battleground in New Taipei as the mayoral race heats up.