In a significant shift of allegiance, two of New York City's influential labor unions have chosen to endorse former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral race, turning their backs on incumbent Mayor Eric Adams. The Hotel Trades Council and Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, representing hotel and building workers respectively, announced their support for Cuomo, despite having called for his resignation in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations which he denies. According to The New York Post, this is seen as a major blow to Mayor Adams, who previously enjoyed the backing of these unions.
The move is indicative of a broader trend as various labor groups and elected officials have steadily moved away from supporting Adams, who has decided to run as an independent after dismissing the Democratic nomination. The defection to Cuomo's camp comes after unions representing city's ambulance service workers and numerous elected officials, such as Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres, have publicly thrown their support behind the former governor. “To me, this is personal: I have fought for and alongside the men and women of 32BJ and HTC for years– their faith in me is a tremendous boost for our campaign and I am proud to have their endorsement,” Cuomo commented in a statement obtained by The New York Post.
However, the endorsements did not come without a hitch for the Cuomo campaign. The announcement was somewhat clouded by errors, including a typo-filled housing plan attributed to ChatGPT research and a press release with misspelled names of union leaders. Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo's spokesman, defended the campaign against criticism, saying detractors were trying to "distract from their lack of credentials, vision and electoral support," as reported by The New York Times. The union leaders, on the other hand, express their renewed confidence in Cuomo's leadership capacities amid challenging times for the workers of New York City.
In addition to hotel and building workers, a range of other unions have endorsed Cuomo, further solidifying his position as the Democratic front-runner. These include groups representing carpenters, electrical workers, painters, and operating engineers, who cite Cuomo's pro-labor record and moderate stances as governor. "Without a strong middle and working class, no city can survive, let alone thrive," Cuomo told The New York Times in one statement.
