An umbrella group representing New York Teamsters unions is endorsing Mark Levine for metropolis comptroller, however a number of the group’s particular person locals have cut up away from the pack to as an alternative again Justin Brannan for the fiscal watchdog publish.
The Teamsters Joint Council 16 is comprised of 24 native unions representing greater than 120,000 New York Metropolis employees throughout quite a lot of sectors.
Thomas Gesualdi, boss of the Teamsters Native 282 development union who additionally serves because the joint council’s president, mentioned his umbrella group opted to again Levine in subsequent month’s Democratic comptroller main as a result of he has “shown that he understands the importance of unions and the dignity of work.”
Levine, Manhattan’s present borough president, mentioned in a press release he’s “incredibly honored” to internet the joint council’s nod.
Labor councils sometimes maintain inside votes on easy methods to endorse in native elections. Reps for the Teamsters Joint Council 16 didn’t instantly return requests for remark Tuesday on how its locals voted on the comptroller race.
However two of the joint council’s unions — together with the politically influential Native 831 representing town’s almost 10,000 rank-and-file sanitation employees — have beforehand publicly endorsed Brannan for comptroller. The opposite union that already threw its weight behind Brannan is Native 804, which largely represents UPS supply employees.
Brannan, who at present serves because the Metropolis Council’s Finance Committee chairman, declined to remark Tuesday.
Backing from labor unions, which normally launch get-out-the-vote efforts for his or her endorsed candidates, is essential in down-ballot races like comptroller primaries, as turnout tends to be low.
Brannan has locked in help for his comptroller run from plenty of different influential New York labor teams, like 32BJ, the Transport Employees Union and the Resort and Gaming Trades Council.
There was no polling within the June 24 comptroller main. Levine holds an edge in fundraising, although, having pulled in additional than $3.9 million in comparison with Brannan’s $2.4 million.
