(WILLIAMSVILLE, NEW YORK) - Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Richard Lipsitz is Looking Forward to Recognizing, Detailing and Celebrating a Host of Accomplishments Realized by Organized Labor Across Western New York in 2014 During Saturday’s Annual WNYALF Meeting at the United Auto Workers (UAW) Union Hall in the Buffalo Suburb of Williamsville.  But Lipsitz, Who’s Beginning His Second Three-Year Term as Head of the Region’s Labor Federation, Tells WNYLaborToday.com That he’s More Excited About What’s Yet to Come in 2015 as the WNYALF, its Affiliated Member Unions and its Community Allies Set Their Sights On Accomplishing Bigger and Better Things.

“We Plan to Continue to Expand On Our Overall Efforts in 2015,” said Lipsitz (Pictured Above/Photo Courtesy of WNYALF Representative Peter DeJesus), Who Recently Returned to Buffalo After Spending the Past Several Weeks On Assignment in Florida for the Teamsters Union, Where he Serves as an International Representative.  “From Our Legislative and Political Actions to Pushing the ‘Buy American’ Effort to Fighting for Education and Industrial Development Agency Reform to Taking Part in the On-Going Protests Against Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Proposed Education Reforms That are Tied to State School Funding.”

A Couple Hundred Area Labor Leaders and Union Representatives are Expected to be in Attendance at the WNYALF Annual Meeting, Where the Presidents of Each of the Federation’s Five Central Labor Councils (Buffalo, Niagara-Orleans, Dunkirk, Jamestown and Cattaraugus-Allegany) Will Provide Their Individual Reports. 

In Addition, and for the Second Year in a Row, Internationally-Known Racial Justice, Labor and Global Activist/Author Bill Fletcher, Jr. Will Serve as the Meeting’s Featured Speaker.  “We’re Thrilled to Have Bill Fletcher Back as Our Featured Speaker, Which Marks the Second Time in Two Years He Will Address Our Annual Meeting.  He Gave Us a Hell of a Challenge Last Year About Getting Creative and We’ve Done That,” Lipsitz said.

While Lipsitz Will Deliver His Previously Released Blueprint for What the Federation Will Set Out to Accomplish in the Coming Year (Go to: Labor Perspective From WNYALF President Richard Lipsitz: A Blueprint For a ‘New’ Western New York) at the Meeting, the WNYALF President Told WNYLaborToday.com That he Will Also Focus On Several Major Accomplishments the Federation Made Happen in 2014, Including: Staying True to the Core Mission of Serving its Affiliates and Building On its Legislative and Political Efforts; Building Alliances With the Area’s Constituency Groups, Including the Coalition For Economic Justice (CEJ), the Western New York Council On Occupational Safety (WNYCOSH) and the Newly-Opened Workers’ Center; the Clean Air Coalition; Citizen Action and VOICE-Buffalo, to Name Just a Few; Expansion of Labor-Oriented Cultural and Social Activities, Including the Albright-Knox Art Gallery’s Current Exhibit: Overtime: The Art of Work – Which Runs Through Sunday, May 17th (Go to http://www.albrightknox.org/exhibitions/exhibition:03-08-2015-overtime-the-art-of-work/).  “This is for ‘All’ Working Class People and it’s Free to the Public Every Sunday – and it’s Part of What ‘We Want to be Involved in’ With the Federation,” Lipsitz said; and an Increase in the WNYALF’s Overall Communications Effort Through its E-Mail, Texting and Social Networks Programs, as Well as its Involvement With WNYLaborToday.com – Your On-Line Labor Newspaper.  “This Has Really Taken Off and it’s Been ‘Easier’ to Connect With Our Affiliated Unions, Especially When it Comes to ‘Getting the Word Out’ and Getting All Involved in Rallies and Other Events,” Lipsitz said.

Asked What he’s Most Proud of in Terms of the WNYALF’s Accomplishments in 2014, Lipsitz Does Not Hesitate: “Our New Staff, No Question About it.  I’m Absolutely Thrilled With (Organizer) Peter (DeJesus), (Coordinator) Kristen (Rinker-LaBerta) and (Organizer) Whitney (Yax) (See WNYLaborToday.com’s May 19th Labor News Report: Meet The New Staff Of The Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation), as Well as Our ‘Strengthened Ties’ With the New York State AFL-CIO and its Regional Representative, Angela Blue.  And - We Have So Many People With Our Affiliates Who are ‘Stepping Up’ – Like the Communications Workers of America and the New York State United Teachers, Who are Helping Coordinate and Run the Annual Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council Picnic and Our Labor Day Parade in South Buffalo.  In Fact, the Atmosphere We’re Building is Almost ‘Collegial.’  It’s the ‘Solidarity’ Everyone Shares and I’m Very Pleased With it All.”

Looking Back, Achieving Labor Victories at ConAgra in Fredonia (See WNYLaborToday.com’s June 7th Labor News Report: Strong Community Backing & Major Union-Led Rally Credited With Bringing About Fair ConAgra Worker Severance Package In Dunkirk-Fredonia Area) and at Calspan in Buffalo in Niagara Falls (See WNYLaborToday.com’s July 21st Labor News Report: Nine-Week Strike At Calspan In Buffalo & Niagara Falls Is Over As IAM-Represented Workers Ratify New Contract, Which Includes Wage Increases & Retention Of Benefits), as Well as the RHI Monofrax Strike Outside Jamestown (See WNYLaborToday.com’s February 6th Labor News Report: RHI Monofrax Strike In Jamestown Comes To An ‘Official End’ As Second Involved Union Overwhelmingly Ratifies New Five-Year Contract), Were Some of the WNYALF’s Highlights in 2014. 

“These are Things to be Proud of as We Helped a Number of Unions With Tough Contract Negotiations,” Lipsitz said.

With a New Three-Year Term That Begins On Saturday (March 21st), the WNYALF President says the Area Labor Federation Anticipates “Even More” Involvement and Participation by its Affiliated Unions in a Number of High-Profile Efforts – Such as the Fight For $15 to Raise the Wages of Fast-Food Workers – in the Coming Year.

In Addition, Lipsitz said the WNYALF is Looking Forward to a “Number of New Faces” From Several Area Unions Whose Representatives Will Take Their Places as Federation Executive Board Members to “Make Our Labor Movement Reflect the Working Class Across Western New York” and Move the Regional Labor Federation “Further Down the Road.”