(New York, NY) Today, New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) which represents more than 600,000 members from 1,200 union locals announced their support for Adriano Espaillat in the NY-13 Congressional Primary. This support comes in the wake of several major labor union endorsements including WFP, CWA District 1, RWDSU, DC 9, UFT and HTC who announced their support last month and joins a broad coalition of support for Espaillat from across the District.
“Adriano Espaillat understands the needs of students, educators and his community. He will be a clear voice for sound education policies and for investing in vital public services so all members of the 13th District have quality schools, good health care and opportunities to lead better lives,” said New York State United Teachers President Karen E. Magee. “We worked closely with Adriano on many important issues in Albany, and look forward to continuing that productive collaboration during the campaign, and in Congress.”
“I am thrilled to have the support of NYSUT and its 600,000 members – it’s incredible,”Adriano Espaillat said. “Teachers are the key to our City’s future. Our children, our communities and our City can truly thrive through their hard work. In Congress, I will fight to give every resource to our teachers – giving our children every opportunity to excel and our City the brightest future it can imagine. I am honored to have NYSUT’s support and together I know we can bring change and Opportunity for All to the District.”
NYSUT represents more than 600,000 people who work in, or are retired from, New York’s schools, colleges, and healthcare facilities. They are classroom teachers, college and university faculty and professional staff, school bus drivers, custodians, secretaries, cafeteria workers, teacher assistants and aides, nurses and healthcare technicians. NYSUT is a federation of more than 1,200 local unions, each representing its own members. They are affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA). They are also part of organized labor – the AFL-CIO – and of Education International, with more than 20 million members world wide.
Espaillat has dominated organized labor endorsements with the Working Families Party, (WFP) Communications Workers of America District 1 (CWA), Hotel and Motel Trades Council (HTC), United Federation of Teachers (UFT), District Council 9 IUPAT (DC 9),Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU) and the Laundry & Distribution workers affiliate of Workers United SEIU (Workers United) showing their support earlier in the campaign.
Also part of the broad coalition of support is New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, former New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson, former New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Bronx County Democratic Party Chair and Assemblymember Carl E. Heastie (AD -83); Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.; Senators Brad Hoylman (SD-27) Jeffrey D. Klein (SD-34) and Gustavo Rivera (SD-33), Assemblymembers Karim Camara (AD-43), Robert Rodriguez (AD-68), Gabriela Rosa (AD-72), José Rivera (AD-73), Mark Gjonaj (AD-80) Jeffrey Dinowitz (AD-81), and Victor Pichardo (AD-86); Councilmembers Mark Levine (CD-7), Ydanis Rodriguez (CD-10), Andrew Cohen (CD-11), Ritchie Torres (CD-15), Julissa Ferreras (CD-21); the Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan, and the Democratic Club of El Barrio & East Harlem.
In Congress, Adriano Espaillat Will:
- Champion Affordable Housing Opportunity for All: Affordable housing is disappearing in our community, and longtime residents are being driven from their homes. Adriano Espaillat led the fight to renew and strengthen New York State’s tenant protection laws, and he will bring the same determined focus to Washington.Housing Opportunity for All will help keep New Yorkers from being displaced and make sure our City isn’t just open to millionaires.
- Empower our District Through Immigration Opportunity for All: Immigration reform is a defining civil rights issue of our time. Espaillat believes the time is now to fix our broken immigration laws and bring over 11 million Americans out of the shadows. The current system has split families apart, and left Latino, Caribbean, and African immigrant communities in the 13th Congressional District vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Espaillat has fought for immigration Opportunity for All in Albany He’ll bring the same fight and energy to D.C.
- Focus Economic Opportunity for All: Espaillat believes that economic development isn’t successful if current residents are left behind. Espaillat will fight to shift public subsidies from the big box chain stores paying minimum wage salaries, to existing small and minority-owned businesses looking to grow, and local entrepreneurs who need capital to get started. In Congress, he will work to reform and expand the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone and use participatory budgeting to increase access to economic Opportunity for All.
More About 13th District Congressional Candidate Adriano Espaillat:
- Adriano Espaillat got his start as a community activist in Northern Manhattan, and currently serves in the New York State Senate. In the legislature, he quickly distinguished himself as a reformer and progressive fighter who has stood up for working families.
- In 2011, Espaillat led the fight to renew New York State’s tenant protection laws, which were set to expire that year. Espaillat’s advocacy safeguarded over 1 million units of affordable housing, and earned new protections for over 2.5 million people, including the creation of the Tenant Protection Unit to stop harassment and abuse.
- As Chair of the Senate Latino Conference, Espaillat has championed state-based immigration reforms, including: legislation allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, the DREAM Act, and the Farmworkers Bill of Rights.
- Espaillat has been a vocal advocate for tenants, consumers, veterans, immigrants and local businesses. He has championed marriage equality and civil rights issues, and efforts to protect our environment from hydrofracking and other dangers.
- He has passed laws preserving affordable housing, giving low-income day care workers the right to organize and obtain health care, and sponsored measures to improve hospital translation services. He established a higher education scholarship fund for relatives of the victims of American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed on November 12, 2001.
