ICYMI: NY Hotel Trades Council Endorses Kathy Hochul For Governor
|New York – The Hotel Trades Council (HTC) today announced its endorsement of Kathy Hochul for Governor, becoming one of the first and biggest unions to date to pledge its support for Governor Hochul heading into the 2022 election year.
With hotel workers experiencing the worst pandemic-related job loss of any other industry, Hochul drew wide praise for announcing a comprehensive new plan to support New York’s tourism industry sector workers with a $450 million “Bring Back Tourism, Bring Back Jobs” recovery package that includes $100 million in direct financial assistance for unemployed workers.
HTC President Rich Maroko said:
“In a short time, Governor Kathy Hochul has gotten big things done to help workers struggling from the devastating economic loss caused by COVID. From addressing the unemployment crisis to making sure New Yorkers finally get the financial assistance they’ve been waiting for, Governor Hochul has shown she is up for the challenge and ready to fight for working New Yorkers. As the union representing tens of thousands of hotel workers that are the heart of our tourism economy, we are excited to be among the first unions to endorse Governor Hochul and work in partnership with her on our economic recovery efforts.”
Governor Kathy Hochul said:
“I am incredibly honored to receive this endorsement from the nearly 40,000 hardworking members of the Hotel Trades Council. New York is at its best when we honor our long and proud history of supporting organized labor. As we build back from the pandemic, my administration will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with union families in the fight to ensure every worker is treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.“
In announcing its endorsement of Hochul, the Union sited her pro-labor, pro-worker achievements, including a robust program of direct payments to unemployed tourism and hospitality workers and targeted incentives to encourage tourism employers to rehire laid-off workers, the accelerated distribution of financial aid from the Excluded Workers Program, and support for an extension of the eviction moratorium and funding for low and moderate-income homeowners in risk of mortgage delinquency, default, or foreclosure. HTC has pledged to put the full strength of its politically potent voter engagement and mobilization operation behind Governor Hochul’s campaign.
The New York Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, AFL-CIO, (Hotel Trades Council), is the union for hotel and gaming workers in New York and Northern New Jersey. The Union represents nearly 40,000 non-managerial hospitality and gaming employees working in all departments across more than 300 hotels and other hospitality and gaming properties, including approximately 75% of the hotel industry within the five boroughs of New York City. HTC members enjoy the best union contract for hotel workers in the world, guaranteeing excellent wages, benefits, working conditions, and standards of fair treatment.