NY unions refuse to endorse Democrats

The Daily News, in an Aug. 17 editorial, called it a surprise. New York State United Teachers, which represents 600,000 teachers, education workers and retirees, refused to endorse Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic candidate for governor, and about 30 Democratic candidates for the state Senate and Assembly.

The editorial failed to mention that the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union’s Civil Service Employees Association, which represents 400,000 workers also throughout New York, likewise failed to endorse.

According to a NYSUT leadership briefing, “President [Richard] Iannuzzi ... cited the four compelling reasons why NYSUT’s Board of Directors voted last week not to endorse Cuomo at this time: his positions on property tax caps and a state Constitutional Convention, his plan to ‘Clean up Albany,’ and the threat of a Tier VI pension level.”

According to the Professional Staff Congress website, First Vice President Steve London explained why Cuomo found so little support among NYSUT delegates: “He’s attacked public employees, ruled out a more progressive income tax, favored a hard cap on property taxes, and he’s come out in favor of privatizing [City University of New York] and [State University of New York] funding.” The PSC, which represents about 20,000 faculty and staff at the CUNY, is an affiliate of NYSUT.

It’s not clear if this “unendorsement” represents a significant trend away from labor’s traditional embrace of the Democratic Party or is just a blip.