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'Working People 'Need A Seat At The Table Because Rich People Don't Care About The Working Class' - First-Time Candidate & United University Professions Member Ryan Taughrin 'Sets His Sight On Taking Back' The 143rd NYS Assembly District Seat

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(LANCASTER, NEW YORK) – If 15-year United University Professions (UUP) Member Ryan Taughrin had any doubts about his decision to run for the 143rd New York State Assembly seat, they were erased by a 78-year-old Woman he met on the campaign trail - who after listening to what he had to say told him he was the reason for her to go out and vote.

“That was ‘amazing,’” Taughrin (Pictured Above/WNYLaborToday.com Photos) recounted to WNYLaborToday.com during a sit-down interview at his Lancaster Campaign Headquarters earlier this week. “‘I’ve got a story to tell to everyone in this community, that being in a Union absolutely has helped me get where I am.’ ‘I’m here because of our collective bargaining agreements, good pay, health care and a safe workplace.’”

“In my personal life ‘I grew up with some traumatic stuff’ (he was raised by a single Mother in South Cheektowaga in a family that lived paycheck-to-paycheck), but (by overcoming those traumas), ‘it gave me the opportunity to learn - and now finally make the decision to run and help others,’” continued Taughrin, whose wife, Holly, is a Member of the Buffalo Teachers Federation (BTF) and teaches at the Harriett Ross Tubman School (Public School 31) on Buffalo’s East Side.

Taughrin is running against an incumbent Republican for the 143rd District that consists of Cheektowaga, Lancaster, Depew, Sloan and parts of Buffalo - a seat ironically and previously held for eight years by former UUP Member Monica Wallace.

“I knew her and knocked on doors for Monica (during her 2020 and 2024 campaigns),” he said.

If he wins, Taughrin would not only turn the seat Democrat, but rekindle the tradition of the seat being occupied by a UUP Member.

UUP Statewide President Fred Kowal told WNYLaborToday.com that Taughrin is a “strong, Union guy” who values “old-style” campaigning of “talking to people - one-on-one.”

“And it’s’ really important we have (Union Members and Leaders) running for public office because it seems (99%) who are in elected office come from the business or law communities.’ ‘Not to criticize that, but we need a lot of diversity - Farmers, Working People, Union folks - who can help people attain Middle-Class life.’ ‘Candidates that have Union values and work on behalf of Working People - not corporate interests.’ ‘That’s vitally important, as well as the fact he’s energizing young people to get involved and vote,’” he said.

Taughrin said of Kowal: “Fred ‘has always gotten it.’ ‘He sees through the weeds.’ ‘It’s all about the fight for Working People. Fred figured that out a long time ago.’ And when you’re ‘running with the backing of your Union, you’re not running alone.’ ‘I will always carry the UUP flag.’”

Out on the campaign trail, Taughrin has also been able to connect with young voters, in part, due to his experience of being the University of Buffalo’s (UB) Assistant Dean for Enrollment for the past six years.

“I’m ‘always talking to students and helping them promote their skill sets,’” he said.

Kat Kielar, who serves as President of UUP’s UB Chapter, bluntly tells WNYLaborToday.com Taughrin - who is a four-plus-year Officer of the Local Union and has been the Political Director of the Chapter: “We ‘would love to oust the Republican (incumbent).’ ‘We need to get (Taughrin) elected.’ (The Republican incumbent) ‘has been basically useless.’ ‘He hasn’t brought in much for the community.’ (Taughrin) ‘understands Working Families’ struggles and he’s very sympathetic to them.’ ‘And, he works with students and understands their problems.’ Labor’s ‘built this country and that’s what Labor is, from Corrections Officers to Health Care Workers and everyone in between.’ ‘We have to have a voice at the table and right now, we don’t - because rich people don’t care about (the Working Class).’”

Besides being endorsed by his own Union, Taughrin - who also tipped his cap to the advice and guidance he received from Louisa Fletcher-Pacheco, the Political Organizer at the New York Teachers Union (NYSUT) here in Western New York - has also received endorsements (to date) from the New York State AFL-CIO, NYSUT, the BTF, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 4.

Taughrin told WNYLaborToday.com that when he was deciding whether or not to run for the State Assembly, he had a sit-down meeting with his wife and two daughters - who are now nine and 12, about what he was thinking of taking on, complete with all the pros and cons that go with not only running for public office, but what would happen if he won.

He didn’t have to wait too long to get an approval.

“My oldest daughter, who was eleven at the time, told me: ‘Dad, you have to do this,’” Taughrin said. “‘I know some people aren’t going to love you, but I still tell them what I think I can accomplish on their behalf in Albany.’ ‘I may be too optimistic - but telling my story the right way, in an ethical way, I can hold my head up high.’”

He began his campaign back in February collecting petition signatures “when it was sleeting and raining - ‘not the greatest of weather.’”

Now here he is, just a couple of weeks before the election.

Looking back, WNYLaborToday.com asked if he thought it has been worth it?

“‘Yes, absolutely’ - ‘and I would encourage others in the Labor Movement to do the same,’” Taughrin said. “‘You knock on doors, you tell your story and you absolutely feel the power within yourself to do something bigger than you believed.’”

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: To find out where Ryan Taughrin stands on the issues, what his platform is and more on his personal background, Go To: Ryan Taughrin for NYS Assembly | Cheektowaga | Lancaster, New York, USA

"They 'Came Together Because They Wanted To Build A Better Future'" - Non-Union Workers Employed At Niagara Industrial Mechanical Workers In Niagara Falls 'Go Union,' Vote To Join SMART Local 71

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK) - Workers employed at Niagara Industrial Mechanical - a Niagara Falls-based full-service Industrial Mechanical Contractor - have voted 9-to-4 to join SMART (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation) Local Union 71, choosing Union representation and strengthening their voice in their workplace.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Union Election followed an organizing effort led by the company’s Employees - with support from Buffalo-headquartered SMART Local 71 Organizers Adam Kerr and Shane Vermilye.

“We're ‘proud to welcome these Workers.’ It’s ‘been a long-time coming’ (for the Local organizing a local business). ‘I can’t remember such an organizing drive in many years,’” Local 71 Business Manager Tim Benes told WNYLaborToday.com.

“These ‘skilled people (pictured below) care about their Trade and take pride in the work they do.’ ‘They came together because they wanted to build a better future and we're looking forward to helping them do that,’” he said.

SMART Local 71 - which represents (a combined) 800 Workers (Active, Apprentices and Retirees) in Commercial, Construction and Industrial Sheet Metal, Welding, Fabrication, HVAC, Architectural Metalwork and related industries across Western New York - supports its Members through collective bargaining, Apprenticeship training, continuing education, and industry partnerships throughout Western New York.

During the organizing effort, the Niagara Industrial Mechanical Workers (Industrial and heavy-duty equipment Welders, Mechanics and Fabricators) contacted the Union and expressed interest in opportunities to continue developing their skills, access additional training, and connect with a broader network of experienced Tradespeople, Union Representatives said.

“These (Niagara Industrial Mechanical Workers) are a ‘tight-knit’ group and ‘we’re excited to represent them,’” Kerr said. “‘They took the initiative, stood together and made their voices heard.’ ‘It was a privilege to work alongside them throughout this campaign and I'm excited about what comes next.’”

Local 71 is now working toward a first Collective Bargaining Agreement that addresses the priorities of the Niagara Industrial Mechanical Employees and builds a foundation for the future, Union Officials said.

Said Benes: “The owner ‘reached out to us after the election and it was pretty positive.’ This is an ‘important step for these Workers and another opportunity to strengthen our Skilled Workforce here in Western New York.’ ‘We're ready to get to work.’”

Local 71’s Membership has grown steadily over the past five years, Benes said, which amounts to about 30% overall growth.

“Our Local and SMART Local (46) in Rochester ‘are the only two SMART Locals that have grown our Memberships in the Northeast’ (over the past several years),” he added.

SMART Local 71-Provided Photo.

"We Are Not Criminals, We Are Good Citizens Trying To Live A Life In Peace" - United University Professions 'Demands The Release' Of A SUNY Brockport Employee 'Who Is Legally Authorized To Work In The U.S., But Was Seized By ICE'

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BATAVIA, NEW YORK) - United University Professions (UUP), the Nation’s largest Higher Education Union, is calling for the immediate release of one of its Members - a State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport Employee who was taken into custody by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents in front of his Batavia home.

German Machado, a SUNY Brockport IT Technician, was picked up by ICE Agents as he was preparing to leave for work, according to his wife, Maria Velázquez.

A Journalist, Velázquez said the couple fled the Maduro Regime in Venezuela in 2016 and sought asylum in America.

She said that Machado has a valid Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to work at SUNY Brockport, which expires in 2029.

Issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an EAD proves that a non-citizen is legally authorized to work in the U.S. for a specific period of time.

Machado is being held in the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia.

UUP President Fred Kowal said: “German Machado is a good man and a hard Worker who is in this country legally and who is legally authorized to work in this country. As a Union, we will do all that we can to push for German’s release, including ensuring that his Federal Rights are not violated in any way by the Trump Administration.

“We are not criminals, we are good citizens trying to live a life in peace. We just want to live in safety,” Mrs. Velázquez said. “We own a home here. We are all professionals with University degrees. We work here and we pay taxes. (ICE) had no reason to do this to (Machado).”

Mrs. Velázquez believes ICE Agents were waiting for her husband to leave their house to apprehend him.

His car is still in the garage - but his wallet and keys are gone.

She said the couple came to the U.S. because the Maduro Regime threatened and harassed Velázquez for being a Journalist.

The couple applied for asylum in 2016 and they’ve been waiting for the case to be adjudicated since then.

“We have complied with the laws, we’ve been doing everything we can,” said Velázquez.

Alissa Karl, UUP’s Statewide Vice President for Academics and a SUNY Brockport Faculty Member, said UUP Members are set to hold a visibility event to support Machado on Thursday (October 15th), which is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SUNY Brockport Student Union.

“We will stand with German until he is home with his family and back at work - where he belongs,” Karl said.

UUP Brockport Chapter President Susan Orr added: “German is a colleague and a fellow Union Member who is held in high regard on our campus. We are standing with him to ensure he receives his full Due Process Rights.”

To Directly Access This Labor News Story, Go To: Press Release | UUP demands release of SUNY Brockport employee seized by ICE

Photos Of UUP's Brockport Action Via The Union's Facebook Page.

LABOR NEWS UPDATE: By A Final Vote Of 141-To-79, Workers Employed At Whiting Door In The Erie County Town Of Akron Vote 'Yes' In A Union Decertification Election 'To Keep The United Steelworkers As Their Bargaining Representative'

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(AKRON, NEW YORK) – A last-minute effort by ownership to sway its Union-represented Employees failed as Whiting Door Manufacturing Corporation Workers voted 141-to-79 on Tuesday (September 6th) to keep the United Steelworkers (USW) as their Bargaining Representative.

In what just may have been the first such Union Decertification Election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Western New York Labor History, nearly double the number of those who voted against the Union ensured USW Local 748 will continue representing the company’s 260 Employees.

A Union-driven outreach effort - which was assisted by the USW International and USW District 4 Office, combined with an Anti-Union flier from Company Vice President Alexandra Whiting that apparently rubbed a number of Workers the wrong way, led to the final outcome, Local 748 President Fred Drahms told WNYLaborToday.com.

“It ‘certainly was an important factor in the final vote.’ ‘A lot of (Members) told me (the company’s) memo was the final straw, that it was a power trip,’” Drahms said of the flier, which attacked the Union and its Leadership on a number of levels.

“A couple of days before the vote we had final numbers of around (120) ‘yes’s, which wasn’t enough - we thought.’ So, ‘we kept hitting the pavement (contacting and talking to individual Members) and in the end we thought if we got (140), we’re gold - and that was almost dead on,’” Drahms said.

USW District 4 Sub-District Director Joe Vertalino told WNYLaborToday.com: “The Local ‘worked hard to turn the tide and I’m relieved the Membership voted the way they did.’ The Workers ‘determined - in the end - they were better off with a Union.’ The (company memo) ‘did play a role (in the final vote), but we will continue to build a working relationship with the company and serve our Members the best we can.’ ‘No doubt this has served as a victory that will lead to more Unionization of Workers in the Western New York area.’”

Whiting Door is said to be original manufacturer of roll-up doors for the Transportation Industry that began operations back in 1953. Over the years, the company - which focuses on designing and manufacturing doors that are easy to install, operate and maintain, has grown to become the leading supplier of roll-up doors in the Industry, according to information posted on its website.

Drahms said the decertification effort was led by a number of younger Members “who (felt) they would be better off dealing with the company on their own.”

Some apparently were not happy about the fact that they had to pay a bit more into their health coverage after the company held firm and wouldn’t budge on a negotiated cap, he added.

Both Drahms and Vertalino said plans are in the works to invest the time in an education effort for Local 748’s Membership - especially targeting its young Members, who may not understand what Unions do for Workers and how important they are in the workplace.

“I am going to be meeting with our Executive Board and will reach out to the (Member Decertification) petitioner and try to work with our other Members,” Drahms told WNYLaborToday.com. “We’ll ‘also look to arrange multiple get-togethers’ with our Members, ‘break bread with them, put faces to our names and find out what they are thinking.’”

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: For More On This Labor News Report, Read: ‘With Some Under the Illusion They Could Bargain For Better Wages Themselves,’ Workers Employed At Whiting Door In Erie County ‘Will Participate In A Roll Of The Dice’ Union Decertification Election This Week - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York

'With Some Under the Illusion They Could Bargain For Better Wages Themselves,' Workers Employed At Whiting Door In Erie County 'Will Participate In A Roll Of The Dice' Union Decertification Election This Week

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(AKRON, NEW YORK) – In what just may well be one of the first Union Decertification Elections in Western New York Labor History, Workers employed at Akron’s Whiting Door Manufacturing Corporation - including a faction that believes they are better equipped to negotiate an agreement with improved wages, benefits and safety rules than the United Steelworkers (USW) - will cast their votes on Tuesday (October 6th).

And while it may be a first for WNY, it certainly is an old story when it comes to Workers thinking they can go it alone against management without someone standing up for them, which could swing the door wide open for their bosses to make promises, but fail to keep them - all the while ensuring their Employees that they have their best interest in mind.

Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor President Denise Abbott, who took part in a supportive rally held outside the plant with the USW and a number of other area Labor Unions (including the Communications Workers of America, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and Workers United, as well as some Elected Officials), on Friday (October 2nd) told WNYLaborToday.com: “It’s ‘shocking to me they feel this is the right way to go.’ I would ask them: ‘What is the reason why there is a Union in your workplace?’ ‘Obviously there was a reason.’ ‘Is the owner so great that you don’t need a contract?’ ‘They need to talk to other Union Members and learn the reason why it is important to be in a Union - the wages, benefits and protections you don’t get if you aren’t in one.’ ‘Life is better in a Union.’”

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Pictured above, WNYALF President Abbott flanked by USW District 4 Staff Representative Mark McDonald (on the left) and USW District 4 Sub-District Director Joe Vertalino (on the right) during Friday’s supportive rally held outside Whiting Door. (WNYLaborToday.com Photos)

USW Local 748 represents 260 Members who work for the original manufacturer of roll-up doors for the Transportation Industry that began operations back in 1953.

Over the years, Whiting Door - which focuses on designing and manufacturing doors that are easy to install, operate and maintain, has grown to become the leading supplier of roll-up doors in the Industry, according to information posted on its website.

