Labor Lines Up Behind Mamdani After Decisive Win

[vanessa_ca]

Labor Lines Up Behind Mamdani After Decisive Win
Three major unions backed New York Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani on Friday, a day after his main rival, disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, reportedly decided to remain in the race for mayor.


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32BJ SEIU and the Hotel and Games Trade Council said Friday they were abandoning their earlier endorsement of sex pest and disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in favor of supporting Mamdani. The New York State Nurses Association, which did not support a candidate in the primary, also endorsed Mamdani for the general election. Together, the three unions represent 267,000 workers.

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“Zohran was never going to have an easy battle, no matter what,” UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla told the Prospect. UAW was the first labor union to endorse Mamdani. “The billionaires and the political establishment were going to do whatever they could do to damage him. This was always what it was going to be like.”

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Mancilla and other labor leaders said they expect Mamdani to peel off more support from unions that had earlier sided with Cuomo or had not thrown support to anyone. After all, he said, Mamdani’s policy positions coincide with gains that unions typically have to fight for across the table. Livable wages, benefits, childcare, and general affordability are all matters unions would not have to fight with bosses to get if they were already available to everyone across the city.

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“That’s why, for us, it was a no-brainer,” Mancilla said. “We were disappointed that the labor movement didn’t jump on it from the beginning, but we got there.” He added that mainstream Democrats “have backed themselves into a corner” by putting Mamdani “up against two villains,” Cuomo and Adams. If they want to survive, the Democratic Party will have to acknowledge that voters do not want “repackaged Chuck Schumer in a 32-year-old body.”

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https://prospect.org/politics/2025-06-30-labor-lines-up-mamdani-after-decisive-win-cuomo/

AFL-CIO also announced their endorsement

New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO Endorses Zohran Mamdani for NYC Mayor



NYC Labor Movement Unites Around Mamdani’s Vision for a Fairer, More Affordable City

The New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO (“NYC CLC”) today with broad and overwhelming support proudly endorsed Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani for Mayor of New York City following his victory in last week’s Democratic primary. Assemblymember Mamdani’s forward-looking campaign inspired New Yorkers, brought new voters into the democratic process, and mobilized thousands of volunteers around an agenda rooted in the strength and resiliency of working people and the fight to keep New York a place they can afford to call home.

As a coalition of more than 300 unions representing over one million workers, the NYC CLC’s endorsement carries the collective strength of the city’s Labor Movement and reaffirms our shared commitment to electing leaders who will fight alongside working people for an economy that works for everyone. Looking ahead, we are confident that as Mayor, Zohran Mamdani will lead with an open door and a willingness to listen, engaging meaningfully with our affiliate unions from every sector and placing the needs of working families above special interests.

“Throughout his campaign and service as an elected leader, Assemblymember Mamdani has shown a deep and genuine commitment and connection to working families and communities across all five boroughs,” said NYC CLC President Vincent Alvarez. “He understands the urgent need to rein in the rising costs of living and preserve affordability, and to fight for policies that protect the right to organize, invest in union jobs, and ensure economic growth doesn’t come at the expense of workers. Zohran Mamdani shares the NYC Labor Movement’s vision for a city where working people have power, dignity, and opportunity, and has consistently communicated that vision in a way that resonates with working New Yorkers. We look forward to partnering with him to advance a pro-worker agenda and make sure that New York City remains a place where all families can thrive.”

"Just as we have run a campaign that puts the needs and aspirations of working people first, I will be a Mayor that stands with organized labor and delivers a city everyone can afford,” said Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. “Today's endorsement by the hundreds of unions and more than a million workers of the New York City Central Labor Council is a profound honor and confers a solemn responsibility to deliver on our shared vision. I will strive to live up to it each and every day as Mayor."

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https://nycclc.org/news/new-york-city-central-labor-council-afl-cio-endorses

[SocialDemocrat61]

1. Do the unions have a choice?

The real test will be if their members come out to vote for Mamdani in November.

[biocube]

3. Well, they aren't waiting around to see if Cuomo runs as an independent (nm)

NM.

[Justice Brandeis]

2. Union bosses can endorse whoever they wish

but they can make their rank and file workers vote that way.