{"id":373,"date":"2026-07-01T10:12:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T10:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessrelocationdigest.com\/?p=373"},"modified":"2026-07-01T10:12:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T10:12:38","slug":"twu-to-big-labor-dont-endorse-hochul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessrelocationdigest.com\/?p=373","title":{"rendered":"TWU to Big Labor: don\u2019t endorse Hochul"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Transport Workers United union dislikes Gov. Kathy Hochul so much, it\u2019s not only refraining from endorsing her \u2013 its international president, John Samuelsen, is now urging the umbrella labor organization it’s part of, the New York State AFL-CIO, not to support her as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Harlem public defenders threaten strike<\/a><\/p>\n

In a letter obtained by City & State, Samuelsen implored AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento to not endorse Hochul\u2019s reelection. A longtime ally of Hochul\u2019s \u2013 even through difficult moments, like when she angered labor leaders with her initial chief judge pick in 2023 \u2013 Cilento is likely to endorse the governor no matter what. But that didn\u2019t stop Samuelsen, who did not mince his words in his missive sent Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no rationale for the State Fed, an umbrella organization of individual unions, to endorse this governor,\u201d he wrote. \u201cIn fact, it is absolutely counter-productive to do so. \u2026 When workers who have been subjected to Hochul\u2019s very real attacks see NY State\u2019s largest labor body endorse her, their faith in organized labor will further erode.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Samuelsen pointed to Hochul\u2019s handling of various high-profile labor disputes in the recent past. Those included the wildcat strike of corrections officers around the state that resulting in thousands of firings, the Long Island Rail Road strike Samuselsen blamed Hochul for (she has maintained the federal government hurt negotiations) and an executive order to bring in out-of-state nurses during multi-hospital nurses strike earlier this year. TWU is in the midst of contentious contract negotiations with the MTA, which is controlled by Hochul.<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018Stay quenched:\u2019 Mamdani activates Code Red alert ahead of heat wave<\/a><\/p>\n

The icing on the anti-labor cake, per Samuelsen, is that Hochul has vetoed union priority bills 70% of the time, a record he said is worse than many congressional Republicans. \u201cWhen the democratic governor of New York is being bested by Republican congressionals, workers are truly in trouble,\u201d Samuelsen wrote \u2013 though he didn\u2019t cite a source for the claim.<\/p>\n

While TWU will not endorse Hochul, the governor has picked up plenty of other union support for her reelection, a fact cited by Hochul’s campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika in defending the governor against Samuelsen\u2019s letter. \u201cGovernor Hochul\u2019s record is clear: raising the minimum wage, protecting workers\u2019 rights, and creating good-paying union jobs across New York,\u201d Chitika said in a statement to City & State. \u201cIt\u2019s why labor has her back in this election \u2013 from 32BJ, DC37, HTC, and LiUNA, to IUOE 825, CSEA, RWDSU, UNITE HERE Local 100, CWA District 1, NYSUT, UUP and PSC-CUNY \u2013 with even more to come. TWU is welcome to join the family.\u201d<\/p>\n

The campaign also provided comment from DC37 Executive Director Henry Garrido, another union that is part of the state AFL-CIO. \u201cAs Governor, Kathy Hochul has proven to be a fierce fighter for New York\u2019s working families,\u201d he said. \u201cAt a time when workers\u2019 rights are being ripped apart at the federal level, it is increasingly important that we elect leaders that will prioritize the needs of our members and all New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Mamdani, Menin shake on $126B NYC budget<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The governor\u2019s opp, John Samuelsen, doesn\u2019t want the state AFL-CIO to back the governor while they\u2019re in a contract dispute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,27,84,96],"tags":[8,29,85,97],"class_list":["post-373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2026-new-york-gubernatorial-election","category-kathy-hochul","category-labor","category-read-first","tag-2026-new-york-gubernatorial-election","tag-kathy-hochul","tag-labor","tag-read-first"],"yoast_head":"\nTWU to Big Labor: don\u2019t endorse Hochul - Business Relocation Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/businessrelocationdigest.com\/?p=373\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"TWU to Big Labor: don\u2019t endorse Hochul - 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