Local 237 Gives Mayor A Symbolic Endorsement

The Chief-Leader/Daniel Perez
HE’S GOT THE HORSES: Mayor Bloomberg (right) was endorsed by Teamsters Local 237 Oct. 7, costing opponent Bill Thompson valuable momentum in the final weeks of the race. He received a union jacket from President Gregory Floyd and quipped, ‘The trouble is, anything with horses on it has to go to my daughter.’ Mayor Bloomberg picked up his first endorsement from a major municipal union whose members are primarily African-American when he was endorsed for re-election by Teamsters Local 237 Oct. 7, with President Gregory Floyd calling him a “strong partner with Local 237 in our effort to protect public housing and keep our schools safe.”

The announcement at the union’s West 14th St. headquarters blunted any momentum City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. had gotten from a poll the previous day showing he had closed to within eight points of the Mayor.

Although Local 237’s previous leadership endorsed Democratic nominee Mark Green in 2001 and stayed out of the race in 2005, Mr. Floyd said he was moved to make the endorsement based on the Mayor’s record in office.

‘Preparation Limited Pain’

“The Mayor prevented large-scale layoffs and ensured fair contracts by preparing for the fiscal crisis before it happened,” he said at a press conference. He went on to contrast New York’s fortunes with those of other major cities, saying, “Detroit is a ghost town; that’s not happening here. . . if you don’t go outside New York City, you might not know there’s a financial crisis. A lot of us are spoiled.”

Mr. Bloomberg, referring to the School Safety Agents and Housing Authority workers who are a big portion of the union’s membership, said, “In eight years, we’ve worked hard together, we’ve come too far to make the mistake of ever coming back. We’re going to keep moving on our public school reforms, which have benefited so much from Local 237’s success in making schools safer. We’re going to continue to work with Local 237 in our efforts to keep modernizing public housing.

“We have worked extensively to improve our city over the last eight years, and we couldn’t have done that without the support of Local 237,” he continued. “I want to thank them for their endorsement, and pledge to work even harder if I’m given the chance to serve four more years.”

Mr. Bloomberg adds Local 237 to a growing list of municipal unions backing him, which includes the Teamsteraffiliated Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association, four police supervisory unions, two District Council 37 locals and Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, which represents privately-contracted employees who work for the city.

UFT Tops Fence-Sitters

Mr. Thompson has snagged several larger labor backers, including Transport Workers Union Local 100, the Uniformed Firefighter’s Association and District Council 37. Several key unions—the United Federation of Teachers most notable among them— remain undeclared as the race enters its final weeks.

The endorsement was Mr. Floyd’s first public act since winning the local’s leadership election two days earlier. He made no negative comments about the Comptroller, explaining “It wasn’t a slam dunk, it was a decision that we didn’t take lightly.” Management of the city’s economy had been the key issue, he said.

“It’s not that Bill Thompson wasn’t the right guy,” he explained. “He’s not a bad candidate; he’s just running against Michael Bloomberg.”