Local 748 President Fred Drahms tells WNYLaborToday.com the decertification effort is being led by a number of younger Members “who feel they would be better off dealing with the company on their own.”

The Local, with the help of the USW International and District 4 Office, has been contacting Members individually prior to this week’s vote in order to continue to underscore the worth of being Unionized.

As a result, Drahms says, a great number “want to keep” the Steelworkers at their Bargaining Representative.

A five-year negotiated contract is currently in its fourth year and the Members’ hourly rate ranges from $22 to $26. The company matches contributions in a 401(k) Plan, Drahms added.

However, some Members weren’t happy about the fact that they had to pay a bit more into their health coverage after the company held firm and wouldn’t budge on a negotiated cap.

“They were ‘upset’ over that,” Drahms said.

The Whiting Door Decertification Election is surprising in light of new Gallup polling released earlier this year that found 71% of people in the U.S. approve of Unions, continuing the highest period of favorability in over 60 years.

This coincides with the greatest number of Workers represented by a Union in 16 years.

The Gallup polling showed Unions are favorable across generations and party lines with 77% of adults ages 18-to-34, 74% of adults ages 35-to-54 and 67% of adults ages 55 and older approving of Unions - and 89% of Democrats, 70% of Independents and 52% of Republicans also approving of Unions.

This is just one of many recent surveys demonstrating the broad popularity of Unions: Unions are more popular than Big Business. People in the U.S. favor Unions over Big Business by more than 16 percentage points - the greatest gap ever recorded; 56 million U.S. Workers would join a Union tomorrow if they could. 43% of Non-Union Workers would vote to Unionize their workplace if given the opportunity; and Majority views Union decline as bad for the U.S. Most people in the U.S. say the decline in Union Density is bad for the country (60%) and bad for Working People (62%).

It should be no surprise that the public views Unions favorably: Unions help Workers win higher wages, advocate for safer and healthier workplaces, support a thriving Middle Class, and strengthen Democracy by boosting civic participation.

(WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: To Continue Reading this Labor News Report, Go To: Unions are extremely popular: 56 million workers would join a union if they could | Economic Policy Institute)

Meanwhile back in Akron, WNYLaborToday.com interviewed three USW Members at Whiting Door who agreed to do so anonymously, fearing company retribution if they were identified.

Said one Worker: “There’s ‘been a lot’ of turnover - about (20) people last year. ‘There’s a lot of new people who have been hired who just don’t know any better.’ ‘They’re listening to the wrong people.’ ‘I’m sick about all of this because they think they can get more money themselves - like they can just walk upstairs and do it themselves.’ ‘They really believe they can go it alone and negotiate a raise because of the Union Dues they would no longer have to pay.’”

Another Worker told WNYLaborToday.com: “It’s ‘become a hostile’ work environment (because of all that has transpired). ‘I’m worried about our safety on the job without’ a Union. ‘I don’t want to give up’ our Union Safety Rules. ‘And, they won’t need an excuse to fire you for any reason if you don’t have a Union’ (standing with you).”

A third told WNYLaborToday.com: “I’m ‘upset because they don’t realize the company is not for their people when it comes to wages, benefits and security.’ ‘We are not likely to get more money.’ ‘I just don’t see that happening.’ ‘Without a Union here, there will definitely be problems.’”

USW District 4 Sub-District Director Joe Vertalino added: “The company ‘will not make good on their promises’ (without a Union in place). And there have been some injuries inside the plant, ‘so will they remove or relax any safety rules?’ ‘I would believe they would – one-hundred-percent.’”

Forging Solidarity: The Buffalo Labor History Project 'Examines The Buffalo Roots Of The Biggest Labor Protest In U.S. History' - The September 1981 Solidarity Day Rally In Washington, D.C.

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Forging Solidarity Editor’s Note: Pictured above, Gerry "Ski" Skrzeczkowski, an original member of the Western New York Labor Coalition for Jobs sponsors, discusses his memories of Solidarity Day 1981 during a recently-held event to examine the roots of the biggest Labor protest in U.S. History - the September 1981 Solidarity Day rally in Washington D.C. (Photo Provided By Derek Seidman of the Forging Solidarity Project)

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – A group of 40 people recently attended a special event held at United Steelworkers (USW) Local 593 that examined the Buffalo roots of the biggest Labor protest in U.S. History, the September 1981 Solidarity Day rally in Washington D.C.

Buffalo and the Origins of the 1981 Solidarity Day March was sponsored by Forging Solidarity: The Buffalo Labor History Project, a new collaborative, community-based project focused on Buffalo’s Labor and Working-Class History.

As many as a half-million Union Members and Allies attended the September 19th, 1981 Solidarity Day march, aimed at confronting then President Ronald Reagan's attacks on Labor and Working People - including his August 1981 firing of striking Air Traffic Controllers.

Through personal accounts and the careful presentation of original historical research, speakers revealed how - beginning in the Fall of 1980, Buffalo-area Labor Leaders formed the Western New York Labor Coalition for Jobs (WNYLCJ), which proactively built a national network of Labor Unions and Allies to organize a major jobs march on Washington, the march that became Solidarity Day, sponsored by the National AFL-CIO, on September 19th, 1981.

The program emphasized the central role Buffalo played in organizing the biggest-ever Labor protest in U.S. History.

“Buffalo’s Labor Movement played an indispensable role in organizing the National Labor protest that became Solidarity Day in 1981,” said Derek Seidman, the lead on the Forging Solidarity Project. “The initiative and energy that sparked the movement for Solidarity Day, and the nuts-and-bolts organizing work - it came out of Buffalo. This is a story that shows how the Buffalo Labor Movement has shaped national events of real significance.”

Lou Jean Fleron, former head of the Buffalo Cornell Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) Extension and Forging Solidarity Co-Founder, recounted the militant roots of the Union Locals in the 1970s, and the layer of Labor Leaders, who forged the WNYLCJ and worked with the Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council to create the momentum for Solidarity Day.

“These local Union Leaders were on the front lines of the war against inequality and corporate greed,” Fleron said. “Following in the footsteps of early CIO Organizers who built the foundation of ‘Worker Power’ that created Buffalo’s Middle-Class life, these Rank-and-File Union Leaders were determined to defend their communities against capital flight, job loss and the rollback of pay and benefits.”

USW District 4 Director Dave Wasiura introduced the program and Gerry "Ski" Skrzeczkowski, an original member of the WNYLCJ Sponsoring Committee, offered recollections from Solidarity Day 1981.

Musicians Sally Schaefer and Tyler Bagwell opened the event with several Labor songs.

Buffalo and the Origins of the 1981 Solidarity Day March was the inaugural event for Forging Solidarity.

Attendees at the program including Labor Leaders, a Deputy Mayor, Union Staffers and Members, Professors and students and artists and Archivists who reflected the broad and growing appeal of Forging Solidarity.

Founding Labor sponsors of Forging Solidarity are the USW District 4, United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9 and the Western New York Council of the Communication Workers of America (WNYCWA)

Forging Solidarity is hosted by the Partnership for the Public Good (PPG).

Forging Solidarity Editor’s Note: Forging Solidarity will soon be unveiling a new website. It’s planning regular public events on Buffalo Labor History and a series of history and art exhibits and a Season of Solidarity Theater run. The program also featured an 11-minute documentary produced by the National AFL-CIO about Solidarity Day (which you can view here). To receive regular updates from Forging Solidarity, e-mail forgingsolidarity@ppgbuffalo.org.

A Photo Tour Of The 2026 Western New York Construction Career Days Event

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(LAKEVIEW, NEW YORK) – Over a two-day period - Tuesday (September 29th) and Wednesday (September 30th), more than 1,000 High School Students, took part in the 18th Western New York Construction Career Days event out at International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 17’s sprawling 400-acre Training Facility in Lakeview.

Since its inception, more than 20,000 High School Students have been introduced to a potential and good-paying career in the Unionized Trades - and have been provided with an amazing experience where they get an array of hands-on and virtual opportunities to work with bricks and concrete, repel down a scaffold and operate an array of heavy machinery, to name just a few, all under the watchful eyes and guidance afforded by a host of Union Retirees who graciously donate their time.

WNYLaborToday.com was in attendance on Day 1 of this year’s Construction Career Days event and documented it with a number of photos that appear below:

For The Rest Of The Photos, Go To WNYLaborToday.com’s Facebook Page at: www.facebook/wnylt

And For More On This Year’s Construction Career Days Event, Read: As One Tradesman ‘Looks Back At The Impact Western New York Construction Career Days Had On Him,’ More Than 1,000 High School Students ‘Will Be Introduced To A Potential & Future Career In The Unionized Building Trades’ This Week - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York

As One Tradesman 'Looks Back At The Impact Western New York Construction Career Days Had On Him,' More Than 1,000 High School Students 'Will Be Introduced To A Potential & Future Career In The Unionized Building Trades' This Week

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(LAKEVIEW, NEW YORK) – Over the course of two days this week - on Tuesday (September 29th) and Wednesday (September 30th), more than 1,000 High School Students from across the region will make the trek to Lakeview (just south of Buffalo) to experience Western New York Construction Career Days, which is being held for the 18th time at International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 17’s sprawling 400-acre Training Facility.

The event that is put on by the Buffalo Building & Niagara County Construction Trades Council is aimed at not only introducing the 11th and 12th Grade High Schoolers, both male and female – who are from 35 different schools across the region, to a potential career in the Unionized Trades, but help to replenish a local workforce whose current Members are growing older and either getting ready to retire or will retire in the not-too-distant future.

Over the years, Western New York Construction Career Days has grown into an amazing experience where young people get an array of hands-on and virtual opportunities to work with bricks and concrete, repel down a scaffold and operate an array of heavy machinery, to name just a few, all under the watchful eyes and guidance afforded by a host of Union Retirees who graciously donate their time.

Over its lifetime, Construction Career Days Officials say “in excess of” 20,000 Western New York High School Students have attended their event.

And while specific numbers aren’t available, many of the Trades are now seeing new Members come aboard who as High Schoolers attended Construction Career Days - including 20-year-old Jake Stickney, now a second-year Apprentice with IUOE Local 17.

Stickney, who attended as a Junior and then as a Senior while at Starpoint High School in Niagara County, is now working on a Data Center project in Lockport, where he’s running a tele-hander (telescopic) forklift and gaining other valuable experience, including operating a crane.

Asked if attending Construction Career Days as a 17-year-old and then as an 18-year-old had any impact on him making a decision to get into the Skilled Trades, Stickney told WNYLaborToday.com: “‘(100%) for sure.’ ‘One of the things that hit me was how vast the (IUOE) Training Center was.’ I was ‘amazed by all the equipment there and how everyone was so willing to help out.’ ‘It sparked my interest.’ College ‘wasn’t a fit’ (for him). (Going to Career Days) ‘set my decision in stone.’”

And how is his career in the Unionized Trades going?

“‘To say the least, it has been very good.’ I ‘can’t’ complain,” he said. “So many kids ‘are constantly being told they need to go to college and that’s why Construction Career Days is so great when it gets so many kids out (to consider another career path).’”

WNYLaborToday.com recently sat down with four individuals (Pictured Below, From Left To Right/WNYLaborToday.com Photo) who are helping coordinate this year’s Construction Career Days event to get a better picture of what has transpired and what’s to come: Local 17 Training Director Jim “Smoker” Smolinski; Construction Career Days Chair Kelly Roblee, a Local 17 Retiree; Amy Miklas, Career and Technical Education Supervisor for the City of Buffalo’s Public Schools; Oakgrove Construction President Doug May; and Matt Weldon, IUOE Local 17’s Training Coordinator.

Currently Local 17 is enjoying an “all-time high” of 57 Apprentices in its Building Trade Union, Smolinski and Weldon said - and May acknowledged during the discussion that 75% of graduated Apprentices make up the workforce employed by Oakgrove Construction.

“The ‘hands-on activities are great (at Construction Career Days) and we can’t say enough about the (participating Union) Retirees who help the kids,’” Weldon said. “Those ‘who’ve come here in the past tell others (students) and they come to see it for themselves.’ ‘Now, more and more (kids who attend Construction Career Days) are applying (for Apprenticeships) with the Trades. The (State) ‘WDI (Workforce Development Institute) can’t say enough about our event.’ ‘The kids come here to find out if this is for them.’”

“And we’re ‘seeing an increase in the number of Women attending,’” Milas said.

“And our event ‘has become more (ethnically) diverse than it was, say, ten years ago,’” May added.

“It’s ‘gratifying to see so many students,’” Roblee said. “There’s ‘a lot of smiles on their faces.’”

The multi-year construction of the $2 billion-plus Highmark Stadium for the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills in nearby Orchard Park also served as point of interest for young people interested in a career in the Building Trades.

As many as 1,500 Workers (90% of them Union-represented, according to the group) played an instrumental role in building the stadium.

And their work has been highlighted in an excellent, two-part TV special titled Building Buffalo that has aired on ESPN and the NFL Network, which has turned into a further way to interest young people in pursuing construction opportunities with a number of Trades’ Unions.

“(The Stadium Project) ‘brought a lot of pride to the Trades and opened the eyes of young people who want to be part of something good.’ Those that entered the Trades and worked on the stadium ‘can look back (as they get older) at what (they built),’” May said.

Smolinski points out that safety has always been and always will be paramount at Construction Career Days to make sure each High School Student goes home the same way they came.

Each busload of students must first attend an on-site safety meeting and are provided with hard hats and safety glasses.

“It’s ‘always been planned out and we have our Retirees (as many as 35) guiding, teaching and watching over them to make sure it’s safe for the kids, who do listen,’” Smolinski said.

“‘Without our Retirees we couldn’t do this,’” Roblee added.

The event is expensive and much of the cost is defrayed through donations from contractors, companies and several other entities, including everything from equipment to fuel to the hard hats and safety glasses the kids wear and pizzas for lunch from a local pizzeria, as well as from ads sold for the WNY Construction Career Days program.

“It costs about ($54,000) to run,” Roblee said. “And ‘up to another ($100,000)’ in contributions. Our overall costs for our hard hats for the kids runs about ($11,000),” Roblee said. “‘It’s a great opportunity (to introduce the Trades to the students) but quite the expense.’”

The Unions of the area Building Trades include: Boilermakers Local 7; Bricklayers Local 3; Carpenters Local 276; Cement Masons Local 111; Electrical Workers Local 41 and Local 237; Elevator Constructors Local 14; Heat & Frost Insulators Local 4; Ironworkers Local 6 and Local 9; Laborers Local 210 and Local 91; Millwrights Local 1163; Operating Engineers Local 17; Painters District Council 4; Plasterers Local 9; U.A. Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 22; Roofers Local 74; Sheet Metal Workers Local 71; U.A. Road Sprinklerfitters Local 669; and Teamsters Local 449.

Those companies, contractors and entities who have either made contributions or participating in the 2026 Western New York Construction Career Days event include: Alta Heavy Equipment Services; Anderson Equipment; CATCO; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, Five Star Equipment; Iroquois Bar Corporation; Kandey Company; Lafarge North America; Lincoln Welding; Mark Cerrone; Milton CAT; Milwaukee Tools; Monroe Tractor; Oakgrove Construction; Pinto Construction Services; Saia Communications; Scottlawn/Millawn; Union Concrete and Construction, the United Way; and WDI.

