ALBANY, N.Y. June 16, 2022 — New York State United Teachers today issued primary endorsements of state Sens. Andrew Gounardes, Gustavo Rivera and Joseph Addabbo.
NYSUT President Andy Pallotta said the three senators have been strong supporters of the work of NYSUT members and providing the resources necessary for all New Yorkers to access high-quality public services.
“Sen. Gounardes is a strong voice on the pension and labor rights of public employees and all working people,” Pallotta said. “His work throughout the pandemic in particular to ensure public employees and their families are not facing undue hardship is critical. We’re proud to endorse him and look forward to continuing our work with him in the years ahead.”
“Sen. Rivera has been a consistent advocate for our members and health care workers in particular,” Pallotta said. “At a time when our nurses and health care staff have gone through the wringer, he has stepped up to ensure their hard work and sacrifices don’t go unnoticed. Sen. Rivera’s leadership is critical in times like we’re living through, and we know he’ll continue to be a champion of our members and of high-quality health care services for all New Yorkers.”
“Sen. Addabbo is an advocate for high-quality public schools, colleges and hospitals,” Pallotta said. “We know that when our educators and public servants raise concerns that must be addressed, he’ll be there to listen and work on their behalf and on behalf of the New Yorkers they serve. We look forward to working with him in the sessions ahead as we fight to strengthen our public K-12 education, higher education and health care systems.”
NYSUT-endorsed candidates receive grassroots support from NYSUT members, including phone banking, door knocking and literature distribution. The union also makes financial contributions from voluntary donations through the union’s VOTE-COPE non-partisan political action committee.
New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.
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