(CHEEKTOWAGA, NEW YORK) – Could the Koch Brothers get their way and make New York a Right-To-Work (for less) State?  They could, according to representatives of the New York State AFL-CIO, if a Constitutional Convention is held and Albany special interests and lobbyists have their say and hoodwink New Yorkers into believing such a convention to change the State Constitution is a good thing.

Four New York State AFL-CIO Reps - Political Director Ryan Delgado, Communications Director Darcy Wells, Digital Director Kevin Eitzmann and Amy Desjardins, who serves as Assistant to the President for Internal Operations/Field Director, traveled to Buffalo on Tuesday (May 23rd) to hold an educational session for a variety of Public and Private Sector and Building Trades Union Leaders and Representatives from across Erie and Niagara Counties at Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Local 815’s Suburban Buffalo Union Hall.

“Could New York State become a ‘Right-To-Work’ State?,” asked Desjardins as a hush fell over the nearly 60 who attended the evening meeting.  “Could the Koch Brothers ‘get their way?’” 

(WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Right-To Work Laws prohibit Union Security Agreements, meaning if an Employee does not wish to be part of a Union, he or she would not have to pay Union Dues.)

In the upcoming General Election that will be held on November 7th, voters will be asked whether or not New York should hold a convention to change its constitution. 

Should voters be hoodwinked into thinking this a good thing - hard fought for and taken-for-granted Pensions, Prevailing Wages, Collective Bargaining and Health Care and Benefits for injured Workers could all be on the chopping block, the State Union Representatives warned.

A Constitutional Convention would be controlled by well-funded special interests and career politicians, who would dominate the process and take advantage of the system to benefit themselves at taxpayer expense, the Statewide Union Representatives said. 

And to make matters worse, taxpayers would have to pay the price tag in hundreds of millions of dollars. 

As a result, Union Representatives believe corporations and their lobbyists would use a convention to weaken Workers’ Rights and protections. 

In the end, allowing the moneyed elite across New York State to get their way would do irreparable harm to the State’s economy and to the average taxpaying family, they said.  

In addition, a yes vote would allow entrenched Albany politicians to make up to $80,000 on top of the taxpayer-funded salaries they already receive and with no timeline to complete their work - there could be no end in sight, they said.  

When all is said and done, Albany politicians, their friends and insiders could continue enriching themselves at taxpayers’ expense for years. 

New Yorkers must remember that any targeted reforms can already occur without creating another layer of government and this money would be better invested in our schools, crumbling infrastructure and on vital public services, the State Union Officials reminded those in the room. 

In the end, every right-minded voter must reject the Constitutional Convention referendum this November, they reasoned.

Right now, as much of 70% to 80% “know nothing to little” of what a State Constitutional Convention is and what it would do, New York State AFL-CIO Political Director Delgado (Pictured Below/WNYLaborToday.com Photo) said. 

Taking that fact into consideration - unbelievably, 60% of New Yorkers “think it’s a good idea” to hold a Constitutional Convention to “amend and revise,” said Delgado, adding the question of holding such a convention comes up every 20 years.

What is concerning this time around is that the upcoming November Election is expected to have a low turnout across New York, much less than last November when the Presidential Election took place, Delgado said, which makes it even more important for Organized Labor to get its message out and educate its Membership across the State.

“You have ‘skin in this game,’” Delgado told the Western New York Union Leaders and Representatives.  You could lose “Prevailing Wages, Public Pensions, the right to collectively bargain – ‘not to mention’ (hits) on education, the environment and social welfare.  It’s the Koch Brothers ‘who want to get rid of Prevailing Wages and Pensions in one fell swoop.’  They and others are funding groups to get ‘their’ message out and they’re ‘using (Labor’s) tactics to do it’ with phone banks and canvassing.  ‘We can’t allow (Union and Non-Union Workers alike) to be fooled’ that ‘having a convention is the answer.’  ‘We have to do more and talk more and make them aware of how important this is to them.’”

State AFL-CIO Communications Director Darcy Wells said the goal for Labor is to get people to vote no:  “This is not a ‘people’s’ convention.  It would be made up of those from (the elected community).  Lobbyists ‘could become’ delegates and ‘all could hire staff that would cost multi millions of dollars.’  ‘That is anything but a people’s convention.’”

Labor’s message will be crafted and topped with two major points, she said: the overall cost of the convention and those special interests and lobbyists who would be involved in it.  And that message will effectively be delivered by Working Class People - Public Servants, such as Police Officers, Firefighters and Teachers, she added.

Meanwhile, State AFL-CIO Digital Director Eitzmann provided those in attendance with numerous ways to take advantage of the Social Networks, most notably Facebook and Twitter, to reach Union Members, their families and friends in an effort to educate them on the negatives of a Constitutional Convention.  “Be authentic, be personal and build your brand,” Eitzmann said.

“We are ‘organizing to defeat’” a Constitutional Convention, said Desjardins, who was the evening’s last speaker.  “We ‘need to get active and commit, recruit more’ activists, ‘continue to educate,’ ‘screen’ our State Legislators – ‘ask them if they support’ a Constitutional Convention ‘and hold them accountable,’ and ‘increase our voter registration efforts.’”

Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Richard Lipsitz (Pictured Below/WNYLaborToday.com Photo), who did the honors in setting the stage and introducing the Statewide AFL-CIO Reps, underscored the message for the evening: “We ‘must all understand how very important this is to Workers’ Rights across the State and we must take on this challenge and fight it all the way to November.’”