asbestos, lead and hazardous waste Laborers’ Local 78
A MESSAGE ON THE 2021 ELECTIONS FROM LOCAL 78 deputy supervisor pawel gruchacz
Sisters and Brothers-
I do not have to tell you that we’ve never seen anything like the COVID-19 crisis in New York. Many, many jobs shut down and, sadly, some of our members passed away due to complications of Corona Virus—for which we offer their families the deepest sympathies and prayers of the entire Executive Board. As strange as it seems, this terrible disease may actually create more work opportunities for us in the future. As more and more people become aware of the dangers of environmental contaminants in the environment, there may be a need for new laws and regulations based on this rapidly-changing field of studies. We will keep you apprised of any of those changes as they arise over the coming months.
As we’re dealing with all these changes, we can’t forget that some things stay the same. Today I’m communicating with you regarding one of those, the upcoming State and Federal elections. Under the endorsement page of mtdcpac.com you’ll find a list of candidates from all over the state that were vetted through both an interview and questionnaire process by LIUNA-NY over the last six months. LIUNA-NY is a partnership between the Mason Tenders’ PAC and the NYS Laborers’ PAC. As Local 78s Deputy Supervisor, I am your current representative in those organizations.
We need to elect good, strong, labor-friendly candidates to the Assembly and Senate to keep our members working in decent, middle class jobs. But I urge you to do so safely and sanely by following these procedures:
1. VOTE ABSENTEE! Once you’ve obtained your absentee ballot, you can fill it out in the comfort of your home and simply mail it back. Just remember, it must be postmarked by June 22. To receive an absentee ballot you can call the Board of Elections at 1-866-VOTE-NYC (1-866-868-3692) or go the website at https://vote.nyc/page/absentee-voting. If you don’t live in the five boroughs, you have to apply to your local county board of elections. You can find information on the homepage on how to reach your local board of elections for your application.
2. VOTE EARLY! If you choose to vote in person, please take advantage of the new NYS laws regarding early voting. You should be receiving a notice from the Board of Elections telling you where your early voting site is located. It will be in your neighborhood, but it won’t necessarily be your regular polling place. Early voting is scheduled to begin on June 12, 10 days before Election Day (June 22). Undoubtedly, polling places will be less crowded during early voting because crowds won’t be as dense. Additionally, on Election Day itself, when most people will cast their in-person votes, social distancing rules will be in place, surely causing long lines and delays at the polls.
3. OBEY SAFETY PROTOCOLS! If you do choose to go to the polls on Election Day, Tuesday, June 22 (Polls in New York will be open from 6:00 AM and 9:00 PM) please do so safely! While we don’t yet know what the protocols are for Election Day, we encourage our members to wear a face covering and obey the standard social-distancing rule of remaining at least 6 feet apart when standing in line and entering the poll site.
As acting Deputy Supervisor of your Local, my number one priority is making sure our brothers and sisters remain as safe and healthy as possible. This current crisis will undoubtedly, for the most part, pass. But our union, our members and their families, and our industry, must also survive so we can continue to provide for our loved ones with good, safe, well-paying union jobs. So I urge you to do your civic duty and vote in this year’s elections, but to do so in a safe and sane manner.
Thank you in advance, and remember: when Laborers vote. Laborers win!
Stay safe, my brothers and sisters!
~Pawel Gruchacz
NEW YORK CITY ELECTIONS
CITYWIDE
MAYOR
SCOTT STRINGER
PUBLIC ADVOCATE
JUMAANE WILLIAMS
COMPTROLLER
COREY JOHNSON
MANHATTAN
BOROUGH PRESIDENT
BEN KALLOS
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District 01: Jenny Low
District 02 Carlina Rivera
District 03 Eric Botcher
District 04 Keith Powers
District 05 Rebecca Lamorte
District 06 Gale Brewer
District 07 Shaun Abreu
District 08 Diana Ayala
District 09 No Endorsement
District 10 Carmen De La Rosa
THE BRONX
BOROUGH PRESIDENT
VANESSA GIBSON
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District 11 Eric Dinowitz
District 12 Kevin Riley
District 13 Marjorie Velazquez
District 14 Adolfo Abreu
District 15 Ischia Bravo
District 16 No Endorsement
District 17 Rafael Salamanca
District 18 Amanda Farias
QUEENS
BOROUGH PRESIDENT
DONOVAN RICHARDS
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District 19 Austin Shafran
District 20 Sandra Ung
District 21 Francisco Moya
District 22 Tiffany Caban
District 23 Linda Lee
District 24 Jim Genarro
District 25 Carolyn Tran
District 26 Ebony Young
District 27 Nantasha Williams
District 28 Adrienne Adams
District 29 David Aronov
District 30 Bob Holden
District 31 Selvena Brooks-Powers
District 32 Mike Scala
BROOKLYN
BOROUGH PRESIDENT
ROB CORNEGY
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District 33 Victoria Cambranes
District 34 Jen Gutierrez
District 35 Michael Hollingsworth
District 36 Chi Osse
District 37 Sandy Nurse
District 38 Cesar Zuniga
District 39 Briget Rein
District 40 Vivia Morgan
District 41 Alicka Ampry-Samuel
District 42 Charles Barron
District 43 Justin Brannon
District 44 Kalman Yeger
District 45 Farah Louis
District 46 No Endorsement
District 47 No Endorsement
District 48 Mariyah Markh
STATEN ISLAND
BOROUGH PRESIDENT
REPUBLICAN STEVE MATTEO
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District 49 Amoy Barnes
District 50 Sal Albanese
District 51 Joe Borelli