Espaillat accepts endorsement
[Elections 2014]
The Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU), which represents more than 64,000 active and retired members in New York, announced their support for Adriano Espaillat in his bid to represent the 13th Congressional District.
This is the first major union endorsement for Espaillat following an unbroken string of endorsements since his announcement at the United Palace Theatre two weeks ago.
“We are proud to endorse Senator Adriano Espaillat’s bid for Congress today,” John Samuelsen, President of TWU Local 100 said. “We are a diverse union of hard working New Yorkers who deliver a vital service to millions of fellow New Yorkers every day. Adriano has pledged to work with us to ensure our members are treated fairly on the job; that they work in a safe environment, and that they receive a fair and just contract from the MTA. I am excited to work with him on initiatives to improve and expand transit service to the City’s traditionally underserved communities. We view Adriano as a powerful force for social justice and we are proud to be part of his coalition of support. We are confident that he is the best person to fight for us in Congress and we are ready to get to work to make him our next Representative in the 13th District.”
“I am thrilled to have the support of the union that keeps our City moving,” Adriano Espaillat said. “Our district relies heavily on TWU’s hard working members to ensure that we get to work on time, our children make it to school safely and our elderly and disabled population can get anywhere they need to go. A year and a half ago our mass transit system was jeopardized in Hurricane Sandy and these fine men and women kept us moving. There is still work to be done and our City needs funding to protect our mass transit system from future damage in a disaster. In Congress, I will fight tirelessly to secure the funding necessary to keep our transit system moving rain, snow or shine – united we can strengthen our infrastructure. I am honored to have TWU’s support and I look forward to working with them on my campaign and on capital improvements that help them do their job.”
Since announcing his campaign, Espaillat has received several key endorsements, including New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Senator Gustavo Rivera (SD-33), Assemblymembers Karim Camara (AD-43) and Gabriela Rosa (AD-72), Council Members Mark Levine (CD-7) and Ydanis Rodriguez (CD-10), the Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan, and the Democratic Club of El Barrio & East Harlem.
Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU) represents nearly 64,000 active and retired members who work on the City’s subway and bus lines. Representing virtually all employees including those who operate trains, maintain the trains and tracks, staff the token booths, clean platforms and subway cars, and service and repair mechanical equipment such as elevators and escalators. TWU also represents most of the men and women who drive and maintain public buses in New York City under the umbrellas of MaBSTOA in Manhattan and the Bronx, NYC Transit Surface Division in Brooklyn, and MTA Bus in Queens and the Bronx. TWU is also proud to represent workers at several private transportation firms and school bus companies in Brooklyn and Westchester County.
Espaillat’s plans as Congressman: Champion Affordable and Low-income Housing: Affordable and low-income housing is disappearing in our community, and longtime residents are being driven from their homes. Adriano Espaillat led the fight to renew and strengthen New York State’s tenant protection laws, and he will bring the same determined focus to Washington.
Empower our District Through Immigration Reform: Immigration reform is a defining civil rights issue of our time. Espaillat believes the time is now to fix our broken immigration laws and bring over 11 million Americans out of the shadows. The current system has split families apart, and left Latino, Caribbean, and African immigrant communities in the 13th congressional District vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
Make Economic Development about the Community: Espaillat believes that economic development isn’t successful if current residents are left behind. Espaillat will fight to shift public subsidies from the big box chain stores paying minimum wage salaries to existing small and minority owned businesses looking to grow, and local entrepreneurs who need capital to get started.
Fight for Healthcare & An End to Health Disparities in Communities of Color: From diabetes, to obesity, to childhood asthma, Upper Manhattan and the Bronx residents have urgent needs that are not being met in Washington. Espaillat will push to prioritize federal research, education and grant funding towards targeting low-income communities of color to close the minority health disparity gap for children and seniors alike.
More About 13th District Congressional Candidate Adriano Espaillat: Adriano Espaillat got his start as a community activist in Northern Manhattan, and currently serves in the New York State Senate. In the legislature, he quickly distinguished himself as a reformer and progressive fighter who has stood up for working families.
In 2011, Espaillat led the fight to renew New York State’s tenant protection laws, which were set to expire that year. Espaillat’s advocacy safeguarded over 1 million units of affordable housing, and earned new protections for over 2.5 million people, including the creation of the Tenant Protection Unit to stop harassment and abuse.
As Chair of the Senate Latino Conference, Espaillat has championed state-based immigration reforms, including: legislation allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, the DREAM Act, and the Farmworkers Bill of Rights.
Espaillat has been a vocal advocate for tenants, consumers, veterans, immigrants and local businesses. He has championed marriage equality and civil rights issues, and efforts to protect our environment from hydrofracking and other dangers.
He has passed laws preserving affordable housing, giving low-income day care workers the right to organize and obtain health care, and sponsored measures to improve hospital translation services. He established a higher education scholarship fund for relatives of the victims of American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed on November 12, 2001.
