TELL MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS OF WORKER RIGHTS: #DontRankCuomo
New York, NY: This week, the Executive Board of Workers United NY/NJ Regional Joint Board, consisting of member leaders from across many industries, including manufacturing, retail, food service, garment making and distribution centers, voted to endorse both State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander as candidates in the ranked-choice Democratic mayoral primary election scheduled for June 24th. Early voting will take place from June 14th-22nd.
Union members cited the candidates’ long track record of fighting for workers and using their power to stand with our Union against powerful companies. Both candidates have stood with our members, and workers across the city, on picket lines, and shown strong support for unionization campaigns and workers’ rights.
During Lander’s time on the City Council he relentlessly focused on protecting and strengthening workers’ rights and introduced Fair Work Week and Just Cause legislation which have become crucial protections for workers in NYC. As NYC Comptroller, he led a coalition of Starbucks shareholders to pass a resolution requiring an independent assessment of the company’s labor practices and has been a key ally to our union during the Starbucks campaign. As a State Assemblymember, Mamdani has shown up again and again for our members in his district and beyond. From nail salon workers to taxi workers, he has consistently fought for justice for the most exploited and often forgotten parts of the working class.
“I have voted to endorse Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander for Mayor because they both display the art of listening and a steadfast commitment to solidarity with the labor movement and to advancing workers’ rights across the city. As a union member, shop steward and member of the Workers United NY/NJ Executive Board, I know that these qualities, combined with their track records and personal magnetism, are what we need to move this city forward.” – Christopher Anderson, Shop Steward at Saks 5th Avenue and member of the Workers United NY/NJ Executive Board
“Time and time again, Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander have stood with us on the picket line, in the halls of Albany and in City Hall. They demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the working people of this city. I could not be prouder that our members have voted to endorse them.” – Julie Kelly, General Managers of Workers United NY/NJ
“For years, I have stood with Workers United NY/NJ, at rallies and picket lines across the City, to unionize Starbucks workers, to stand up for the right to organize, to protect the workers that make New York City run,” said Brad Lander. “I’m beyond honored to receive their endorsement for Mayor today, showing that our campaign is union and labor-backed, giving us even more resources to ensure every voter knows that our vision is aligned with the needs and aspirations of working New Yorkers.”
“We are a campaign for the working class—the people who keep this city running. I’m honored to be endorsed by Workers United NY/NJ, a union with a proud legacy of standing up to corporate greed and winning real gains for retail, garment, manufacturing, food service, nail salon, and distribution workers. Together, we’ll fight for dignity, justice, and a city that puts everyday New Yorkers first,” said Zohran Mamdani.
The Union has also joined the groundswell of voices urging voters not to rank Andrew Cuomo for Mayor. The next Mayor must be accountable to workers and their families, not the Trump donors and real estate and finance millionaires and billionaires who are funding Cuomo’s super PAC. Every day, Workers United NY/NJ stands up for workers who face sexual harassment on the job. The Union believes New Yorkers deserve a Mayor who treats people with respect and dignity, not a Mayor who resigned from office after being found to have sexually harassed women who worked for him.
About: Workers United has its origins in the historic International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. Workers United fights for every worker on every front, advocating for strong contracts, worker protections, democracy on the job and policy change to achieve meaningful improvements for all working people.
