Labor-endorsed- and -supported New York State Senators George Maziarz, William Stachowski and Antoine Thompson, as well as State Assemblyman Mark Schroeder, all have something in common - after years of receiving Labor endorsements and monetary support from Unions, they are all being treated quite differently by Organized Labor these days after what some in the local Labor Community are characterizing as both a lapse in memory and judgment.

In recent weeks, Assemblyman Schroeder – a Democrat - caught the ire of Labor after publicly announcing he was in full support of a massive Walmart store within his South Buffalo/West Seneca District, despite the fact Walmart has built an anti-Union/anti-Worker track record over the years across the U.S.  While Schroeder continues to receive backing and support from several individual Unions, the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (the umbrella Labor Organization that oversees five individual Central Labor Councils across Western New York) issued a “no recommendation” in Schroeder’s Assembly District race.  That decision was followed by the 11.5-million-member New York State AFL-CIO, which did the same.

Shortly thereafter, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1122 charged Senator Maziarz – a Niagara County Republican – with personally obstructing movement of a beneficial consumer/worker protection bill in Albany by not allowing it to be presented in a committee that he chairs.  On top of that, after receiving years of endorsements and support from the Niagara County Building & Construction Trades Council, Maziarz showed up at a recent news conference to announce he was supporting the gubernatorial campaign of Buffalo Developer Carl Paladino, who for years has chosen not to build Union in Niagara County and whom the Niagara Trades allege has brought in out-of-town workers on his construction projects, allowed unsafe working conditions to occur and failed to agree to pay decent wages to those he does employ.  As a result, the Niagara County Trades has requested Maziarz personally address a full meeting of the Trades this week to explain why he’s endorsed Paladino - who recently referred to the region’s Labor Leaders as Union Cronies - and why Maziarz has taken such a negative stance on a consumer/worker protection issue that would benefit some 2,000 CWA-Represented Workers at Verizon across New York State.

Then just last week, Senators Stachowski and Thompson were singled out by the Buffalo Building & Construction Trades Council, which pulled its endorsement of the two Democratic Senators for failing to do what was needed to make sure the University at Buffalo 20/20 Initiative was pushed through Albany.  In the end, the budget was passed without funding for the 20/20 plan, which the Building Trades charge means the loss of millions of dollars in construction investment on campus and the creation of hundreds of good-paying construction jobs that would be brought about by such development. 

“Look, I like them both (Stachowski and Thompson), but they didn’t deliver and they’re out.  They not bad guys, but when it came time for them to stick, they didn’t,” Buffalo Building & Construction Trades Council President Paul Brown tells WNYLaborToday.com.

While the recent actions of Schroeder, Maziarz, Stachowski and Thompson have resulted in either Labor endorsements being withdrawn or none being given at all, as well as those elected being told not to expect any more monetary campaign contributions – what’s recently transpired can be viewed as a good and healthy thing for the Western New York Labor Community.

These actions are sending a message to any and all elected officials or candidates seeking either an endorsement or support from Organized Labor that unless you not only walk the walk, but truly talk the talk – you will be held accountable by the Western New York Labor Community. 

And in the end that may also mean no monetary support and no opportunity for volunteers from the Labor Community to help you out with your campaign – from manning telephone to planting yard signs to making literature drops.

Retired IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Local 41 President Michael Franey once suggested during an interview with WNYLaborToday.com that Labor’s campaign check donations initially carry only one signature on the check.  Only after it had been determined that an elected official the check was made out to had indeed supported what was important to Working People and had worked to bring about solid and measurable results, Franey further opined: “Then bring back the check for the (needed) second signature.”

In the end, that tack might make more of a bigger impact than any other measure that could be taken when it comes to capturing the attention of the elected community.

Just last week, one area Labor Leader told WNYLaborToday.com he’d contacted Senator Thompson (who may hold the record for the most held fundraisers in all of the Western New York political community) to voice his displeasure on the UB 20/20 matter and informed Thompson his Union would not endorse his re-election bid.  Thompson’s response was – in so many words, said that Labor Leader – “Does that mean you’re not coming to my fundraiser this weekend?”  When the Labor Leader reiterated his stand, Thompson asked: “Does this mean you’re not sending a check?”

In the individual cases involving Schroeder, Maziarz, Stachowski and Thompson, Organized Labor certainly could not - despite anyone’s track record of supporting issues that favorably impact Working People - have turned a blind eye to what each had done and was doing. 

Also, Organized Labor could have not ignored what was happening in order to just get along while continuing to issue endorsements and send out campaign donations.

Certainly these state-elected representatives could not have expected that to happen?

Or could they?

A taken-for-granted reaction from any elected official is not and will not be acceptable to Organized Labor, as well as the tens of thousands of Union Workers it combines to represent across our region – and, quite frankly – it’s refreshing to see what Labor Unions and their leadership are deciding to do when it comes to these type of situations.

But more importantly, these situations are creating conversation within the Western New York Labor Community – which not only a good thing, but healthy.

For years, individual Labor Organizations have focused on the problems they individually face, including finding ways to increase local employment for their memberships, as well as fighting for working protections and increased wages and benefits. 

And unfortunately - sometimes - one Labor Union may not really know what specific issue or issues impact another Union that may represent workers in an entirely different venue or what that Union is going through or how a decision or stance taken by an elected official impacts one sector of the Working Community as opposed to the other.

So, these situations that have cropped up in recent weeks have now created a dialogue or conversation - if you will - within Organized Labor across Western New York, which is a good thing.  By sharing information in terms of what Union A is dealing with, Union B – as well as with the rest of Organized Labor – gets a better understanding on what’s happening and going on with local electeds.

And that’s important – especially when one Union finds itself being placed in the middle of a situation that involves another Union when an elected has a lapse in memory or judgment.

“We need to be a little more diligent,” Buffalo Building Trades President Brown told WNYLaborToday.com when it comes to issuing an endorsement or writing out a check to an incumbent or candidate.  “We need to do more homework, because we just can’t keep doing what we’ve done and throw money away on promises.”