WNYLaborToday.com File Photos Of Past Construction Career Days.

WNYLaborToday.com Editor's Note: For More, Go To: A Photo Tour Of The 2026 Western New York Construction Career Days Event - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York

'Should Going To Work Be A Grave Decision?' - Niagara-Orleans Labor Council Documentary On Worker Deaths & 'The Need For Improved Safety Conditions' Highlight October 1st Fundraiser To Be Held At Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Auditorium

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – After the Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council held its annual Workers’ Memorial event back in 2025, its Executive Board met and made a decision that it had to go deeper than just address the yearly number of Workers who’d lost their lives - and instead focus on the pain their families were left to deal with if real change was to be made to improve on-the-job safety and holding companies to a higher accountability.

“We ‘had to put a face on these Workers because reciting the number of deaths each year just isn’t enough,’” Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO President Jim Briggs told WNYLaborToday.com.

So, it was decided the Labor Council would commission a documentary to put that human face on the tragedies - and after an 11-month journey, the 47-minute-long Should Going To Work Be A Grave Decision? made its debut at the 35th annual Workers Memorial event that was held in May of this year at Niagara Falls’ Reservoir Park.

A relatively small group of attendees, including a number of Elected Officials, watched the film - which had the Niagara-Orleans Labor Council’s Documentary Team traveling to Waltham, Massachusetts, Baileyville, Maine and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to tell the story of Workers who lost their lives while at work - including a highway Worker killed in a hit-and-run vehicle crash, two at a chemical plant due to a toxic chemical leak, and another who died in a fireball explosion.

But now there’s an opportunity for as many as 200 area Labor Leaders and Union Members to see it for themselves at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 1st at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York’s auditorium inside One Seneca Street in Downtown Buffalo.

The Niagara-Orleans Labor Council has joined with the Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council and the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) to host the fundraiser to help fray the costs of improvements to their Worker Memorials and further attempts at getting the message out that there must be concrete change in the future to ensure Workers - both Union and Non-Union, come back home from work the same way they left in the morning.

(WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Tickets for this fundraising event are $15 each and can be purchased here: A Night to Reflect: Screening of “Should Going to Work be a Grave Decision?”)

“This documentary ‘is different,’” Briggs (Pictured Below, Watching The Documentary At The Workers’ Memorial Event In Niagara Falls Earlier This Year/WNYLaborToday.com) tells WNYLaborToday.com, “because what you see what happened to the families of these Workers (in the film) who died on the job is ‘real.’ ‘It hits home because of the pain you see these families and their Co-Workers going through.’ When we initially showed the documentary I had a number of Elected Officials come up to me and ‘say how much they were impacted by it.’ They said ‘it made them want to change (the way the system works) - and now that we have their attention, we have to keep the pedal to the flow.’”

“This showing ‘will allow us to reach a broader’ group,” said Briggs (Pictured Below, Addressing Those In Attendance At The Workers’ Memorial Event In Niagara Falls/WNYLaborToday.com) of the documentary, which just might be the first such endeavor ever taken by a Western New York Labor Organization.

“‘This has gone on for too long in our country - with little resolve. We’re not doing enough about it (keeping Workers safe at work), but the only way to fix it is to enact health and safety legislation with teeth in it - real language.’ ‘We have to put pressure on our Elected Officials that will allow us to take a stand because going to work shouldn’t be a grave mistake,’” he said.

As the documentary examines each incident, the families and Union/United Steelworkers (USW) Representatives who are interviewed underscore the fact employers will not agree to the Union’s demands for increased on-the-job safety protections during contract negotiations.

“‘We just lost the most important person in our lives,’” a family member of the Worker killed in the hit-and-run incident said in the documentary.

“We’re constantly thinking about him,” said another.

“And we’re waiting for justice,” added another, noting the person responsible will go on trial sometime in 2026.

“‘We should be working together so both (the Union and management) has an equal voice when it comes to safety at the plant,’” said one USW Official.

“‘On paper,’ management ‘wants to be good on safety, but doesn’t want to hear about it.’ ‘It’s a struggle - every day,’” the Union Representative added.

Said another: “‘Workers lose their lives while at work - every year.’ ‘They’re not statistics - they’re Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, Aunts and Uncles.’ ‘We need change and that will come by telling their stories.’”

Earlier this year the National AFL-CIO released its 35th annual Death on the Job-The Toll of Neglect report, which alarmingly finds workplace hazards kill 140,000 Workers each year in the United States - more than 380 Workers each day.

Those findings included: 5,070 Workers died from traumatic injury on the job in 2024, the latest year of data available, and an estimated 135,000 died from occupational diseases. An estimated 530 Workers died from heat alone; Black Workers still die on the job at a disproportionately higher rate than the national average; Latino Workers continue to face the greatest risk of dying on the job in 2024, at a rate 30% higher than the national average. Of the Latino Workers who died, 68.5% were Immigrants, a larger percentage than in previous years. The rate of young Worker deaths has nearly doubled since 2020 and Workers age 65 and older are nearly three times as likely to die on the job than other Workers; Workplace injuries create an enormous burden on the economy, costing an estimated $177 billion to $354 billion a year; and Under-reporting is widespread and the true toll of work-related injuries and illnesses is estimated to be between five million and 7.5 million each year in private industry.

The documentary does not feature any Worker deaths here in Western New York, and there have been several in recent years, but Briggs said there was a reason for that: “‘We wanted to show the scope that it just isn’t a Western New York issue.’ It’s a ‘national’ issue. ‘We wanted to do more and give the people who we talked to a chance to speak so people understood their pain because this is someone’s Father or Mother or Sister or Brother.’”

“‘It doesn’t matter if you’re Union or Non-Union, whether you’re a Man or a Woman, what your color is or what your religious beliefs are - because a human life is a human life,’” Briggs continued.

“That’s why we’ve invited a number of Elected Officials to this showing. ‘Change will only happen if our Elected Officials give (Labor) the power’ (to hold employers responsible for ensuring safety on-the-job and stricter penalties to those that don’t). ‘And if we don’t get those assurances from an employer, Workers must have the right to withhold their labor’ (until they do). ‘I’m also hopeful of filling Highmark’s auditorium with Labor people so (the Elected Officials) who ask that we remember them when they are running for office remember us when we go to work.’ ‘There are no trade-offs,’” he said.

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: For More On This Labor News Story, Read: 35th Annual Niagara-Orleans Labor Council’s Workers’ Memorial Event Highlighted By Debut Of An ‘Emotional & Heart-Breaking Documentary That Focuses On The Direct Impact On-The-Job Deaths Of Loved Ones Have On Their Families’ - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York

New Music Project 'Celebrates Working People & Buffalo's Labor Movement'

Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – New York State Assemblyman Pat Burke, the Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation and members of Western New York’s Labor and Arts Communities have announced the launch of 9 to 5: Songs for Working People of Buffalo, an original song contest that will bring together Western New York Musicians to create a new album celebrating Organized Labor and the experiences of Working People.

Joining Assemblyman Burke at a recently-held news conference were: Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council President Grace Bogdanove; Richard Lipsitz, President Emeritus of the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation; Cathy Creighton, who serves as Director of Cornell University Industrial and Labor Relations’ (ILR) Buffalo Co-Lab; and Lou Jean Fleron, the former Director of Cornell University ILR Buffalo Co-Lab.

Also speaking at the press event was Robert McLennan (Pictured Above/Photo Courtesy of McLennan’s Facebook Page), who has served as a Labor Representative of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 3 and Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153 and is currently involved with the Buffalo Music Coalition.

Musicians and songwriters from across Western New York are being invited to submit original songs inspired by work, Workers, Unions, economic dignity, solidarity and the role Working People have played in shaping Buffalo and Western New York.

The music can come from any genre - Rock ‘n Roll, folk, Jazz, Blues, Rap, Hip-Hop, Punk, Rhythm And Blues, Country, Americana, Bluegrass, New Orleans, Honky-Tonk, Celtic, Pop, Soul, Polka, Surf Music, Western Swing or World Music.

“This is a ‘Labor Town’ and I think the story of Working People in Buffalo deserves its own soundtrack,” Burke said. “Some of the most powerful music ever written has come from people telling the truth about what it means to work for a living - the pride that comes with it, the struggle, the unfairness, the friendships, the humor and the fight for something better. We want to hear what that sounds like in Buffalo today.”

The album’s title pays homage to the late Dolly Parton and her iconic Working-Class anthem 9 to 5. While the song might have first appeared in the movie of the same name, it has become a well-known song about the difficulties of working life - but it stands out partly because not enough Artists and Musicians use their platform to comment on what is so central to everyone’s quality of life or lack thereof.

To Read This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: New project celebrates working people and Buffalo's Labor movement –

1199 SEIU-Represented Catholic Health Nursing Home Workers 'Picket In Buffalo Over Continuity Of Care & Lack Of Childcare Benefits To Help Recruit & Retain Staff'

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – 1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Workers East-represented Catholic Health Employees at two nursing homes in Buffalo and Kenmore held informational pickets this week to draw attention to their labor dispute.

The Caregivers picketed in front of Catholic Health’s St. Catherine’s Laboure on Main Street in Buffalo over a lack of childcare benefits to retain and recruit Workers, among other issues.

Bargaining for nearly 200 Workers at Catholic Health’s McAuley Residence in Kenmore and St. Catherine’s Laboure Health Care Center in Buffalo began in May and have continued over the last several months with both sides agreeing to one extension, that has since expired.

The Caregivers have been working without a contract since July 30th.

Talks are set to resume on Friday (October 2nd).

Employees at the McCauley Residence work as Certified Nurse Assistants, Unit Clerks, Activity Aides, Dietary Aides, Housekeeping Aides and in the Maintenance Department.

Caregivers at St. Catherine’s Laboure work as Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nurse Assistants and Unit Clerks.

The Workers are prioritizing staffing and competitive benefits and wages that include the 1199 SEIU Childcare Fund to help recruit and retain more Workers to care for residents.

The 1199 SEIU Members are demanding Catholic Health agree to the 1199 SEIU Childcare Fund in this round of negotiations, as access to affordable and nearby childcare is viewed as a barrier to recruit and retain many who are employed in the Health Care Industry.

Catholic Health’s response has been that they are hoping to invest in and build a Childcare Center in South Buffalo in the future, miles away from both Nursing Homes, and with an anticipated 10 spots in total for all Catholic Health Workers across the system, Union Officials said.

In contrast, the 1199 SEIU Childcare Fund would have immediate impact on lessening the financial burden of childcare for the Workers, offering programs for children ages birth to college, they added.

“We also need Childcare Fund for the people who have littles ones at home and need help now,” said Alita Brooks, a Certified Nursing Assistant who walked the picket line after completing her workday.

Activities Aide Bonnie Clausen added: “I am near retirement and after (19) years I still care about what happens to my Co-Workers. I wish I could have had access to the 1199 SEIU Childcare Fund when raising my children. We are hoping for an excellent contract so people will want to come and work for (Catholic Health) again.”

Catholic Health Nursing Home Workers are fighting for similar benefits won by their counterparts last Summer.

Four area Nursing Homes in Western New York, a major Hospital and University System in Rochester all provide this affordable life-enhancing benefit to Unionized Workers and their families, 1199 SEIU Representatives said.

In addition, the Workers say that demand for outsourced Workers from the Float Pool raise concerns over continuity of care for residents.

Float Pool Workers are not routinely scheduled at these homes and are often offered up to an additional $11 per hour in addition to their inflated wages, Union Officials said.

Catholic Health has increasingly relied on Float Pool Staff over Regular Staff caring for residents due to the lack of competitive wages and benefits offered to Regular Staff currently, they added.

As talks between the two sides stalled over staffing, childcare benefits and competitive wages over recent weeks, the Workers have taken their demands right to their boss.

Dozens of Workers flooded the hallways over the weekend at each Nursing Home to read off their list of demands for a fair contract to management, explaining why Workers need benefits and wages to improve staffing in order to protect quality care.

“We work very hard and Catholic Health is offering less than what we deserve. I put in a lot of hours, the least they could do is help us take care of our family,” said Geneva Bolden, a Certified Nurse Assistant employed at the McAuley Residence.

“A job should lift Workers out of poverty, not keep them there,” added Teresa Ward, a Certified Nurse Assistant employed at the St. Catherine’s Laboure Health Care Center.

1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East - the largest and fastest-growing Health Care Union in America and whose mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all, represents more than 400,000 Nurses and Caregivers throughout the States of Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida and in Washington, D.C. and Florida.

1199 SEIU-Provided Photo.

City & State New York's 2026 Labor Power 100, Ranking The Top Union Officials And Worker Advocates Across The State - Buffalo Teachers Federation President Rich Nigro 'Was The Only Buffalo Area Labor Leader To Make The List'

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Organized Labor is on the march. Unions are enjoying strong public support, with approval ratings at the highest level in decades. Union Membership is steady at 10% in the U.S. and more than double that rate - and rising - in New York state, which trails only Hawaii nationally. New York Unions have notched organizing victories, adding New York City Ferry Workers, Public Defenders and “Sesame Street” Writers to their ranks. Labor Leaders have also been flexing their muscles on the policy front. Public Sector Unions secured more generous benefits in Albany, perhaps most notably reforming the State’s Tier 6 Pension Benefits. State legislation banning surveillance pricing, protecting Construction Workers and requiring transparency around Artificial Intelligence (AI) use have advanced with Labor support, while New York City Lawmakers have introduced measures that would dismantle Amazon’s last-mile delivery network, shield retirees’ Health Care Benefits and set a $30 hourly minimum wage. The Labor Power 100 highlights the Union Leaders and Worker Advocates on the front lines of these and countless other battles - from Organizing Campaigns and contract negotiations to political and policymaking pushes.

The only Buffalo Labor Leader to make City & State’s 2026 list was Rich Nigro, who serves as President of the Buffalo Teachers Federation.

Nigro came ranked 63rd on the list.

To View The Top 100 List, Go To: The 2026 Labor Power 100 - City & State New York

City & State New York Graphic.

A Pictorial 'Look Back' At The 2026 Buffalo Labor Day Parade

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – Monday (September 7th) was a glorious day in Western New York, especially in Buffalo where dozens and dozens of Unions and hundreds of their Members marched in the annual Buffalo Labor Day Parade to honor the gains made by Organized Labor over the years and to recommit their efforts for the generations of Workers to come.

Under a sunny sky, the Labor Day Parade lineup of dozens of participating Public, Private and Building Trades Unions started at 10 a.m. at the corner of Dorrance Avenue and McKinley Parkway in South Buffalo and kicked off at 12 p.m. with Grand Marshal Tony Vaccaro of Teamsters Local 264 leading the way.

WNYLaborToday.com was there to photo-capture the day’s event, as well as participate in a post-Parade Picnic sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York.

Here’s just a smattering of some our photos - and for more, go to WNYLaborToday.com’s Facebook Page for the entire run: Facebook

'Uniquely Union:' Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Of WNY 'Steps Up To Sponsor The Buffalo Labor Day Parade Picnic For The 12th Time' As Organized Labor 'Heaps Praise On Not Only The Health Care Provider, But Its President - Jessica Cox'

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -0400

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Pictured above, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York President Jessica Cox (on the right) and Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153’s Grievance Chairperson Lynn Brooks smile for the camera during a recent Highmark-sponsored Night Out At The Ballpark event in Buffalo. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is sponsoring the Buffalo Labor Day Parade Picnic for the 12 time in 2026 and is being praised by local Labor Leadership for its commitment to the Union Movement across the Western New York Region. (WNYLaborToday.com Photo)

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – As Organized Labor geared up for its annual Buffalo Labor Day Parade, a number of Union Leaders and Representatives took part in a casual get-together sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York at a Minor League Buffalo Bisons baseball game in Downtown Buffalo.

