By Hank Russell
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is running for governor on the GOP ticket against Democrat Kathy Hochul, picked up an endorsement from a major labor union.
The Transit Workers Union (TWU) Local 106 and Local 252 recently held a press conference to announce they are backing Blakeman’s campaign. They cited Blakeman’s record on public safety and his support of the workers.
The two locals are part of the Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, which represents more than 160,000 members nationwide across the airline, railroad, and transit, university, utility and service sectors, according to the website. The union represents mechanics, car cleaners, baggage handlers, disease control inspectors, bus operators, ramp agents, flight attendants, and more.
“I am honored to have the support of TWU Local 106 and Local 252,” Blakeman said. “These workers are our economy’s backbone, but they are bearing the brunt of Kathy Hochul’s utter betrayal of New York labor. Look at her record: Hochul fired correction officers and brought in scab nurses to cross picket lines. She turned her back on you, but I never will. When I am governor, the assault on the middle class ends. We are going to clean up our transit system, crack down on subway crime, and ensure TWU members make it home safe at the end of every shift.”
Blakeman was also very critical of Hochul’s handling of the contract negotiations between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, Blakeman accused the governor of “incompetence” and of allowing the strike to occur. He also demanded that MTA Chairman Janno Lieber be fired.
Philip Valenti, president of TWU Local 106, said, “In Kathy Hochul’s New York, transit workers and supervisors are ignored, facing rampant subway violence and severe staffing shortages while politicians play blame games. Bruce Blakeman doesn’t just talk; he acts. As Nassau County Executive, he proved he stands with law enforcement, protects taxpayers, and fights to keep more money in working-class pockets. We need Bruce in Albany to make New York affordable and to make our transit lines safe to work on. I am calling on every transit worker in this state to stand together and vote for Bruce Blakeman.”
“Our members are struggling to feed their families and pay rent in a state that has become unlivable for the middle class,” Dan Busa, president-elect of TWU Local 252, added. “We are endorsing Bruce Blakeman because he will directly improve the daily lives of our operators and drivers. Bruce understands that if you keep this state running, you shouldn’t be priced out of it. He’s going to invest in real infrastructure, take public safety seriously, and deliver the tax relief New Yorkers desperately need.”
LILP reached out to the Hochul campaign. A campaign spokesperson noted that Hochul has been endorsed by the following labor unions: 32BJ, DC37, HTC, LiUNA, IUOE 825, CSEA, RWDSU, UNITE HERE Local 100.
“Union members know they have a proven ally in Governor Hochul,” Laborers Local 66 Business Manager Vinny Alu said. “Her administration has prioritized developing, protecting, and expanding opportunities for working families across New York State. By contrast, Bruce Blakeman has yet to show that he would fight to maintain the wages, protections, and opportunities this union workforce has earned. He can pretend to stand with labor, but New York’s workers are not buying it.”