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.