It was yet another Labor event sponsored by Union-represented Highmark, which has stepped up its presence in Western York through the work of a new Labor Senior Labor Affairs Consultant (Bill Jakobi) to enhance its continued commitment to the local Labor Movement.

Over the years, Highmark has stepped up to sponsor and underwrite a number of Labor events, from Buffalo’s massive Labor Day Picnic (for the 12th time in 2026, going back to 2014) which takes place after the Labor Day Parade in South Buffalo to Labor’s Night At The Races, an annual Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council fundraising event held at Ransomville Raceway in Niagara County that has worked to raise more than $250,000 over more than 15 years and funds a variety of community programs through the United Way of Greater Niagara, to a series of Labor Health Care Seminars aimed at educating Unions and their Leaders.

And in the middle of this most-recent get-together that was marked with an outfield barbeque featuring hot dogs, hamburgers and all the Summer sides was Highmark President Jessica Cox, who is quietly building on the many positive relationships she is developing with an array of Unions that not only benefits them, but their Memberships.

“We ‘are just continuing to stay strong to our (Labor) roots,’” Cox, who comes from a Union Family (Her Father was a Correctional Officer in Elmira, as well as two of her cousins) told WNYLaborToday.com while she watched the Bisons play ball out on the field.

“It’s a ‘continued commitment to our (Union-represented Workforce) and the broader Union Community, which is so vital.’ (Labor) ‘cares about (their Members) and that’s what we support them.’ ‘And it’s who we are to help them keep their Members healthy so they can continue to recognize the value of Working Union,’” she said.

Around 40% of Highmark’s overall business here in Western New York is Labor-driven and Highmark’s 500-plus Workforce is represented by Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153.

Several Union Representatives from OPEIU Local 153 were at the Night Out At The Ballpark Event, including Local 153’s Grievance Chairperson, Lynn Brooks (Pictured Below With Cox/Highmark Photo), who told WNYLaborToday.com: “(Highmark does) ‘recognize the value of their Union as an employer.’ ‘There used to be a proverbial fence (between Highmark and OPEIU), but now we’re a family and Jess is on board’ (with that). ‘We are one and we are not separated in terms of (achieving) what is best for our Members’ (employed at Highmark).”

Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Denise Abbott, who was unable to make the ballpark event, told WNYLaborToday.com this: “Our parade and picnic ‘is happening because of ‘(Highmark). Our Labor Day Parade and picnic ‘would look very different without their support.’ ‘In fact, it’s happening because of them’ - all the tents and the chairs, and the food and cooking. ‘It probably would not be happening without the (monetary) help of Highmark.’ (Their support) ‘is incredible and fantastic and I am humbled by it.’”

The Labor Day Parade lineup of dozens of participating Unions starts at 10 a.m. on Monday (September 7th) at the corner of Dorrance Avenue and McKinley Parkway in South Buffalo and kicks off at 12 p.m. with Grand Marshal Tony Vaccaro of Teamsters Local 264 leading the way.

Immediately afterward, the Highmark-sponsored picnic will take place in Cazenovia Park.

Abbott also spoke highly of Cox’s leadership at Highmark: “Jess ‘is not a bad person to get along with.’ ‘Nothing but good has come from her and the success Highmark is having is because of her leadership.’ ‘She’s one of us.’ ‘She’s down to earth and treats people right, with respect and dignity - and she’s very smart.’ ‘Yes, she’s fantastic.’”

A big smile breaks out on the face of Cox when talking about Highmark’s involvement with the Buffalo Labor Day Parade and marching along with her husband, Bill, as well as a number of Members of the Highmark Team (including Members of OPEU Local 153) in South Buffalo: “‘Just the vast number of people who are there with a passion for Labor.’ ‘It’s infectious.’ ‘And it’s way bigger than I initially thought.’”

“I’m sitting here tonight (at the ballpark event) ‘listening to Labor Leaders and their Representatives telling stories of their kids growing up’ (in Union Families). ‘We all have a common goal as we remember how we got here and now represent each other,’” she continued. “‘It reminds me of my own family and what it was like.’ ‘I’m extremely proud of my Father and my family being in a Union, which allowed them to take care of us and provide a good lifestyle.’ ‘What’s better than that?’”

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: For More On Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York And Its President, Jessica Cox, Go To: New Leadership At Union-Represented Highmark Western And Northeastern New York: President Jessica Cox’s ‘Appreciation’ Of Organized Labor Traced Back To Her Family’s Roots As Corrections Officers, Now ‘Aims To Build A Partnership With Local Unions’ - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York Provided Photos.

Two SEIU Unions That Combine To Represent 2,000 Workers At Strong Memorial Hospital & The University Of Rochester's River Campus 'Hold A Contract Campaign Kickoff Event To Push For Benefit Improvements During Contract Talks'

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(ROCHESTER, NEW YORK) - Two Unions that combine to represent 2,000 Workers at Strong Memorial Hospital and at the University Of Rochester’s River Campus held a Contract Campaign Kickoff Event over the weekend to push for benefit improvements during continuing negotiations on a new contract.

The Unions - 1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and SEIU Local 200 United have been in negotiation with the University of Rochester for nearly a month now. They are meeting two days per week as the contract is set to expire on Saturday (September 5th).

Bedside Hospital Patient Caregivers and Service Workers employed at Strong Memorial Hospital are represented by 1199 SEIU and Service Workers at the University of Rochester are represented by SEIU Local 200United.

As the affordability crisis and staffing challenges across the University of Rochester System grow, more and more Workers are experiencing devastating consequences over the lack of quality benefits and stagnant wages to care for their families, Union Officials said.

Both Unions are working together to negotiate one agreement that will prioritize affordable health insurance and wage improvements to help retain and recruit more Workers to provide bedside care and services throughout the University’s System, SEIU said.

Retirement benefits and paid time off will also be key in any new contract, they added.

All this comes as University of Rochester Grad Workers continue their fight for Union Recognition and Rights.

Over the weekend, Hospital And Campus Workers from both Unions gathered to get an update.

Union Members were also afforded the opportunity to register early for the 1199 SEIU Childcare Fund Benefit, meet local Child Care Providers to learn more about programs and services for their children ages birth through college.

There are currently two dates scheduled for negotiations between the two sides before the current agreement expires on Saturday.

A Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) Mediator is present during negotiating sessions.

Caregivers represented by 1199 SEIU at Strong Memorial Hospital and Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester include: Patient Care Technicians; Nursing Assistants; Dental Assistants; Materials Processing Specialists; Patient Unit Secretaries; Environmental Service Workers; Cooks; Food Service Workers; Dietary Workers; Drivers; Porters; Stockkeepers; Transport Assistants; Transportation Center Workers; Truck Drivers; and Unit Support Assistants.

Workers represented by SEIU Local 200 United at the University of Rochester Campus include: Building Services; Dining Services; Porters; Cooks; Stack Attendants - Library, Catering Service Assistants, Bus Drivers, Truck Drivers and Stockkeepers.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Story, Go To: Union Hospital & Campus Workers To Hold Campaign Kickoff Event As Contract Set To Expire Next Week :: 1199SEIU

And For More, Go To: Strong Memorial Hospital workers' union contract set to expire in one week as strike looms

1199 SEIU-Provided Photo.

'For The First Time Since The 1970s,' IATSE Local 10 'Has Bargained An Agreement With The Buffalo Convention Center That Secures The Jurisdiction Of The Work Performed Inside That Venue By Its Local Membership'

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – For the first time since the 1970s, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 10 has bargained an agreement with the Buffalo Convention Center that secures the jurisdiction of the work performed there by its local Membership, IATSE Officials tell WNYLaborToday.com.

The agreement features “exclusivity language” and a 4% raise for Local 10’s Membership who work on a variety of events at the Convention Center, which now places the Union Workers at a “top tier wage,” Union Officials said.

“The building is now ‘locked down,’” Local 10 Business Agent Josh Moberly told WNYLaborToday.com. “‘We’ve been on this for seven years now’ after working on year-by-year agreements. It ‘guarantees us all the work under our jurisdiction and leaves out other work performed by other Unions’ (including the Service Employees International Union). ‘Now we will be able to move forward and negotiate a full’ (and multi-year) contract.”

The last time Local 10 has the Buffalo Convention Center "locked down," Moberly said, "was in the (1970s).

In a weekend posting its Facebook Page, Local 10 described the agreement as “historic” and thanked several Elected Officials - including Erie County Executive Mark Polancarz, Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick and New York State Assemblyman Jon Rivera, for standing with the Union and pledging “their full support throughout this effort.”

Local 10 also thanked IATSE International President Matthew Loeb and International Representative Brian Monroe for their involvement, as well as IATSE District 10 President Paul Dean, Jr. and District 10’s Executive Board “for standing with Local 10 and giving us their full support throughout this effort.”

In addition, the Union also thanked Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Denise Abbott for her involvement, adding: “Denise brough the strength and voice of the Western New York Labor Movement to our cause and her involvement was instrumental in bringing this effort to a successful conclusion.”

Moberly gave a tip of the hat to Convention Center Vice President and General Manager Jeff Calkins, saying: “‘While both sides have differences, it’s the true measure of a man when you shake each other’s hand and move on to the next step.’”

Moberly told WNYLaborToday.com the agreement, which runs until the end of the year, will provide the Union the time to begin negotiations with the Convention Center on a new and elongated contract.

The agreement opens up a much larger share of the work at the Convention Center for Local 10’s Membership, which will now perform “more of the technical work,” he added.

This will also allow the Local to not only pursue contracts at a number of other venues across the Buffalo area, but to organize local Non-Union Stagehands.

Local 10 has around 200 Members - but also draws on “several hundred others as the need arises,” Union President Don Gervasi tells WNYLaborToday.com.

Recently, the Local had 300 Stagehands working during three major events held at Buffalo’s Outer Harbor, the KeyBank Center in Downtown Buffalo and out at the Darien Lake Arts Center Concert Venue, he said.

“This (agreement with the Buffalo Convention Center) ‘is definitely a win for our Local,’” Gervasi said. “It’s ‘nice to have this agreement there and it was at the forefront of our list.’ ‘I’m optimistic’ (about securing a new contract there in the beginning of 2027).”

Three Generations Of The Malone Family Involved In Building The New Home Of The NFL's Buffalo Bills - The $2.2 Billion Highmark Stadium

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK) - On the front-door of the spectacular Highmark Stadium is something that greets you with warmth. Before you walk inside of its breath-taking interior, it's impossible to ignore the 5,369 names next to a large sign that reads: We Built This House. Those names make up the people who poured their hearts and souls into designing, building and bringing Highmark Stadium to life. If you look closer, you'll see many shared last names. While some are by coincidence, some are not. Several families helped build Highmark Stadium. The Malone Family is one of those stories. "There's a lot of our names etched in the glass over there," Labor (Laborers Local 210) Foreman George Malone III said. Three generations of the Malone Family helped build Highmark Stadium: George Malone Jr., 64; three of his sons - Terrance Malone, 46, George Malone III, 42 and Antonio Malone, 35 - as well as George III's son, DeJaun Malone, 25. Construction is in their blood. George Jr.'s hands have built plenty of Buffalo. "I worked on local colleges, Roswell (Park Cancer Institute), UB (University of Buffalo) Medical on Main Street," Laborer George Jr. said. "I've done a lot of road work, (Route 21), New York State’s (I-90), (Route 33)." Even though George Jr. has been in construction for close to 40 years, nothing tops the new stadium project. "This has been my biggest project. I've enjoyed it, especially since I'm a Bills fan," George Jr. said. "I've been a Bills fan all my life."

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Buffalo Blueprint Part I | Three generations of the Malone family build Highmark Stadium together

Buffalo Bills Photo.

Sam Capitano, Business Manager For The Upstate NY Laborers District Council & President of Buffalo's Laborers' Local 210, Honored As One Of City & State's 2026 Trailblazers In Construction, New York's 'Impactful' Builders & Contractors

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

City & State - the premier Media Organization dedicated to covering New York’s Local and State Politics and Policy, reports construction is not just a thriving industry in New York, it’s the key to addressing some of the State’s most pressing issues.

It is at the core of every debate over the State’s housing crisis, with advocates calling for ways to increase the number of affordable housing units statewide.

New York City Area Airports continue to be reimagined as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey progresses on plans to make New York City’s front door as attractive as possible - from revamping terminals to untangling the maze of roadways servicing John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The Port Authority is also embarking on an ambitious new capital plan that will further modernize the Downstate Transportation Network, with a new commuter bus terminal, seaports of the future, improved bridges and tunnels, and upgrades to the PATH system.

Commuters will see other upgrades too, as work continues on the Gateway Project to build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River, which will one day lead to a newly redesigned Penn Station.

As such, City & State’s Trailblazers in Construction highlights many of the key players in this vital industry.

Among those singled out was Sam Capitano (pictured above), Business Manager for the Upstate New York Laborers District Council and President of Buffalo’s Laborers Local 210:

Before he became a Labor Leader, Sam Capitano started out mixing mortar. He’s a long-time member of Buffalo’s Laborers’ Local 210, where he was elected Business Manager in 2007 and saved its Pension Fund from insolvency after its assets were lost in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. He’s served as a Special International Representative for the New England region for Laborers’ International Union of North America and leads the Upstate New York Laborers District Council. Capitano is also on the Board of the Erie County Harbor Development Corporation.

For More On This Labor News Story, Go To: The 2026 Trailblazers in Construction - City & State New York

For More On Sam Capitano, Go To: ‘A Laborers’ Legacy:’ The Sons Of Peter Capitano Help Lead Laborers Local 210 ‘Into The Future’ - Father’s ‘Legacy Carried On’ By Business Manager Peter & His Twin Brother, Sam, Now An International LIUNA Rep - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York

Sam Capitano File Photo Courtesy Of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul’s Office

Laborers' Unions In Buffalo & The Hudson Valley Receive A Combined $1 Million-Plus In New York Power Authority Funding 'To Support Workforce Development & Prepare New Yorkers for Clean Energy Careers'

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(ALBANY, NEW YORK) - Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has approved $13 million in funding to support Clean Energy Workforce development across New York State.

The funding, approved by NYPA’s Board of Trustees, includes $3 million to be directed to six Workforce Development Programs that will equip more than 450 New Yorkers with the training, job placement resources and technical skills needed for careers in New York’s growing Clean Energy Economy.

The awards also include $10 million that will support the New York State Department of Labor’s (NYSDOL) expanded training and retraining initiatives to prepare Workers for employment in Clean Energy Careers.

“Our Clean Energy future depends on the people who will build it and we’re committed to preparing them for the good‑paying careers of tomorrow,” Governor Hochul said. “This ($13 million) investment will open doors for New Yorkers, expanding access to valuable training, strengthening workforce pathways and helping communities across the State benefit from the momentum fueling our clean energy economy.”

Laborers Local 210 in Buffalo received $540,000, which will used to support a Pre‑Apprenticeship Program that provides certification‑based training for participants.

Laborers Local 17 in the Hudson Valley received $500,000, which will be used to strengthen Pre-Apprenticeship pathways in the Construction Trades, offering foundational training and support services to prepare participants for Union careers.

