AFL-CIO

For what it's worth--maybe a lot--the New York State AFL-CIO has put out a press release offering strong support to embattled Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno. Liz Benjamin, who had it first, notes that Bruno and 1199 boss Dennis Rivera like to go horseback riding together. Didn't horses get him into this mess?

New York State AFL-CIO Voices Support of Senator Bruno

ALBANY, NY -- (12/22/2006; 0930)(EIS) -- Denis Hughes, President of the 2 1/2 million member New York State AFL-CIO today issued the following statement:

"Throughout his career in public service, Joe Bruno has served the men and women of this state with great distinction. He has proven himself time and again to be a man of honor and unquestionable integrity.

"The labor movement has no better friend than Senator Bruno. He has consistently fought to protect and enhance the lives and well-being of working people, often at great political risk.

"Senator Bruno's lengthy and distinguished career speaks volumes to his character. As such, there should be no rush to judgment regarding his ability to lead.

"The New York State AFL-CIO fully supports Senator Bruno's leadership and looks forward to continuing to work with Senator Bruno, Speaker Silver, all members of the state legislature and Governor-Elect Spitzer in our efforts to further the cause of working men and women across this state."

UPDATE: Rivera's come out with his own statement of support.

-- Andrew Rice

Another sign of the massing of the union ranks behind an effort to ensure Alan Hevesi's survival on Tuesday...

It's a piece of literature the AFL-CIO is giving its members, reminding them that comptroller Alan Hevesi has shown "a keen awareness and understanding" of their issues, and "has served the taxpayers of this state, our public employees and al New Yorkers with great distinction."

The piece also notes that Chris Callaghan opposed a defined benefits plan for pension recipients -- not a minor point for organized labor. Callaghan has said that's true, but for future employees, not those currently vested in the pension.  read more »

-- Azi Paybarah

Here's a palm card the state Democratic Party printed up, presumably before the Hevesi chauffeur incident turned into a full-blown feeding frenzy.

I'm not sure how widely it'll be distributed, but one political operative in City Hall said, "They got to hand it out. Hevei's got to win so they can replace him."

There's one more piece of lit after the jump.  read more »

Update: Here is that flier from the AFL-CIO, one of the union's backing Hevesi, which Fred Dicker noted shows every Democrat running for statewide office, except Hevesi. A spokesman for the union explained it was printed during the primaries and Hevesi didn't have a Democratic opponent. So, instead of throwing them away, spokesman Mario Cilento said, they were still being handed out. New ones featuring Hevesi are being sent out, he said. --Azi Paybarah

Even as Alan Hevesi is abandoned by many of his colleagues in the closing stage of the campaign, unions are rallying to save him.

The latest: the state AFL-CIO.

In a statement, Denis Hughes said, "The New York State AFL-CIO is mindful of the legal proceedings currently underway and understands that the process must play out before a resolution to this matter is reached.

"However, while there is much that we do not yet know, what we do know is that as Comptroller, and throughout his 35 years of public service, Alan Hevesi has been recognized as a national leader in the fight to restore and strengthen the role of defined-benefit pensions so that all workers can access a secure retirement."

So he's still got some institutional support after all.

-- Azi Paybarah

Question: Why wouldn't the state's biggest labor union, the AFL-CIO, endorse the head of the state's largest Democratic organization in a shoo-in election?

Vito Lopez is running a non-competitive race for re-election to the Assembly against a little-known Republican-Conservative candidate, and his control of the Brooklyn Democratic Organization is only getting stronger.

Yet unlike the vast majority of his Democratic colleagues on the long list of state legislators endorsed by the AFL-CIO, Lopez suffered the unusual indignity of a "no endorsement" from the union in his race.

So why the diss?

A spokesman for the AFL-CIO had no comment. But sources say the opposition stems from NYSUT, the state teacher's union, which is an AFL-CIO affiliate. NYSUT, it seems, doesn't like the bill Lopez sponsored to eliminate the cap on charter schools.

The NYSUT is working on an explanation.  read more »

A district-by-district list of AFL-CIO endorsees is after the jump.

-- Azi Paybarah

The AFL-CIO has just endorsed Carl Andrews in the 11th Congressional race.

In a statement just sent over by the campaign, the Andrews camp touts the breadth of his establishment support by including a the names of the elected officials who are backing him and, interestingly, by listing the cash-on-hand totals of the four contestants to demonstrate that it has become a "2-candidate race."

David Yassky has $858,497 on hand and Andrews has $295,754. Yvette Clarke and Chris Owens have $107,699 and $45,940, respectively.

-- Azi Paybarah

Somebody at the Manhattan Institute (where they can’t decide whether they love labor unions or trial lawyers more) will appreciate this:

The Staten Island affiliate of the New York State Trials Lawyers Association, along with the state AFL-CIO, is hosting a "Trial Lawyer/Labor Breakfast" on Friday.

Guest of honor: Brian M. McLaughlin.

And, yes, it’s going to be held at the hotel managed by one Stanley Friedman.

The greatest political scientist to have written about American politics during the last century, V.  read more »

Since John Sweeney ascended to the presidency of theA.F.L.-C.I.O.  read more »

The leaders of the lunch-bucket crowd gathered for afund-raiser in a basement conference room at the  read more »