Leaders of seven labor unions announced their support for State Senate candidate Brian X. Foley today. CWA District 1, CWA Local 1108, UFCW Local 1500, RWDSU, UAW Region 9A, SEIU 32BJ, and New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council each endorsed Foley.
In a District where the Republican machine has courted organized labor for generations, these seven endorsements are a dramatic illustration of Foley's momentum across Islip and Brookhaven. Foley's opponent, 36-year incumbent Caesar Trunzo, has been a fixture of the Albany status-quo for the better part of four decades.
"Brian X. Foley has always put the needs of working men and women first," said Peter Ward, President of the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council. "He knows that a strong community needs quality jobs that pay workers a living wage and provides respect and dignity. Foley is a leader we can truly believe in: he promises job growth, and he delivers. Foley will provide the leadership we need in Albany to ensure that economic development programs designed to spur job growth, actually create good jobs for our community. We enthusiastically endorse Brian X. Foley."
"I am honored to have the support of hard-working men and women who make up the bedrock of our economy," said Foley. "Together, we will build a stronger, more prosperous Long Island and take our communities into a brighter future."
The seven endorsements signal the unions' confidence that Foley will be a force for change in the State Capital. "The endorsements underscore union confidence in Foley's commitment to change in Albany," said Shirley Aldebol, Local 32BJ's Long Island District Leader and member of the Long Island Federation of Labor. "Corporate interests should not be allowed to trump the interests of working people."
"Many politicians talk about creating jobs, but few can point to real accomplishments like Brian can," said Bob Morrow, Executive Vice President of CWA Local 1108. "In the past 6 months alone, he created hundreds of union jobs in Brookhaven. His Veteran Jobs and Education Fair drew hundreds of veterans from across Long Island. Working families can be confident that when he's in office, Brian X. Foley will put their interests on the top of his agenda."
President Bruce W. Both of UFCW Local 1500 added, "As Town Supervisor, Brian Foley has always supported UFCW local 1500 and the UFCW/RWDSU International Union in their campaign to hold Wal-Mart accountable for its irresponsible business practices that hurt workers and taxpayers. He has also been a proponent of smart, responsible development that is not done purely for benefit of developers, but considers the needs of the community as well. As a Senator, Brian Foley will put the needs of Main Street first, not the greed of Wall Street."
I can tell you that after spending some time out on Long Island with the campaign last week and another announcement like this one, it really feels as if Foley is definitely building some momentum here.
The Siena poll out later today may be able to give us a somewhat better picture as to where this race is at the moment, maybe not. I mean, this was the same outfit that told us a couple of weeks ago that McCain was trailing Obama by a mere 5 points in New York, which is, to be frank, absurd.
But I really like what I see in this race. Foley is a great candidate, he's got a great staff and now we are seeing some institutional muscle get behind the campaign.