Both Laborers’ programs build on proven models to expand access to skilled labor opportunities.

Last year, NYPA allocated more than $1 million in funding support to the Laborers’ existing workforce training initiative, stimulating the expansion of its Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which prepares Members of disadvantaged communities for careers as Union Construction Craft Laborers in Buffalo, the Hudson Valley and the Capital Region.

New York Power Authority Chairman John Koelmel said: “By supporting organizations that provide Apprenticeships and technical training, NYPA is strengthening New York’s talent pipeline and expanding opportunities for workers in communities across the State to gain the skills needed for high‑demand jobs in the growing Clean Energy Economy.”

New York State Commissioner of Labor Roberta Reardon said: “Creating clean energy infrastructure is both necessary and an economic opportunity for our State, creating thousands of jobs and strengthening local economies. I applaud Governor Hochul's commitment to New York’s Clean Energy future. The New York State Department of Labor stands ready to provide the training and resources necessary to ensure our workforce is prepared to support the State’s clean energy development.”

To Read This Press Release In Its Entirety, Go To: Governor Hochul Announces $13 Million in NYPA Funding to Support Workforce Development and Prepare More Than 450 New Yorkers for Clean Energy Careers | Governor Kathy Hochul | New York State

'After Three Years,' NABET-CWA Members 'Near First Contract' At WROC-8 In Rochester

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(ROCHESTER, NEW YORK) - After three years locked in a Union certification battle with TV Station Operator Nexstar Media Group, a Federal Appeals Court sided with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), ordering the company to recognize and bargain with National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA) Local 51022. The Unit, representing Broadcast Media Workers at WROC-8 in Rochester voted in February 2023 to be represented by NABET-CWA. Nexstar raised challenges that delayed the certification - but when the NLRB certified the Unit, Nexstar refused to recognize the Union. The company began litigation that made arguments about alleged Supervisors, Board Agent misconduct and improper influence on the election by a promised reduction of dues rates. On June 30th (2026), the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued its Order and Opinion enforcing the NLRB's decision in NLRB v. Nexstar (WROC-TV). The Appellate Court addressed and dismissed Nexstar's arguments, including alleged Board Agent misconduct. Members of the Bargaining Unit hope Nexstar representatives will learn from this Appellate Court ruling. The Unit has issued a new request to commence bargaining with WROC-8 on a first contract, for which these Members have fought for nearly 42 months.

CSEA 'Partners With The NYS Department Of Civil Services On New' Testing Centers

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO & ROCHESTER, NEW YORK) - The Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) is partnering with the New York State Department of Civil Service in the opening of new computer-based testing centers in both Buffalo and Rochester.

Western Region Treasurer Bob Pazik represented CSEA at the Buffalo ceremony (Pictured Above/CSEA-Provided Photo), while Western Region Executive Vice President Tim Finnigan attended the Rochester opening.

These centers, among 12 that will be opening across the State by the end of 2027, will provide modern and convenient access to State Employees seeking to further their careers by taking promotion exams, while allowing interested candidates to self-schedule their own tests.

CSEA has partnered with Governor Kathy Hochul’s Administration to improve Worker recruitment and retention efforts, including through reforms to Civil Service.

CSEA President Mary Sullivan said: “CSEA applauds the State’s continued efforts to address retention and improve the outcome by opening modern, computerized testing facilities. This is a much-needed positive step forward to keeping State Employees and making it easier for them to advance their employment through Civil Service.”

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: CSEA partners with Department of Civil Services on new testing centers - CSEA NY

And Click Here To Watch DCS Computer-Based Testing Center – What to Expect

The WNY Area Labor Federation's 25th Anniversary Celebration: "As Different As We Are, We Are A United Movement. We Do Justice For Those Who Came Before Us And We Are Building For Those To Come. This Federation Is Stronger Because You Are In This."

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Pictured above, past Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Richard Lipsitz and current WNYALF President Denise Abbott helped celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Labor Federation over the weekend. The WNYALF oversees 145 local Union Affiliates - including Public and Private Sectors and the Building Trades, that combined represent more than 140,000 Union Members and Retirees across a six-County Region of Western New York. (WNYLaborToday.com Photos)

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – Unionists from across the Public and Private Sectors and the Building Trades gathered over the weekend to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF), giving a tip of the hat to how far it has come while vowing to continue “to build for those to come.”

“Where does time go?,” WNYALF President Denise Abbott, the first Woman to head the Area Labor Federation in its history, said to those in attendance at the Suburban Buffalo River Grove where all gathered on Saturday (August 1st). “As ‘different as we are, we are a united’ movement. ‘We do justice for those who came before us - and we are building for those to come.’ This Federation ‘is stronger because you are in this.’”

Union-represented Health Care Workers, Painters, Teachers, Civil Servants, Stagehands and University Staff were just some of the Unionists at the event. A number of Elected Officials, Political Candidates and Friends of Labor also attended the celebration that featured a Summer menu of Working People fare and sudsy beverages as they chatted at tables and shared stories of the WNYALF’s history and the gains made by the Labor Federation over the years.

The WNYALF was established in July 2002 by the National AFL-CIO and chartered to provide centralized authority and a leadership core for Organized Labor across six Western New York Counites that now includes 145 local Affiliates combining to represent more than 140,000 Union Members and Retirees.

The WNYALF was formed to oversee and uphold the work of the existing Central Labor Councils in Buffalo and Erie County, Niagara and Orleans Counties, Dunkirk and Northern Chautauqua County, Jamestown and Southern Chautauqua County, as well as Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties.

The purpose of the WNYALF was and is to coordinate the economic, social, political and cultural programs of its Affiliates, based on the principles of consensus building and respect for the independence and non-interference in the internal affairs of those Affiliates.

The first task of the founding conference of the WNYALF was to establish a structure to coordinate ongoing National, Statewide and Regional Campaigns, such as Strike support, Corporate Campaigns against Employers, Political/Legislative Activities, Social and Community Alliance Programs and Cultural work that advances the living standards and working conditions of the Working Class.

There have been five WNYALF Presidents who have served over the course of the past 25 years: Now-retired International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 4 Business Manager Dan Boody was the first; followed by Angelo Vellake, past Buffalo Area Director of the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW); who was succeeded by the Teamsters’ Richard Lipsitz (who served 10 years as WNYALF President); Peter DeJesus of 1199 SEIU (Service Employees International Union); and Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1168’s Abbott.

“‘We make the voices of Working Families heard.’ ‘We are here to help secure economic equity.’ ‘We are here to organize the unorganized and fight for public policy in an agenda for all, as well as for Social and Economic Justice.’ ‘I cannot thank (the past WNYALF Presidents) enough for what they have done and for what we have built.’ ‘It is such an honor (to serve),’” Abbott said.

Lipsitz also addressed those in attendance, speaking about the many “struggles” that now face the Labor Movement across the Nation, as well as here in Western New York - and pointing to the upcoming and all-important Mid-Term Elections in November.

“Our ‘struggle (now) is to stop the assault on Democracy itself,’” he said. “We are ‘balancing on the edge of a knife because of the current Administration in Washington (D.C.).’ ‘We must unite to stop this list that goes on and on - we must and we can against this madman’ (Republican President Donald Trump). Our Labor Movement ‘is poised to play a pivotal’ role.”

Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council President Grace Bogdanove (Pictured Above/Photo Courtesy Of IUPAT DC4 Member William Mayer) of 1199 SEIU (the second Woman - Abbott was the first, to head the Buffalo Labor Council) told those in attendance: “The ‘challenges we face are the greatest we have ever seen.’ The ultra-rich ‘continue to profit off the backs of Working People and we are playing defense to keep what we have.’ ‘It will take sacrifice, but we need this Labor Movement now more than ever before to build power in all our Sectors and with those who support a vision of a better world.’ ‘We have the power to shut everything down in order to protect our Democracy.’ ‘So, let’s stop leaving it on the table and embrace our work ahead.’”

Also addressing the gathering was United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9 International Representative Lonnie Everett, who said: “This is a ‘defining moment’ for the Labor Movement, which has brought about the eight-hour workday and safety on the job. ‘We are not the problem.’ Wages ‘are not’ the problem. ‘Corporate greed is’ the problem. ‘Everyone deserves a living wage and to retire with dignity.’ The rich ‘are trying to divide us, but we must organize the unorganized, hold our politicians accountable and refuse to accept crumbs from the table.’ ‘This is our moment and our time to lead.’ ‘We’re fighting to make people better around the world.’”

The United Public Service Employees Union 'Reaches Impasse' In Contract Talks With Batavia Downs Gaming - Union 'Feels Betrayed After Standing With' Downs President & CEO Byron Brown 'For Legislation To Reduce The Corporation's Tax Liability'

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BATAVIA, NEW YORK) - The United Public Service Employees Union (UPSEU) has reached an impasse in contract negotiations with Batavia Downs Gaming after months of bargaining failed to produce a fair agreement for the Employees who the Union says have helped drive the corporation’s continued financial success.

Batavia Downs is once again celebrating another year of record revenue while Employees have continued working without a contract since January 1st, 2026.

When Batavia Downs President and CEO Byron Brown, the former Democratic Mayor of the City of Buffalo, sought the UPSEU’s support for legislation to reduce the corporation’s tax liability, management committed that those tax savings would be directed back to Employees through higher wages, Union Officials said.

Now, despite the Union’s support and Batavia Downs’ tax savings and record revenues, the corporation has failed to honor that commitment, the UPSEU said.

Instead, the corporation’s current wage proposal offers Employees less than they received under the previous contract, the Union said.

UPSEU - whose Members held an informational Picket outside Batavia Downs last week, is seeking an agreement that provides fair wages, honors the commitments made to Employees, recognizes longevity and experience, and addresses wage compression so that senior Employees who train and mentor new hires are appropriately compensated for their years of service.

During negotiations, UPSEU Members continued to show up every day, providing excellent service and helping Batavia Downs achieve record financial results, the Union said.

The Employees kept their promise by supporting legislation that benefited the corporation, now it’s time for Batavia Downs and Byron Brown to keep their promise to the Employees whose hard work has made that success possible, the Union said in a distributed statement.

UPSEU remains ready to continue bargaining in good faith and hopes the mediation process, now scheduled for September 17th (2026) will provide an opportunity to reach a fair agreement that recognizes the value dedication, and contributions of Batavia Downs Employees, Union Officials said.

For More On This Labor news Story, Go To: Two sides headed to mediation Sept. 17 in labor dispute at Batavia Downs | The Batavian

Photos Provided By The UPSEU.

NYS Attorney General Secures $440,000 For Denny's Workers In Western New York - Franchise Owners 'Failed To Pay More Than 1,900 Workers For Shifts Spanning Over 10 Hours'

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - New York State Attorney General Letitia James HAS secured $440,000 from Denny’s Franchise Owners Reveille Management, LLC (Reveille Management) and Top Line Restaurants, Inc. (Top Line Restaurants) for failing to pay their Restaurant Workers the full wages they were owed.

Reveille Management and Top Line Restaurants, both owned by Arizona-based couple Glenn and Tina Beattie, operate Denny’s Restaurants in at least five States, including 23 locations across Western New York, and employ thousands of New Yorkers as Cooks, Dishwashers, Servers, Hosts And Supervisors.

An Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation found these Franchise Owners repeatedly failed to pay more than 1,900 Denny’s Workers the extra pay they were owed for long shifts, known as “spread of hours” pay, as required by New York law.

As a result of OAG’s investigation, the Beatties must pay $440,000 in restitution to current and former Employees whose wages were unlawfully withheld and overhaul their policies and procedures to ensure the violations do not continue.

Attorney General James said: “Denny’s Workers kept these restaurants running through long days and late nights, and they deserve to be paid every dollar they earned. These Franchise Owners ignored clear wage laws and shortchanged hard-working New Yorkers. My office will continue to stand up for Workers and hold employers accountable when they cheat people out of their pay.”

Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Denise Abbott said: "As a (Labor) Federation representing more than (145,000) Union Workers and Retirees across this region, we applaud Attorney General James for her office's continued work to hold law-breaking employers accountable and make Workers whole. When Workers face abuse and exploitation on the job, their families and our communities suffer immeasurable harm. We are proud to stand with Attorney General James as she fights for Working Families across New York, returning tens of millions in stolen wages, tips and benefits to the hard-working people who keep this State running."

New York State law requires Restaurant Workers to receive one additional hour of pay for any workday longer than 10 hours.

This “spread of hours” pay is calculated at the State’s Minimum Wage Rate and applies by day, not by shift, meaning it covers consecutive shifts worked within a single day and includes meal breaks, rest periods and time between shifts.

Employers must provide spread of hours pay for every qualifying workday, whether or not the Employee requests it.

The OAG had opened an investigation in December 2024 after a Denny’s Employee filed a complaint alleging the company wasn’t paying for extended shifts.

To Read This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: Attorney General James Secures $440,000 for Denny’s Workers in Western New York

NYSUT Responds To The Salamanca School District 'Being One Of The First To A Bring Humanoid Robot & Avatar Teaching Assistant Into The Classroom' This Fall: "A Robot Built By A Company Associated With Sex Dolls Has No Business In Our Classrooms"

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(ALBANY, NEW YORK) – New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) President Melinda Person has released the following statement in response to the Salamanca School District's plan to bring a humanoid robot into classrooms this coming school year:

“A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms.

Our students don't need robots.

They need real relationships with caring adults.

Educators notice when students are struggling, celebrate when they succeed and help them discover who they can become.

No robot can do that, no matter how lifelike its skin or specific its regional accent.

NYSUT is committed to fighting thoughtless expansion of this technology and we will explore every avenue necessary to protect human-centered learning in Salamanca and in every classroom across this State."

The move by Salamanca's School District comes at a moment when parents, Educators, researchers, policymakers and advocates are increasingly coming together to confront what is now widely recognized as a serious problem: The overuse and misuse of technology in educational settings, children's rising exposure to AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the toll both are taking on learning and mental health.

As part of NYSUT’s ongoing efforts to develop real, student-centric solutions, NYSUT will be hosting a conference this September.

Unplugged: Reclaiming Human-Centered Education brings together stakeholders to examine the evidence, challenge assumptions and explore what it takes to create healthier, more balanced learning environments.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: NYSUT releases statement on Salamanca School District's plan to introduce humanoid robot into classrooms

And For More, Go To: Rural NY School To Launch Humanoid Robot Teacher

O-AT-KA Teamsters 'Secure Strong' Contract - New York Dairy Workers 'Win 46% Wage Increase & Better Benefits'

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BATAVIA, NEW YORK) – A group of 338 Workers at O-AT-KA Milk Products in Batavia, represented by Teamsters Local 118, have ratified a five-year contract that delivers wage increases up to 46%, improves health care benefits and increases retirement funding.

“This contract is a testament to the hard work and dedication shown by our negotiating committee and the entire unit,” Teamsters Local 118 President Tim Barbeto said. “Our Members made it clear that they deserved a contract that protected their quality of life and recognized the essential work they do for the company.”

Local 118 Members at O-AT-KA help manufacture and package dairy-based products and ingredients for customers nationwide, including ready-to-drink beverages, evaporated milk, butter, milk powders and other dairy products.

“These are the best raises that we’ve seen since I began working here,” said Russ Salway, a 30-year O-AT-KA Employee and Member of Local 118. “This contract will make a real difference for our families, especially with the cost of living continuing to rise. It also shows what we can accomplish as Teamsters when we stay united throughout the bargaining process.”

