Happy Fall everyone and welcome to what is already shaping up to be another crazy, all-encompassing, divisive, few months as we begin the process of electing our country’s 47th President. Throughout my years working at the Local I’ve always tried to steer to the middle when it comes to conversations with our members about politics, especially national politics. Our Union proudly represents members who are strongly aligned with every political party and candidate, so it is truly impossible to be equally representative of every member’s personal political beliefs. That is why the union’s political focus is supporting candidates or political parties who will advocate for the members of organized labor and fight to address our most important issues. We have never, and will never, base our political decisions on the dozens of personal issues that separate the candidates. Although we fully recognize how important they are to you as individual voters, unfortunately none of those personal issues help us decide which candidate to support.
With a union as large as ours, both in geography and membership count, I have had more than my fair share of disagreements with members about who the Union has supported. But I will repeat what I have said for years to hundreds of members, the Union is not an individual and therefore is NOT aligned with any single candidate or political party. The Union supports candidates that support our member’s issues. However, the focus is on our members’ LABOR issues, not their personal issues or who they like or can relate to. As your Union, we must continue to direct our political efforts to elect candidates that provide the best opportunity to pass pro-worker/pro-labor legislation. Equally as important is electing folks that will appoint advocates of America’s working class to any/all agency positions charged with overseeing or impacting the legislative and judicial decisions that govern our members work rules, protect or attack our retirement funds and govern the National Labor Relations Board.
Believe it or not, my personal political views are not always aligned with those of our Union. But I was not elected by you to use our Union’s influence to impose my personal political beliefs. I was elected to do everything in my power to help our members and their families achieve a better life while fighting like hell against anyone or anything who tries to interfere. Make no bones about it, neither Donald J. Trump nor the Republican National Committee are a friend to labor Unions or their members. They also don’t support or believe in the pro-worker agenda that we try to advance every day. Please read those two sentences fundamentally, because I said what I meant. I didn’t attack former President Trump or the RNC, I made a very simple, yet incredibly accurate statement. The Republican Party’s national agenda and the agenda of the former President have absolutely nothing in common with the agenda of most America’s labor organizations. That is especially true when compared to this Union. For the record, candidates on the extreme left of the political scale are, in too many cases, no more a friend to labor than the RNC is. The extremism present in so many people’s current beliefs is incredibly dangerous and poses the biggest threat to all our futures. Where has all the common sense gone?
By in large, labor organizations around the country won’t endorse or support Donald Trump for President. Clearly there are exceptions to every rule, like some public sector and law enforcement unions, as well as some Unions based in deep red Republican states. Need I remind you that in too many of those deep red states the minimum wage is the $7.25 Federal minimum wage and right-to-work-for-less laws already exist. But this is New York, a closed shop state, and one whose minimum wage is more than double the Federal minimum. In New York we strive to be leaders for the entire labor movement, not followers. Each Union leadership team, no matter where it is based, is tasked with protecting its membership to the best of its ability. However, because of the industry and the area their members operate in, not all Unions find themselves on the same, or equal, ground when it comes to politics. There are significant differences between public and private sector Unions as far as their bargaining priorities and who they negotiate with. But our focus is on protecting you, the industries you work in, our Union, and your employers so our members can live and work safely while receiving higher wages and enjoying the most comprehensive benefit packages in the industry.
Nowhere in this article have I said that Union members won’t vote for Donald Trump, I know that statement is false. But I don’t know why so many members overlook or ignore his intentions when it comes to Unions, working people, or anyone that disagrees with him. Weakening a Union’s bargaining rights by appointing conservative judges to the courts or putting pro-business directors in place to oversee the NLRB are things he has already done once and will do again if re-elected. Although you may be aligned with the former President on his social, religious, economic or immigration policies, I ask you not to ignore the fact that given the opportunity to destroy your Union and eliminate your right to be a represented worker he would do it immediately.
Our members are currently blessed with strong contracts, collectively bargained benefit plans, a more worker-oriented NLRB, and a team of Union representatives who work every day to ensure your fair and safe working conditions are maintained. I can assure you that those are not items you will hear former President Trump speak about at his rallies. He will, however, tell you that they Unions should fear the democratic party. Really???? Do you think former President Trump would’ve passed the American Rescue Plan and helped protect or restore pensions for over 1 million Americans? The answer is simple, it’s a resounding NO! How do I know that? Because the plan was passed without a SINGLE Republican vote, which is disgusting. How fast do you think Trump would sign a national right-to-work-for-less law given the opportunity? If you don’t think so perhaps you should give the 1,000-page Project 2025 policy blueprint a read. Maybe it’s just a coincidence that JD Vance wrote the foreword for the book “Dawn’s Early Light”, written by Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, which oversees Project 2025? Clearly, it’s not. One of the many disgraceful sections of that document is a conservative blueprint for the destruction of Unions and their rights to represent their members. That is something that should concern all of you deeply.
In the end your vote is just that, your vote, that is the beauty of our democracy. I just ask that when the time comes for you cast it that you remember although one candidate’s policies may be nearer and dearer to your heart than the other, without your Union contract you wouldn’t have the medical benefits to get it checked out! In this election there is only one candidate who respects your membership card and your right to belong to a Union, and her name is Kamala Harris. No matter the dozens of other issues that help you evaluate and shape your decision, please remember that!Unfortunately, I must close my article on a sad note. On June 12th Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus Dan Russo passed away peacefully in his home with family. If you had the pleasure of knowing Danny, then you know he was a tough but compassionate man who loved his family and his Union dearly. He struck fear into the Employers and was very tough on the Union’s vendors (just ask them). There are dozens of stories I could tell you about Danny but none of them would give you the true picture of the dedicated, hardworking, funny, detail oriented, chop-busting, labor leader and man that he was. He negotiated hard for our members, took very good care of our staff, and looked after the Union’s assets like they were his own (some may have even called him cheap once or twice back in the day, lol). I was sad when Danny retired on March 31st, 1999, and I loved that he stayed connected to our Union for the 25 years that followed. Danny you were my first Secretary-Treasurer, and you convinced Frankie to hire me back in ‘95. You were a mentor, a friend and a resource to me from the day I met you until the day you passed away. Your tongue was as sharp as your wit, and your heart was as big as a bear. You kept everyone honest whether they liked it or not, and no one got one over on you! I love that I got to work with you for the few years we had, but I’m more grateful for the 25 years you gave me after retirement. Thank you brother for all that you were for our members and staff, rest in peace.