With Strong Senate Candidates in Tow, N.Y. Activists Focus
on House Races
Boasting solid Senate records of supporting project labor agreements, the Employee Free Choice Act and prevailing wage laws, the future is looking bright for IBEW-endorsed candidates Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. Labor leaders in New York say both lawmakers – who have enjoyed leads in the polls – are on the right side of the issues working families care about.
Members of Rochester Locals 36 and 86 rally on Labor Day to pump up spirit for the upcoming elections.
Third District International Representative Larry Davis coordinates the IBEW mobilization effort across the Empire State. The Geneva Local 840 member said re-electing Schumer and Gillibrand would be good news to a state where more than a quarter of residents have union dues receipts in their pockets:
We’re optimistic that Chuck and Kirsten will win. Sen. Schumer has been a friend of labor for years. Gillibrand is with us on many issues like stopping misclassification of workers, so we’re working to get the membership pumped up for a high turnout. But it’s not a lock, and we need to put our efforts behind them to make this happen.
Their popularity frees us up to focus extra energy on some House races where our candidates are going to need strong IBEW support.
With 29 contests statewide, IBEW activists are mobilizing members to get out the vote for candidates like Rep. Scott Murphy, whose pro-labor voting record has made him a friend of workers in the state’s 20th District.
Said Albany Local 236 Business Manager Don Rahm:
Scott’s an example of the kind of leader this country needs right now. He’s a successful small businessman, but he’s stood up to the Chamber of Commerce on their anti-Employee Free Choice Act campaign. We did walks with him when he first got elected, and we’ll be side-by-side this year as well.
Rahm and Local 236 registrar Mark Lageunesse have been hitting the pavement and knocking on doors for Murphy, who represents residents in the Delaware County area. They are also working to get out the vote for candidates Paul Tonko – of the Albany area’s 21st District – and Rep. Bill Owens, legislator for Northern New York’s 23rd District.
During his decades in the New York State Assembly, Tonko has supported unions in his role on the Committee on Education and Labor. Owens champions passage of the Employee Free Choice Act and supports PLAs.
Said Rahm:
Paul Tonko has been strong for labor in the state assembly, and Owens has sided with us on important issues. These are the guys on the ballot who are going to continue to advocate for our membership.
N.Y. District 29 U.S. congressional candidate Matt Zeller,
second from right, with activists from Rochester Local 86.
Rochester-area candidates like Rep. Dan Maffei – representing the 25th District – and Afghan War veteran Matthew Zeller in the 29th District are receiving strong IBEW backing. Rochester Local 86 Business Manager David Young said union members can count on the candidates to deliver for working families if voters send them to Washington:
Dan Maffei has been a good friend of labor throughout his history. He’s honest, and when I’ve needed help for our members, he’s been there. He supportive and up-front about passing the Employee Free Choice Act and supports the Merkley Amendment.
It looks like Mr. Zeller will have a bright future. He not only deserves accolades for his service to our country, but he pledges service to the working men and women in the 29th District. Matthew has watched job after job disappear from his home region, and he’s understands the plight many are facing. He supports the Employee Free Choice Act and has been very receptive to our ideas about fair trade and growing union jobs.
Voters will also go to the polls to decide the state’s next governor. Popular candidate and State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo boasts a comfortable lead against opponent Carl Paladino, who has pledged to freeze wages of state, municipal and school employees in an effort to balance the state’s budget, and who is sharply critical of public service labor unions.
Young, business manager of Local 86, said that even in the wake of job loss and negative campaigning by opponents, this election season is a crucial time to support labor-friendly candidates:
We’re doing our best to communicate with members at every opportunity that these candidates need our votes to help push America forward. If we can’t mobilize, then we have the potential to go backwards and make the jobs picture even worse. I’m happy to say that we have such a great, intelligent, motivated membership – I think they’ll keep the momentum to carry us through to November.
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