Local 118 represents over 5,000 Workers across Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania.

To Directly Access This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: O-AT-KA Teamsters Secure Strong Contract - International Brotherhood of Teamsters

The Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Labor Council's 2026 'Labor's Night At The Races' Fundraiser To Support The United Way Of Greater Niagara 'Tallies Nearly $24,000'

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(RANSOMVILLE, NEW YORK) – The Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council’s 2026 Labor’s Night at the Races fundraiser that’s held annually to support the United Way of Greater Niagara at Ransomville Speedway raised nearly $24,000.

Labor Representatives said more than 900 tickets were sold for the event and the dollars raised will help the United Way of Greater Niagara carry out its mission to continue offering an array of youth development programs throughout Niagara County and the City of Tonawanda.

Labor Council President Jim Briggs told WNYLaborToday.com: “It’s testament to our (individual Union) Affiliates. They and their Members ‘are doing good so they believe others should do good and this event supports that belief.’ ‘And it also happens because of those people who get the work done.’ ‘So many’ of our Locals ‘came out to make it such a great event, including a lot of young Members who get the chance to learn what Organized Labor does.’ ‘Their participation is just nothing more than a plus.’”

Since its inception, Labor's Night at the Races has raised more than $241,000 in support of the non-profit United Way Greater Niagara, which invests in foundational youth programming and critical community initiatives throughout Niagara County and the City of Tonawanda, helping improve lives and strengthen local communities.

New at Labor’s Night at the Races 2026 was a gift card raffle to benefit the Labor Council's Union Polar Plunge team, which supports Special Olympics New York. It raised $2,005, providing an early boost toward the team's fundraising efforts ahead of the Union Polar Plunge that is scheduled for early December.

And this year’s Labor’s Night at the Races drew one of the largest crowds in the event’s history, serving nearly 900 chicken dinners throughout the evening before those in attendance headed to the stands to watch the dirt-track racing.

From setting up tables and hundreds of chairs, to operating a well-oiled food assembly line, taking tickets, distributing beverages, managing clean-up efforts and everything in between, each volunteer from a variety of Labor Affiliates, Friends of Labor and the United Way played a vital role in creating an unforgettable evening, Union Officials said.

Special recognition went out to Iron Workers Local 9, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Locals 237 and 2104, United Auto Workers (UAW) Locals 686 and 2571, United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9434 and 277, USW District 4 Staff, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1115, and the Wilson Teachers’ Association.

And, the Labor Council extended its sincere appreciation to presenting sponsor Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York, as well as the event’s associate sponsors: The Law Firm of Lewis & Lewis; The Maxwell Murphy Law Firm; USW District 4, IBEW Local 2104, and Niagara Falls Redevelopment LLC.

The Labor Council also thanked Ransomville Speedway for its continued partnership in hosting this annual tradition - and to Chiavetta's for once again providing the outstanding chicken dinner that has become a hallmark of the event.

"Labor ‘has a long and proud tradition of giving back to the communities where our Members live and work,’" Labor Council President Briggs said. "Labor's Night at the Races ‘is a shining example of the core values of the Labor Movement - solidarity, service, and community.’"

From The National AFL-CIO Convention In Minneapolis: Unions To 'Mobilize Army Of 22,500 Election Workers By July 3rd'

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA) - The National AFL-CIO has set a target of 22,500 people by July 3rd, eight times that number by Labor Day, and even more after that, to pound the pavements for Pro-Worker candidates and issues this Fall.

The Labor Federation’s Convention Delegates, meeting in Minneapolis, approved the mobilization plan President Liz Shuler announced.

The mobilization figures were the sole ones she offered.

Not immediately available were figures on how much money the AFL-CIO would spend on other communication methods this Fall, notably over-the-air and Social Media advertising

In past campaigns, before the rise of Social Media, the AFL-CIO spent on ads for Pro-Worker causes without specifically saying a particular candidate supports or opposes them - but urging voters to put the candidates on the record.

The mobilization is important because, as Shuler and other speakers at the conclave noted, the Labor Movement is a trusted source of information for both its Members and for swing voters whom its organizers contact.

Opinion polls back that up.

Some 70% of U.S. Workers say they would join a Union if they could.

Even more notable was a survey earlier this year, which showed Unions as the only institution with a positive view from voters.

All the others - Congress, the Presidency, the Supreme Court, corporations and the Mass Media among them - were underwater.

The political organizing target complements a separate target the AFL-CIO set the day before: To add two million new voters from Union households to the 14 million who cast ballots in the last off-year election, in 2022.

Shuler called that “a very tangible goal.”

The first stage of the political organizing aims to mobilize 1,500 people by July 2nd/3rd.

Shuler set a goal for each of those people to recruit 15 more, for a total of 22,500.

“If they recruit eight more people by Labor Day, we’ll have an army,” Shuler said.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Story, Go To: Unions to mobilize army of 22,500 election workers by July 3 – People's World

Nearly 40 1199 SEIU-Represented Rural Erie County Health Care Workers Notified The Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home In Springville Will Close

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(SPRINGVILLE, NEW YORK) – Nearly 40 rural Nursing Home Workers - represented by 1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Workers East, have been notified the Jennie B. Richmond, an 80-bed facility in rural Springville, is closing.

The Unionized Workers employed at the facility in Southern Erie County work as Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nurse Assistants, Occupational Therapy Aides, Dietary Aides, Activities Aides, Patient Care Assistants, Housekeeping Aides and Unit Secretaries.

The Union Caregivers learned the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) had approved a plan to close the Springville Facility after 1199 SEIU Leaders were informed the closure plan had already been submitted to the NYSDOH and that the plan was approved.

Under the Worker Adjustment & Retraining Act (WARN), an employer must provide at least 60 days’ notice before closing.

At this time, 1199 SEIU has not received a WARN notice.

1199SEIU Administrative Organizer Nora Moore said: “Critical health care services for our most vulnerable are being eliminated and jobs may be lost. We will bargain with the employer over effects of this planned closure to protect the rights, benefits and pay for every Worker at the Nursing Home. These closures are overwhelming for our rural communities. The New York State Department of Health must create a system that does more to protect not only the residents, but the dedicated Health Care Workers who care for them.”

Licensed Practical Nurse Lucille Schindler, an Employee at the facility, said: “It’s very sad news for the residents, the community and the Workers. We are devastated. No one thought this would happen. Most of us have worked and lived here for a very long time. These residents are like our family and their families become our families. Our Staff is very caring, very loving and we are dedicated to our residents. I’m so distraught that my residents must endure a move to another home. We have so many patients for rehabilitation and they may be transferred an hour away. Our residents deserve a place to live and the respect and dignity they have earned throughout their lifetime.”

1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East - the largest and fastest-growing Health Care Union in the United States and whose mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for al, represents more than 400,000 Nurses and Caregivers throughout the States of Florida, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and in Washington, D.C.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: Nearly 40 Union Healthcare Workers Notified That Jennie B Richmond Nursing Home In Springville Set To Close: 1199SEIU

The NLRB Rules The Buffalo AKG Art Museum 'Violated Federal Labor Law With The Retaliatory' Layoff Of 13 Union-Represented Employees

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has determined the Buffalo AKG Art Museum violated Federal Labor Law and retaliated against the Workers’ Union - AKG Workers United, by laying off 13 Union-represented Workers employed in the Visitor Experience Department in the Spring 2025.

The Museum has been ordered to reinstate all of the Visitor Experience Workers and provide them full back pay.

This decision comes after over a year of providing hundreds of documents of evidence and dozens of hours of testimony from the negatively-impacted Workers, Representatives of AKG Workers United said.

Museum leadership had an opportunity to settle these charges weeks before - but refused, Union Officials added.

Melinda Wright, a Visitor Experience Associate and President of AKG Workers United, said: “This is a major win for Workers and our community! We - AKG workers - work so hard to support Buffalo and our Museum. We are so glad that the (NLRB) found merit and hope that with the return of our Visitor Experience Staff, we can turn a new leaf and have a truly collaborative relationship with the Museum. (And) We are so appreciative of the solidarity and support our community has shown us through this fight.”

AKG Workers United also said it is hopeful the AKG Board and its Leadership Team will end the years long crusade against the Union, stop spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal fees to fight their own Workers, and finally respect the Workers’ right to organize a Union.

'From Catching Symptoms Early & Savings Lives' To 'Producing Amazing Health Care Cost Savings,' Union Health Care/Wellness Centers Across The Country 'Are Having An Extremely Positive Impact On Membership'

Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(ALBANY, NEW YORK) - Every Union in the United States is dealing with a plethora of problems when it comes to providing health care for their Members and getting them to take advantage of it - but something is happening across the country that’s saving Unions and their Members a great deal of money when it comes to health care, and - in the process, is helping save lives by discovering physical problems before they become life-threatening.

A number of Unions’ Health and Pension Funds are partnering with a leading Advanced Primary Care Provider - Marathon Health, to offer their Members an array of “exclusive and consistent” managed health care services - incredibly with no deductibles, co-pays or out-of-pocket costs, extended personal access to Caregivers and all that goes with it in their own on-site/near-site Health Care/Wellness Centers, which they invest in to make happen.

Marathon Health and their Union clientele co‑design and operate the Centers that are tailored to the individual Union’s needs, with negotiated pricing, comprehensive services and a focus on preventive, pro-active care.

Labor Representatives tell WNYLaborToday.com the Marathon model improves access, engagement and health outcomes - while helping Unions control their health care costs.

Case in point #1, U.A. Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 7 in Latham, New York - which has 1,300 Members, including 950 who are active.

One of them – 39-year-old Local 7 Member Mike Keary was diagnosed with pneumonia during an appointment he made at the Union’s brand new 2,500-square-foot Health Care Center (Pictured Below/Courtesy Of Marathon Health).

“I’m ‘really glad I went and didn’t wait any longer,’” Keary, a 13-year Union Member, told WNYLaborToday.com. “I ‘wasn’t on my death bed, but I’d gotten sick and let it linger for three weeks.’ I ‘couldn’t walk up the stairs without being out of breath.’ My lungs ‘were full of fluid.’ I saw the Doc who told me I had pneumonia and he put me on antibiotics.”

Keary (Pictured Below - On The Left, With Local 7 Business Manager Ed Nadeau/Joe Wild Photo), who said he was more than happy his Union now has its own Health Clinic, had not-so-good experiences going to the Doctor’s Office in the past - which possibly delayed him from initially going to Local 7’s Clinic: “I ‘did not get great care where I was’ (before). In fact, they ‘dropped my bloodwork four times and they couldn’t provide me with any results each time.’ ‘Now, knock on wood, I’m absolutely happy.’ ‘So many times you sit and wait to see your Doctor for like (45) minutes and then he only sees you for three minutes.’ ‘Now, my Doc (at the Union Clinic) takes (45) minutes talking to me and I leave with my medication in hand instead of heading out to a pharmacy’ (to get a prescription filled). I’m telling (his fellow Local 7 Brothers and Sisters) who didn’t know all about it: ‘Hey guys, you get more time to spend with your Doctor and you don’t have to wait (for a long period of time in a waiting room). ‘They cater to us and you can’t beat that.’ I worked (10) years Non-Union, ‘so I can speak first-hand to this – a Union provides you with more benefits and this is just one of them.’”

Ed Nadeau, who serves as Business Manager and Financial Secretary for Local 7, tells WNYLaborToday.com: “(The Clinic) ‘was one of the best things we have ever done.’ ‘Our Members - and their families, can now go there for everything from physicals to blood work and I think they are now doing so because of word of mouth.’ ‘This saves us money too because you don’t have your Members going to Hospital Emergency Rooms or Emergency Care Centers.’ We were spending ($500,000 to $600,000) a year on ‘non-emergency’ visits for our Members, ‘but now we’re making our Members healthier, including some who we have found are pre-diabetic.’ ‘We want to make sure they enjoy their retirement and live to see it.’”

Case In Point #2, while this may be hard to believe, Carl Pecoraro - who serves as Chairman/Trustee of the Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Health and Welfare Fund, tells WNYLaborToday.com that over the past 10 years, the total increase – each year to his Union’s medical costs have been less than 1% because of the two Health Care Clinics his Union operates on Cleveland’s East and West Sides.

“The ‘whole idea here was to get our Members in and identify their health conditions early - and we’ve had great results because it helps control (health care) costs.’ ‘Our plan really works.’ Our Members call Marathon and ‘get every question answered.’ Our Physicians ‘find things early instead of dealing with it later.’ We even have a virtual Nutritionist ‘who’s helped one of our Members drop (60) pounds.’ Wellness ‘drives savings and it’s showing in our health care rates, which results in better wages for our Members.’ We had one Member come in for a physical and they ‘immediately called for an ambulance because he was on the verge of a heart attack.’ We had another who needed a knee replacement who we hooked up with an Orthopedic Surgeon and ‘he didn’t pay a penny’ (for the surgery). ‘It’s unheard of.’ ‘I recommend this (to any Union) in a second.’ I get asked all the time: ‘How do you do it?’ ‘It’s a better way to deliver health care to our Members, but it all only works if our Members take advantage of it,’” Pecoraro said.

In the end, strong primary care leads to better clinical outcomes and lower costs, according to Representatives of Marathon Health, which partners with employer and Union plan sponsors - including the Albany Plumbers & Steamfitters and Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters - to improve the health of Working People and Union Membership.

With their on-site/near-site network Centers, as well as offered virtual primary care, Marathon provides its updated list of 150 Union clients with a value-based model that enhances the health care experience for Union Members, while driving meaningful cost savings for plan sponsors.

Marathon Health’s national network of Centers also includes 70 Taft-Hartley Welfare Funds that collectively represent more than 450,000 Union Members and their families, as well as 225-plus Public Sector Organizations with an additional 600,000 eligible members.

In all, Marathon Health serves three million eligible members across 41 States while touting its deep “experience serving” Taft-Hartley Funds and Labor-affiliated Trusts - populations their Representatives say share many of the Fund’s defining characteristics, including diverse eligibility rules, multiple stakeholders and a strong emphasis on stewardship of Plan assets.

And it would seem their success is continuing as Marathon Health just announced an expansion of its open-access Centers and services to Detroit, Kansas City, Raleigh-Durham, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

This move continues Marathon Health’s focus on bringing best-in-class primary care to areas especially challenged by access, supply, quality and affordability.

“We’re ‘driving a different perspective, looking at preventative care and changing behaviors,” said Brian Cappel, who serves as the Vice President of Taft-Hartley Plans for Marathon Health. “We’ve ‘made access convenient with brick-and-motar locations, which Unions can own, that eliminates the need for urgent’ care visits. ‘You have to take care of your equipment on the job and we need to do the same thing with our bodies.’ ‘With most all of our Union clients, it gets back to us that these Centers save people’s lives.’”

With more than 20 years of Taft-Hartley experience, Cappel brings a uniquely informed perspective shaped by extensive work inside multiple Fund Offices.

Prior to joining Marathon Health, he served as Director of Operations for the Midwest International Union of Operating Engineers Fringe Benefit Fund (IUOE) Local 150, leading a team of over 100 Staff Members delivering services to more than 55,000 individuals - annually.

Throughout his career, Cappel - whose work is centered on improving health care access, quality and outcomes for Union Members and their families, with a strong emphasis on lifestyle improvement and chronic condition management, has overseen the launch of dozens of new Centers and has provided strategic support to more than 100 Centers a years across the U.S

“This ‘has just taken off,’” he said.

