Unions have been busy the past several weeks handing out endorsements to candidates, with primary season—while pushed back—coming soon.
Last week, District Council 37 endorsed CUNY professor Dr. Anthony Andrews Jr. for State Assembly District 32 in Queens.
“Dr. Andrews is one of the hardest working and most service-minded leaders there is. He has been serving his community for decades in many different roles and capacities,” stated Henry Garrido, executive director of DC37. “We are proud to stand with our union brother as he hopes to continue the fight for organized labor in Albany.”
Andrews unveiled his plans to run for the New York State Assembly seat on the promise of reforming taxes, building more affordable housing, and improving the overall quality of life for his constituents.
“Before I was an educator or a union delegate, I was a DC37 member first,” stated Andrews. “They were the first union I was ever a part of; it is inspiring that they would be the first to stand with me. We have fought side-by-side for issues in the past and I look forward to continuing that fight in Albany.”
Andrews is currently a professor and the director of student Leadership at CUNY York College and previously served as the chair of Queens Hospital Center’s Community Advisory Board. He’s also a union delegate for the Professional Staff Congress at CUNY (PSC-CUNY), the union that represents CUNY’s faculty and staff, the New York State Union Teachers (NYSUT) and the American Federation of Teachers.
Not to be outdone, 1199SEIU endorsed current Assembly Member Brian Cunningham for Brooklyn’s 43rd district.
“I look forward to progressing legislation to create a healthier planet, to promote good jobs and economic justice, to pursue quality health care for all, and more,” stated Cunningham. “Having their support will make our coalition for this progressive legislative agenda all that much more powerful.”
Cunningham won a special election in March and is primed to run for the assembly seat in the primaries, which have been pushed back to August. 1199SEIU Downstate Political Director Dell Smitherman stated that the Flatbush-raised Cunningham would be an important asset to the union’s mission of improving conditions and quality of life for working New Yorkers.
“Assemblymember Cunningham has long been a fierce advocate for Brooklyn’s working families and he continues to prove that every day up in Albany,” said Smitherman. “We look forward to working with him to continue to deliver progress for all New Yorkers.”