Union Endorses Kathy Hochul for Governor of New York State

APRIL 11 -- Hundreds of union members and officers joined TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano at the Union Hall on Monday to give the union’s endorsement to Gov. Kathy Hochul for a full four-year term. Hochul, the daughter and granddaughter of union steelworkers, was greeted with enthusiastic chants of “Kathy! Kathy!” and workers bearing “Labor for Kathy” signs as she entered with President Utano.

Utano praised Hochul for facing tough challenges with common-sense and tenacity since taking over from scandal-plagued Andrew Cuomo, who resigned earlier this year. “She has partnered with the Mayor of New York to fight back against the triple crises of crime, homelessness and mental illness that are most manifested in this City in our transit system,” Utano said. “I believe that her actions so far are enormous steps in the right direction for transit workers and transit riders.”

Hochul vowed to “fight like hell” for transit workers. “Because for far too long, and Tony and I have talked about this, there’s not been the respect and the admiration that people gave to a lot of front-line workers,” Hochul sad. “Well, how did the front-line workers get to their jobs as front-line workers if it wasn’t for all of you showing up during the pandemic? You are the essential workers to the essential workers, which puts you in a very special place.”

The Governor’s budget includes first-time improvements to the Tier 6 pension plan since the state legislature enacted it in response to the 2010 fiscal crisis, including halving the required time on the job to be vested from a decade to five years.  President Utano called this "an important first step," in the ongoing fight for pension equity.