Joe Wild, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of National Labor Solutions Group - which is working with Marathon Health, has approached several Unions here in Western New York and in Rochester about the possibility of investing in and creating their own Health Care/Wellness Centers in partnership with Marathon Health.

While Wild, who declined to specifically say which Unions he’s had discussions with, tells WNYLaborToday.com the Union Centers “don’t conflict” with what their health care providers offer.

“It’s ‘just unbelievable,’” said Wild, who personally toured Union Health Centers in Philadelphia with a 12,000-Member IUOE Local and in Albany with U.A. Plumbers Local 7, and is more than upbeat on what the Centers can do for a Union and its Members.

“You ‘can get to see a Doctor the same day or the next day - guaranteed.’ ‘And that goes for a Member’s Family, age three and up.’ The average appointment is (42) minutes and you talk to a Doctor all that time, ‘not the usual (10) minutes or so that you get elsewhere.’ ‘In the end,’ it ‘minimizes the noise’ and serves their Memberships,” said Wild, who’s built a track record of working with and helping a variety of Labor Unions with their health care needs.

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: To Learn More, Go To Marathon Health’s Website At: https://marathon.health. And, Watch CBS 6 News in Albany’s Report On Local 7’s New primary care clinic opens in Latham for UA Local 7 members ahead of hiring boom

"We Will Continue To Stand Strong And Speak Out Against All Types Of Racism And Gun Violence" - UUP Joins The Community On The Fourth Anniversary Of The 'Racially-Motivated & Horrific Mass Shooting' At A Tops Grocery Store On Buffalo's East Side

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - The fourth anniversary of the horrific mass shooting at a Tops Grocery Store in Buffalo on May 14th was both solemn and joyful.

During an afternoon ceremony, Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan and others addressed survivors, families and the media in a tent outside the Jefferson Avenue Store.

That was followed by a reading of the names of the 10 people who were killed on May 14th, 2022 by a shooter motivated by racism and hate.

More than 600 volunteers - including UUP Members, took part in 12 service events across the City on May 14th.

UUP President Fred Kowal, former Statewide Vice President for Professionals Tom Tucker, and a small group of Buffalo-area Members, were on East Utica Street throughout the day - talking with people and waiting to clean up after a street party that was part of the event that was established in 2025 as Buffalo’s official day of service and remembrance.

Kowal, along with Buffalo Center Chapter President Kathleen “Kat” Kieler, Buffalo HSC Chapter President Jim Lichtenthal and others moved and stacked dozens of tables and folding chairs used for the street festival, where despite temperatures in the 40s.

Volunteers spent the afternoon painting faces, making balloon animals, making crafts with kids, serving food, playing music and cutting hair for free.

“UUP is a part of the Buffalo Community so we should be here today and we belong here today,” Kowal said. “Our Members who work at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo State University and SUNY (State University of New York) Fredonia live and work in this community and what happened on (May 14th, 2022) affected - and still affects - them and our entire Union very, very deeply. We will not forget and we will continue to stand strong and speak out against all types of racism and gun violence.”

Tom Melendy of the Buffalo HSC Chapter remembered hearing about the shooting while he was in his office.

Melendy is a Microbiology and Immunology Professor and works at the Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, located not far from the Tops on Jefferson Avenue.

He could hear the sirens wailing as police arrived and ambulances carried the wounded to the Erie County Medical Center.

Melendy joined a community response team after the shooting.

He was one of many UUP Members, along with Kowal, who helped bring and distribute food to the neighborhood while Tops was closed.

He joined with the thousands of mourning, angry people who marched in the streets surrounding the store.

He said he witnessed a spirit of coming together throughout the City and a change in the way the HSC interacts with the community around it.

There is more outreach now.

Vans from the Medical Center park offer free dental care, women’s care and pediatric services.

The HSC has also opened its spaces to show movies.

Instead of Starbucks products, the café at the Medical Center serves coffee from the Golden Cup, a local business a block away from the Jefferson Avenue Tops store.

UUP Organizer Danielle Judge-Freeman provided UUP T-shirts to volunteers and made crafts with kids while her own family and life-long friends visited.

The day was both professional and personal for Judge-Freeman, who is deeply connected to the Buffalo Community, raised her children in the City and guided many others as a former Employee of the Boys and Girls Club.

She displayed a large photograph in the UUP tent of DonnaSue Crawford, her best friend’s Mother.

Crawford was in the Tops the day of the shooting, standing in line at the customer service desk when the shooter entered the store.

He shot the Woman behind Crawford.

She dropped everything and ran to the back where she hid with other people in a break room.

They barricaded the door.

Outside, her daughter, Tracey Adams waited for news, unsure if her Mother survived.

Crawford was physically unharmed that day, but Adams said she was never the same.

She never went back into the store.

Seemingly in perfect health, she died suddenly at 71, in January 2024.

At the afternoon ceremony, Hochul announced the State will add another $3 million toward the construction of the 5/14 Memorial and Living Center planned for a site at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Best Street, bringing New York’s contribution to $9 million.

The building is expected to cost $15 million.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: UUP, East Buffalo observe mass shooting anniversary

UUP-Provided Photo.

"In A Profession Where We Give Ourselves To Caring For Others, Nurses Should Have The Ability To Care For Our Loved Ones When We Need To" - NYSNA-Represented Erie County Medical Center Nurses In Buffalo 'Continue Their Fight For Paid Family Leave'

Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - Nearly a year after voting to opt-in to New York’s Nation-leading Paid Family Leave (PFL) Program, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)-represented Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) Nurses are still fighting for Hospital Management to implement the benefit.

New York’s PFL Program - which was signed into law in 2016 and enacted on January 1st, 2018 - provides eligible Workers with up to 12 weeks of paid, job-protected leave to care for a new child or Family Member with a serious health condition, or to assist when a Family Member is on overseas military deployment.

While the law that implemented the benefit makes it mandatory for private employers, the same courtesy is not extended to Public Sector Workers, who must petition their employer for the benefit and then vote to opt-in.

At ECMC, this process has proven more difficult than the law lays out.

While Nurses voted overwhelmingly to opt-in to the program, Hospital Management has drawn out the process, leaving Nurses without PFL, Union Officials said.

Last May, NYSNA Nurses at ECMC successfully got Hospital Management to agree to offer PFL.

After winning this agreement from management, Nurses informed their fellow Members about the program and their ability to vote to opt-in.

Nurses spoke about the critical need for the program and the peace of mind it would offer to their colleagues looking to start new families or caring for elderly loved ones.

After a weeks-long campaign to educate Members, the vast majority of Union Nurses voted to opt-in to the PFL program.

Kate Panicali, a NYSNA Member at ECMC, said: “In a profession where we give ourselves to caring for others, Nurses should have the ability to care for our loved ones when we need to - without worrying about our bills being paid, keeping food on the table or losing our jobs.”

But despite their successful vote, Nurses at ECMC are still without PFL.

While management initially agreed to provide the benefit, ECMC has since gone back on their commitment, citing financial uncertainty stemming from the cuts to Federal health care funding and the cost associated with administering the benefit.

Though not unlawful, management’s broken commitment is a serious affront To Public Sector Nurses who voted for PFL and work hard to care for Western New York’s most vulnerable patients, day in and day out.

But ECMC’s Nurses are not giving up.

Earlier this year, they launched an e-mail campaign demanding management follow through on their commitment and provide PFL.

More than 550 NYSNA-represented Nurses participated in the action, sending nearly 1,700 e-mails to Hospital Administrators.

Nurses followed the success of their digital action with in-person meetings to confront management and engage stakeholders.

In mid-April, Nurses brought their demands to a Labor-Management meeting, once again calling for ECMC to provide the benefit they committed to one year ago.

Nurses also delivered copies of the 1,700 e-mails produced in their digital campaign.

At the meeting, NYSNA Western Regional Director and ECMC Registered Nurse John Batson (Pictured Below/WNYLaborToday.com File Photo) said: “This has been a sixteen-month fight for Nurses here at ECMC, but we won’t be deterred. We won’t be denied. And we’ll continue to push forward. This benefit is the law - it’s not an option. It’s applied to every Nurse at every Private Health Care Facility in Western New York. If they can manage it, ECMC can manage it as well.”

Later in April, Nurses held a briefing for Elected Officials to update them on the campaign to implement PFL at ECMC.

The briefing was attended by New York State Assembly Member Jon Rivera and representatives from the offices of New York State Senator April Baskin, New York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal People-Stokes and the Erie County Legislature.

Representatives from the Western New York Area Labor Federation also attended.

In the meantime, ECMC Nurses are continuing the fight for management to follow through on their commitment and grant Nurses' access to this life-changing program.

ECMC Nurses “work hard, day in and day out, to care for patients from all over Western New York (and) deserve paid leave to care for their own families when they need it the most,” Union Officials said.

NYSNA Editor’s Note: You can show your support for ECMC Nurses by signing the petition and demanding Hospital Management make good on their word and implement Paid Family Leave here: Erie County Medical Center Nurses Deserve Paid Family Leave! | New York State Nurses Association

Photo Of ECMC Nurses Provided By NYSNA.

Stamp Out Hunger 2026: NALC Branch 3 President Shares 'Personal' Story Of What The Letter Carriers' Annual Food Drive 'Means To Those In Need Across' Western New York

Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) – In all the years WNYLaborToday.com has interviewed National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 3 President David Grosskopf, Jr. on the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, he had never before shared his personal story as to why the event is so important not only to him - but to so many across Western New York who are in need.

On Saturday (May 9th), Branch 3-represented Letter Carriers across the eight-county Western New York Region will pick up donations of non-perishable foods during the day while, at the same time, delivering thousands and thousands of letters and packages to their customers.

Last year, NALC Letter Carriers picked up 425,925 pounds of food - 168,725 pounds more than the previous year, which placed Buffalo-Western New York in third place among NALC Branches with 1,999 or more Members.

And with homelessness across the region rising to what is being reported locally as the most severe crisis in decades (homelessness increased by 24% to the highest level recorded since tracking began in 2025, local media reported this week), the need now is even greater.

Grosskopf (Pictured Above/WNYLaborToday.com Photo) - whose Branch 3 represents more than 2,000 Members, shared a personal story with Your On-Line Labor Newspaper that occurred while growing up and after his Father lost a very good-paying job at Roblin Steel in Tonawanda when it closed in the mid-60s.

“My Dad ‘had a very difficult time finding a new job,’” Grosskopf said, “and ‘I vividly remember going to our church’s food bank and getting jars of peanut butter and bread.’ ‘We were tightening our belts and it really gave (he and his family) a different perspective’ (to food insecurity).”

Grosskopf is extremely proud of his Union’s Membership for what they do in the community, including the annual food drive: “Our Members ‘are out in the community and they see those who are less fortunate and those who aren’t doing as well as themselves.’ ‘Every day they see why people need this kind of help.’ ‘As Public Servants, we see the need for this safety net - and in all honesty, we should be ones doing this.’ I ‘bounce around a number of different stations (during the Saturday drop offs) and I do get goosebumps.’ ‘I see a lot of smiles and we all feel good about what we are doing - especially when you talk to those who run the small food banks because what they receive from Stamp Out Hunger helps them get through the entire year.’”

Since its launch in 1993, NALC’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has grown into the Nation’s largest one-day food drive, helping fill the shelves of food banks in cities and towns across the country.

On Saturday, NALC asks you leave your donation of non-perishable food in a bag near your mailbox and your Letter Carrier will do the rest.

Grosskopf suggests boxes of pasta and “anything canned,” but asks all to “please check expiration dates.”

NALC’s effort to help fight hunger in America grew out of discussions in 1991 by a number of leaders at the time, including NALC President Vincent Sombrotto, National AFL-CIO Community Services Director Joseph Velasquez and Postmaster General Anthony Frank.

A pilot drive was held in 10 cities in October of 1991 and it proved so successful that work began immediately on making it a nationwide effort.

Input from Food Banks and pantries suggested late Spring would be the best time because most Food Banks start running out of the donations received during the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday periods by that point in the year.

A revamped drive was organized for May 15th, 1993 - the second Saturday in May - with a goal of having at least one NALC Branch in each of the 50 States participating.

The result was astounding, NALC Officials said.

More than 11 million pounds of food was collected - a one-day record in the U.S. - involving more than 220 Union Branches.

From Alaska to Florida and Maine to Hawaii, Letter Carriers do double duty - delivering mail and picking up donations.

From that point, Stamp Out Hunger grew and grew.

In the more than 30 years since it began, Stamp Out Hunger has collected around two billion pounds of food for those in need.

Over the years, Buffalo/Western New York has historically held either one of the top three spots in donated food collected and Grosskopf anticipates another round of tremendous donations on Saturday, with a little help from Organized Labor.

“We have a ‘long history here in Western New York of being one of the best in the Nation,’” Grosskopf said. “And this event ‘is right at the top, for me because it is near and dear to my heart’ (for the personal reasons he shared earlier with WNYLaborToday.com).”

35th Annual Niagara-Orleans Labor Council's Workers' Memorial Event Highlighted By Debut Of An 'Emotional & Heart-Breaking Documentary That Focuses On The Direct Impact On-The-Job Deaths Of Loved Ones Have On Their Families'

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK) – Anyone who’s ever attended one of the previous 34 Workers’ Memorial Events held by the Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council at Reservoir Park in Niagara Falls knows what traditionally happens: The names of dozens of area Workers who died on the job are read aloud, followed by a number of addresses made by Labor Leadership and an array of Elected Officials inside a big, white tent adjacent to the impressive monument that features a huge bronze eagle rising silently to honor those fallen Workers.

But this year, at the 35th such annual observance, something very different took place.

First, by simple observance, it appeared to be the largest attendance ever - further evidenced by the number of vehicles that entirely filled a nearby parking lot - and a very long line of cars, SUVs and trucks parked one behind the other along a winding roadside leading to the memorial on Saturday (May 2nd).

But instead of a long list of speakers who pledged to fight like hell for the living, Niagara-Orleans Labor Council President Jim Briggs stood before those assembled inside the tent to introduce a 42-minute, untitled documentary produced by the Council and a Video Professional (Kevin Krisnosky) from the United Way of Greater Niagara that focused directly on the impact on several families following the on-the-job death of a loved one in three American Cities.

In the end, it was both emotional and heart-breaking.

“We traveled across the country ‘to tell a story about a few families who lost someone,’” Briggs said. “When we watch the news reports of a Worker who died on the job, ‘we forget they have families too.’ ‘These folks were just doing their job.’ ‘So, when we leave here, we have to go with a vengeance’ to call on our Elected Officials (to pass stronger on-the-job safety laws).”

The Niagara-Orleans Labor Council’s Documentary Team traveled to Waltham, Massachusetts, Baileyville, Maine and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to tell the story of Workers who lost their lives while at work, including a highway Worker killed in a hit-and-run vehicle crash, two at a chemical plant due to a toxic chemical leak, and another who died in a fireball explosion.

Each accident was recounted by family and Union/United Steelworkers (USW) Representatives, who underscored the fact employers will not agree to the Union’s demands for increased on-the-job safety protections during contract negotiations.

“‘We just lost the most important person in our lives,’” a family member of the Worker killed in the hit-and-run incident said in the documentary.”

“We’re constantly thinking about him,” said another.

“And we’re waiting for justice,” added another, noting the person responsible will go on trial sometime in 2026.

