(ACROSS NEW YORK STATE) – In a major victory for Organized Labor across New York State, voters more than overwhelmingly cast their vote against holding a State Constitutional Convention on Tuesday (November 7th), with a final tally showing 2.084 million New Yorkers voted no, while just 44,534 voted yes – a 97.9% to 2.1% difference.

As such, Labor reveled in its defeat, showing its ability to get the message out, educate and inform its Members and then mobilize them all – which all added up to a devastating loss for those who wanted a Constitutional Convention held here in New York State.

New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento – whose Statewide Labor Federation and its Affiliated Member Unions combine to represent more than 2.5 million Unionized Workers – released the following statement:

From the very beginning we were committed to educating and engaging our Members and the general public around this critical issue.  Early polls showed close to 70% support for a Constitutional Convention, while the vast majority of editorial pages, “so called” good government groups and others laid the ground work for an incredibly steep hill to climb.  The result of the election is very clear: Working Men and Women understood what was at stake.

Our Constitution has some of the strongest Worker Protections in the country including, the Right to Collectively Bargain, Unemployment Insurance, Workers Compensation, the Eight-Hour Work Day, Civil Service Protections, Public Employee Pension Protections and Prevailing (Wage) Rate.  

All of those rights will continue to be protected for the Working Men and Women of this great State.

This is a defining moment for the Labor Movement as it demonstrates what can be accomplished when we all work together, from the Public Sector, Private Sector and Building Trades Unions, to the Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations.

I am particularly proud of our 2.5 million Members, Retirees and their families for mobilizing around such an important issue.  Whether it was through Member-to-Member meetings, town halls, Letters to the Editor, Op-Eds, phone banks, Labor Walks, Social Media engagement or debates - we made our voices heard.

This victory leaves us well positioned to successfully advocate on behalf of all Working Men and Women because - as our opponents know, when the Labor Movement is thriving, we not only raise the wages, benefits and conditions of employment of Union Members - we raise the standard of living and quality of life of all Working People.

New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) President Andy Pallotta - whose Statewide Teachers Union represents 600,000 Members, released the following statement:

New York saw what happens when Labor organizes, mobilizes and acts as one to protect Working People.  NYSUT and other Unions educated voters and turned them out in force to defeat what would have been a taxpayer-funded boondoggle that put the rights we all enjoy at risk.  For the past two months, as part of an unprecedented coalition, NYSUT Members made more than 500,000 calls from phone banks, knocked on tens of thousands of doors and distributed literature to their friends, families and colleagues.  Everywhere you turned, you saw a lawn sign, a car magnet or a button urging a No vote - a sign that NYSUT, and Labor, remains a strong force in New York State fighting to protect Workers from wealthy special interests.

And Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) President Danny Donohue – whose Statewide Public Employees Union represents 300,000 Members, released the following statement:

The defeat of the proposal to hold a Constitutional Convention is a huge win for CSEA, Labor and all New Yorkers.  It is a demonstration of how CSEA Members, our Brothers and Sisters in Labor and other Working People really can make a difference.  I thank our Members and our allies in Labor and other organizations for not only spreading the message that this convention would be a boondoggle for our State, but for their solidarity on behalf of all Working People in New York.  Our Members and other people throughout the State recognized the potential disaster and turned out to make our voices heard.  Without CSEA and our allies voting NO on the Constitutional Convention, there’s a good chance we’d all be on the hook for a very expensive and dangerous ride.  When it comes down to it, this is just another example of how important Labor is in protecting our rights and the rights of our families and friends everywhere. This is a very proud day for CSEA.

For More, Read This Labor News Report, Headlined: This Is Pretty Clear: What’s At Stake If New York Holds A Constitutional Convention?