“‘We should be working together so both (the Union and management) has an equal voice when it comes to safety at the plant,’” said one USW Official in the documentary.

“‘On paper,’ management ‘wants to be good on safety, but doesn’t want to hear about it.’ ‘It’s a struggle - every day,’” the Union Representative added.

The National AFL-CIO just released its 35th annual Death on the Job-The Toll of Neglect report, which alarmingly finds workplace hazards kill approximately 140,000 Workers each year in the United States - more than 380 Workers each day.

Findings include: 5,070 Workers died from traumatic injury on the job in 2024, the latest year of data available, and an estimated 135,000 died from occupational diseases. An estimated 530 Workers died from heat alone; Black Workers still die on the job at a disproportionately higher rate than the national average; Latino Workers continue to face the greatest risk of dying on the job in 2024, at a rate 30% higher than the national average. Of the Latino Workers who died, 68.5% were Immigrants, a larger percentage than in previous years. The rate of young Worker deaths has nearly doubled since 2020 and Workers age 65 and older are nearly three times as likely to die on the job than other Workers; Workplace injuries create an enormous burden on the economy, costing an estimated $177 billion to $354 billion a year; and Under-reporting is widespread and the true toll of work-related injuries and illnesses is estimated to be between five million and 7.5 million each year in private industry.

There are currently 54 names inscribed on the Niagara-Orleans Labor Council’s Workers’ Memorial, which were each read aloud during a pre-documentary screening ceremony, including 22 Workers who lost their lives building the New York Power Authority Project many years ago.

The latest was recognized Saturday: USW Member Andrew Stayzer, who lost his life on the job back in January 2024.

Briggs (pictured below), meanwhile, also took the opportunity to focus a spotlight on industrial diseases, such as bladder cancer caused by working with toxic chemicals.

He recounted a story involving the USW, which conducted research that not only uncovered the problem within a plant, but showed it was also impacting families as the Workers were bringing it into their homes due to the residue that settled in their work clothing.

“‘This has gone on for too long in our country - with little resolve,’” Briggs said. “‘We’re not doing enough about it, but the only way to fix it is to enact health and safety legislation with teeth in it - real language.’ ‘We have to put pressure on our Elected Officials that will allow us to take a stand because going to work shouldn’t be a grave mistake.’”

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: All Photos Featured In This Labor News Report Were Taken By WNYLaborToday.com, Which Is Awaiting The Opportunity To Post The Niagara-Orleans Labor Council’s Workers Documentary On Its Front Page For Our Readers/Visitors To Watch. Hopefully That Will Come Sometime Over The Next Several Weeks.

'In Stark Contrast' To What The Trump Administration 'Is Doing,' United University Professions 'Has & Is Embracing' DEI 'While Looking To Grow The Statewide Union's Leadership & Membership In The Months To Come'

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Much has been reported on the Trump Administration’s attack on Diversity, Equity and Inclusions (DEI) Initiatives, including its purging of 300,000 Black Women from the Federal Workforce by demolishing DEI Affirmative Action.

For example, WNYLaborToday.com recently published a report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) in Washington, D.C. that detailed how Trump is weaponizing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EOCC) against the Workers it was built to protect, most notably: Accusing employers of reverse racism against White Workers and targeting People of Color employed in a variety of Federal positions within the U.S. Government (Read: From The Economic Policy Institute: How Trump ‘Is Weaponizing The EEOC Against The Workers It Was Built To Protect’ - ‘A More Diverse Workforce Isn’t DEI-Motivated Discrimination, It’s Just Demographic Change’ - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York)

It is an unsettling - and frankly, shameful, move by the Trump Administration as it is diversity that makes our country great.

But in stark contrast, United University Professions (UUP) - the Nation’s largest Higher Education Union that represents 42,000 Academic and Professional Faculty and Retirees across New York State, is continuing to grow its ranks by including and reaching out to not only increase the number of People of Color and Women in its Rank-and-File Membership, but within its group of Officers and on its Executive Board.

Of its five-Member group of Statewide Officers, UUP currently counts three Women and one African-American Member - and on its 15-Member Executive Board, 10 Women and two African-Americans. And among those Officers and Executive Board Members there are Latin, Native American and LGBTQ+ Members.

“We’re ‘Union’ and ‘we have to be the best’ employer,” UUP President Fred Kowal told WNYLaborToday.com during a recent telephone interview from the Union’s Statewide Headquarters in Albany. “We’ve had a DEI Committee ‘for more than fifteen years now and this is all happening in the spirit of solidarity - no matter what race or gender one is.’ ‘And it makes sense’ because SUNY (the State University of New York with 29 State-operated campuses, including SUNY’s Public Teaching Hospitals and Science Centers in Brooklyn, Long Island and Syracuse) ‘is more diverse.’ ‘It’s important what we do.’”

UUP also maintains a Black Faculty and Staff Committee, a Women’s Action Committee, a LGBTQ+ Club (which works to protect the rights of UUP Members employed at institutions located in “‘deep’ Trump Country,” which can be “scary,” Kowal says) and a Human Rights Committee “that all coordinate together.”

UUP also maintains an Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) that helps those within the Union who are interested in running for UUP Chapter Office positions.

UUP’s “‘grassroots culture of exceeding’ diversity” in its ranks “caught fire” in 2013 when Kowal became President and since that time, the Union has “worked as hard as we can to develop a pipeline” to ensure its Leadership continues to become as diversified as it can be.

“It’s ‘been a bit of a struggle, but we have a Union Movement that’s committed to this,’ including the State AFL-CIO and its President, Mario Cilento, and its Secretary-Treasurer Terry Melvin. They’re ‘phenomenal.’ NYSUT (The New York State United Teachers Union, which UUP is affiliated with) ‘has the same outlook,’” noted Kowal to other Unions that are creating opportunities and pipelines that help develop “new Union Activists of Color.”

“We’ve ‘got to turn it up now because of what Trump has done,’” the UUP President continued. “Unions are ‘melting pots’ (made up of all kinds of different races and cultures) and ‘it will make our Unions stronger and our country better.’ ‘I want to see continued’ diversity (in Labor’s ranks).”

However, Kowal (Pictured Below) “misses those who have moved on” from UUP/SUNY - most notably because of the rate of pay, who he believed had a bright future in his Union - but suggests New York State should take advantage of those who’ve lost their jobs due to Republican DEI purges in the States of Florida and Texas, for example.

“Let’s ‘look at those who worked in Higher Ed and take advantage of those States’ brain drain that will help continue to build our’ diversity,” he suggests. “We’ve ‘got to reach out to people who have it tough (working in Non-Union States) to get them to understand the value of Unions and if we do now - in two to three years, we will be headed in a direction of not only more diversity, but with youth.’”

When it comes to getting Workers, from People of Color to young Workers, “seeing the value” of what Labor Unions bring to the table for them, you have to take them back to the days of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus and Fredericks’ rulings, which allowed Public Employees to be represented by the Unions in their workplaces- but were excused from paying Union dues.

As a result, an array of Public Employee Unions were forced to come up with a new game plan to revisit each and every Member in order to educate them as to why their Union was not only important, but was always there for them when they needed them - which, in the long run, make perfect sense as to why Union Members pay Union dues.

“We also ‘took the lessons’ of Wisconsin and Michigan (where Public Employees were under similar attack by Republicans in their State Legislatures) ‘and began a very diverse organizing effort.’ ‘Our work has paid off, but there’s still a lot of work to do,’” Kowal said.

“Look, I’m a ‘White’ guy - with heritage from Greece and Africa, ‘but the point is we are fighting for all of us by making Unions more popular.’ ‘We are a welcoming place for everyone and we do good stuff,’” he concluded.

DEI Graphic Courtesy Of The Daily Citizen By Focus On The Family’s Web Site.

AFSCME Local 1095 Membership 'Overwhelmingly Ratifies New' Five-Year Agreement With Erie County - 'Features Pay Raises In Each Year' Of The Contract

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - A new five-year contract has been agreed to by American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1095 after Union Membership voted 444-to-83 to approve the new deal, which covers the period from January 1st, 2027 through December 31st, 2031.

The new contract includes pay raises in each of those years as well as job upgrades to Motor Equipment Operator positions and other changes.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said: “My Administration has a long track record of successful negotiations with the Bargaining Units that make up the County Workforce and we have always approached these talks with a reasonable budget outlook paired with great respect for the Men and Women who work for Erie County. As we have seen in the past, strong negotiations result in good outcomes for all parties and this new AFSCME agreement benefits Workers while being fiscally prudent for the County. I thank Commissioner of Labor Relations Kola Jesutowo Adeniji and his team for their work with AFSCME President Rich Canazzi and their team to reach this deal - and AFSCME Membership for their ratification vote. We are moving Erie County forward, together.”

Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Unit Members will occur on January 1st of each year: January 1st, 2027: $1.20 added to base pay; January 1st, 2028: A 2.75% increase; January 1st, 2029: A 2.5% increase; January 1st, 2030: A 2.5% increase; and on January 1st, 2031: A 2.5% increase.

Other components of the new contract include: On January 1st, 2027, Motor Equipment Operator 1 (MEO 1) will be upgraded from Job Group 5 to 6; and On January 1st, 2027, Motor Equipment Operator 2 (MEO 2) will be upgraded from Job Group 7 to 8.

And regarding Voluntary Approved Unpaid Leave Time (VAULT): Beginning January 1st, 2027, the County will be able to offer Voluntary Unpaid Leave during periods of downtime within any Department or program area (voluntary for the Employees).

This option may be used at management’s discretion during periods of reduced operational demand or temporary facility closures.

To Directly Access This Labor News Story, Go To: AFSCME LOCAL 1095 REACHES LABOR AGREEMENT WITH ERIE COUNTY | Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz

America's '2026 Construction Gap'- 'Building Faster Than Training'

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Daniel Donovan at Skillit reports that across the U.S., cranes are rising in some of the same states year after year and housing permits remain concentrated in high-growth regions, particularly across the South and Mountain West. But at the same time, the labor pipeline is not expanding at the same pace. A new 50-state comparison of housing permits and Registered Apprenticeship activity analyzed by Skillit shows 40 States have demand signals that exceed workforce pipeline signals. This is not a localized labor story but a national pattern with regional intensity. In simple terms, most of the country is permitting more homes than its formal training pipeline appears positioned to support. That imbalance varies by State. In some markets, it reflects sheer volume. In others, rapid growth collides with limited training capacity.

For More Information On This Labor News Report & The Listing Of States, Go To: America’s 2026 construction gap: Building faster than training | Miami Herald

WNYLaborToday.com File Photo.

United University Professions 'Condemns' President Trump For The 'Unprovoked And On-Going' War With Iran - UUP President Kowal 'Questions Why' Trump 'Plunged' The U.S. Into An 'Unnecessary And Illegal' War

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(ALBANY, NEW YORK) - United University Professions (UUP) President Fred Kowal is condemning President Donald Trump and his Administration for Trump’s unprovoked and ongoing war with Iran - which, in its first month, has claimed thousands of lives, including the lives of at least 13 U.S. Soldiers.

Kowal, who leads America’s largest Higher Education Union, questioned why Trump plunged the U.S. into an unnecessary and illegal war.

Not only did Trump launch the war on February 28th without Congressional approval - which is constitutionally mandated, he did so without providing cogent, coherent and concise reasons for why he started what is quickly becoming an indefensible war with a country that had no imminent plans to attack the U.S., UUP’s President said.

“Can Trump or anyone in his Cabinet clearly articulate in a sentence or two what the goal of this war is?,” Kowal asked. “Is it to change the leadership of Iran? To remove the country’s nuclear threat? To liberate the Iranian People? And his pronouncements have only added to the deadly confusion.”

Kowal called the deaths of at least 175 people - many of them children - at the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran - “murder.”

The school was destroyed in a U.S. missile strike.

As many as 1,900 civilians have been killed in Iran and more than 10,000 people have been injured, with millions more having been displaced.

Said Kowal: “Cities in Iran are being leveled. Civilians are being killed by the thousands. Furthermore, colleges and universities are now being targeted. His threats to bomb Iranian power lines and desalination plants would be war crimes if they are carried out. The cruelty and barbarism of how this war is being waged and the sick way it’s being portrayed in pornographic snuff-style videos emanating from the White House - or what’s left of it, should make us all ashamed of our so-called leaders. Further, statements by administration officials are blatantly Islamophobic and add to the divisions in our society.”

Kowal said a tiny fraction of the more than $16 billion that’s been spent on the war in Iran so far - the U.S. has spent much as $1 billion a day - could be used to transform the lives of countless Americans, including thousands of State University of New York (SUNY) students.

“UUP is calling for ($41 million) to eliminate multi-million-dollar structural deficits at four SUNY campuses, caused by cuts during (former Governor Andrew) Cuomo years,” said Kowal. “The Trump Administration is spending roughly ($41 million) each hour in this inane war. Just a small percentage of that could expand offerings and create greater opportunities for young and not-so-young students to ensure they get the education they deserve and need to be productive citizens of the world.”

Trump’s recent demand for another $200 billion to fund the war has prompted Congressional Republicans, who hold a majority in the House and Senate, to consider new spending cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act for the ask.

One option being considered, cutting Affordable Care Act (ACA) cost-sharing reductions - could leave 300,000 Americans uninsured.

“Last year, Congressional Republicans cut health care spending by nearly ($1 trillion) over the next ten years, which will leave millions without health insurance,” Kowal said. “That those same Lawmakers are now seriously considering gouging Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare again, this time to scrounge up ($200 billion) for Donald Trump’s war in Iran is insane but not at all surprising.”

UUP represents more than 42,000 Academic And Professional Faculty And Retirees.

UUP Members work at 29 New York State-operated campuses, including SUNY’s Public Teaching Hospitals and Health Science Centers in Brooklyn, Long Island and Syracuse.

UUP is an affiliate of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Education Association (NEA) and the AFL-CIO.

To Directly Access This Labor News Story, Go To: Press Release | UUP stands against ongoing Iran war

More Than 17,000 Teamsters 'Avert Nationwide Strike' At First Student, Reach Tentative Agreement On A Contract That 'Delivers Key Improvements'

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The Teamsters First Student National Negotiating Committee (TFSNNC) has reached a tentative contract agreement with First Student, averting a nationwide Strike that could have included thousands of School Bus Workers across 96 Locals.

The National First Student Master Agreement protects more than 17,000 Bus Workers across the country and was set to expire today (March 31st).

The deal comes after the Teamsters-represented Workers voted by an 88% margin to authorize a Strike, sending a clear message to the company that they were prepared to take action to win a fair contract.

“First Student Teamsters were unified and prepared to take on this company nationwide. Our solidarity forced real movement at the bargaining table and we delivered a contract in the eleventh hour that honors the critical work our Members do every day,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said. “Teamsters set the standard for the entire School Bus Industry and this agreement raises the bar for School Bus Transportation Workers everywhere.”

The new agreement establishes a national foundation for economics that will be applied across all Local agreements, including stronger retirement benefits, improved access to health care benefits and robust contractual protections for all Members.

These improved national minimum standards only serve to boost bargaining on important issues at the local level.

Teamsters at First Student will vote on the agreement in the coming weeks.

The Teamsters represents 1.3 million Members in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico

To Directly Access This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: Over 17,000 Teamsters Avert Nationwide Strike at First Student, Reach Tentative Agreement - International Brotherhood of Teamsters