2025 Labor Power Players

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon was appointed in October 2015 to oversee the Department’s more than 3,300 employees. On June 15, 2016, Commissioner Reardon was unanimously confirmed by the New York State Senate. Previously, Commissioner Reardon served as president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the founding co-president of SAG-AFTRA, and as special liaison for common sense economics for the AFL-CIO.

What are your organization’s goals for 2025?
In 2025, NYSDOL’s goals are to continue to provide outstanding services to the workers and businesses that call New York home. This means helping New Yorkers find careers they love by connecting them to employment, training, and up-skilling opportunities while building and supporting thriving businesses. NYSDOL will also empower and protect New York’s workers by supporting the unemployed and all workers to ensure they have a safe workplace where they receive a fair wage.

How can policymakers support your organization?
Policymakers are valued partners in the NYSDOL’s work protecting New Yorkers. The Department works diligently to build strong relationships with policymakers, and we have accomplished exceptional work – together. Some examples of our notable achievements include paid lactation breaks, paid prenatal leave, expanding workplace protections, indexing the minimum wage to inflation, and promoting pay transparency. Continued collaborative efforts are crucial in developing effective labor policies that truly benefit all New Yorkers. 

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of being New York State’s Labor Commissioner is strengthening New York State’s workforce by providing opportunities for skill development and job advancement. By investing in training and education – for all New Yorkers – we are not only supporting individual career growth but also addressing critical workforce needs across the state. This work profoundly impacts both our communities and our economy, ensuring that New York remains competitive, prosperous and affordable to all.

Brendan Sexton has spent nearly 20 years building worker power among low-wage workers. He leads the largest gig worker center, as president of the Independent Drivers Guild, a Machinists Union affiliate representing 300,000 rideshare drivers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois and Florida. IDG won landmark benefits, higher wages and led the largest protest in gig worker history. Previously, Brendan was organizing director and political coordinator at UFCW 1500, New York’s largest grocery union.

Wayne was re-elected as president of the Public Employees Federation in 2024 for an unprecedented fourth term. He serves on the executive boards of AFT, SEIU, NYS AFL-CIO & the Cornell ILR Advisory Board. He is vice president of AFT, chair of the Civil & Human Rights Committee and a member of the Organizing Committee. He is a member of the SEIU Racial Justice Committee and the AFL-CIO Racial Justice Task Force Subcommittee on Policing.

What are your organization’s goals for 2025?

• Adequately fund State agencies so they can deliver quality public services
• Stop contracting out services that State workers can perform more efficiently
• Enhance services available in the criminal justice & mental health care systems
• Stop workplace violence, push for more scanners at OMH facilities, enhanced penalties for assaulting public workers 
• Stop workplace bullying by calling out ineffective and abusive managers who make it harder for civil servants to serve the people of New York

How can policymakers support your organization?
Governor Hochul and the NYS Senate and Assembly need to continue to improve Tier 6 of the State pension plan to attract and retain talent. Policymakers also need to improve staff safety by installing body scanners in all secure and forensic facilities; increasing penalties on individuals who assault state workers in the performance of their duties, and establishing a uniform workplace code of conduct that prohibits the abuse and mistreatment of staff by management.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I love going to the work site and interacting with PEF members where they work. I like educating them on their rights and union benefits that they might not be aware of.

As a professional trombonist, Philadelphia-born Robert Suttmann played every kind of gig – including shows in Atlantic City, the Big Apple Circus and over 95 Broadway musicals. He was first elected as a union officer in 2009 and served in NYC and Philadelphia before winning the presidency of Local 802 unopposed. Besides leading the union, he’s responsible for the flagship contracts in NYC, including Broadway, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and NYC Ballet.

What are your organization’s goals for 2025?
Helping NYC musicians win the respect, wages, and benefits they deserve – while increasing our union’s membership and diversity. Most importantly, standing tall and proud in the face of current adverse political conditions!

How can policymakers support your organization?
Policymakers and elected officials need to encourage producers and other employers to hire more musicians and make sure that musicians are guaranteed fair wages and benefits, especially whenever public funds are involved. We support initiatives like the New York Film Tax Credit and the New York City Musical & Theatrical Production Tax Credit. We also want to make sure that music education is supported to the highest level, including free music lessons for NYC kids.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I love hearing our members play live music. However, by far, the best part of the job is connecting with, and connecting, like-minded individuals. We are important threads of the cultural tapestry of NYC. We must cement relationships. Our network will allow us to bring a better way of life to our membership. They count on us. Serving them is our fiduciary responsibility.

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen is the president of the Writers Guild of America East and a TV writer, author and journalist. She is the first person of color to lead the WGAE and was awarded its Richard B. Jablow Award. Lisa has served as writer-producer on THE ENDGAME (NBC), LAW & ORDER: SVU (NBC) and ANNA DELVEY (HBO), and has developed a dozen drama pilots for Apple, Netflix, ABC, NBC, CBS, A&E, Universal and Warner Bros.

What are your organization’s goals for 2025? 
The WGAE will continue to successfully organize animation writers, podcasters, nonfiction television and news writers. In each contract we negotiate, we will fight to win compensation that accounts for inflation and cost of living, expands worker benefits, reaffirms a commitment to diversity initiatives, protections around artificial intelligence and enhanced safeguards in the event of layoffs or termination.

How can policymakers support your organization? 
As the Federal government wages war against the labor movement, it is critical for New York to pass laws that put workers first. We want to work with policymakers to pass bills that recognize unions are the clearest path for working people to make it to the middle class. New York is the entertainment and media capital of the world, and we need to strengthen incentives that center union jobs and stop the threats posed by AI.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is meeting and talking to our members. Though most of the time they reach out with problems to fix, I love getting to hear about their lives and work and their thoughts about the industry and the world. If you want to make amazing friends, join a union!

After time in government service, Bob has been representing public and private sector labor, consulting and technology clients for almost three decades. Amongst his clients are the FDNY Firefighters, FDNY EMS, Nassau Fire Marshals, Building Trades Employers Assoc., NYS Nurses Association, NYC and Dutchess County Deputy Sheriffs, Nassau Police Medics, Local 246 NYC Mechanics, FDNY Dispatchers, Westchester COBA, Suffolk COBA, NYC Staff Analysts, CWA1182 NYPD Traffic and numerous other public, private organizations and technology manufacturers.

What are your organization’s goals for 2025?
We hope to continue to serve our clients with hard work and integrity. We hope to participate in passing new laws that will add to the safety, health and security of our clients, members, employees and families. We will continue to guide our private sector clients in dealing with the labyrinth of the legislative and executive branches of state and local government and to achieve the goals of all of our clients.

How can policymakers support your organization?
By being understanding and supportive of the things our clients need and care about. To help protect members and their families when they are sickened, injured or killed on the job. To be supportive of good wages and benefits for our client’s members. By supporting policies that will enhance public safety and health through strong budgeting and staffing requirements and by advancing legislation that will allow members to do their best work for the public.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Passing legislation that I know will make lives better for those who protect us 24/7. I take great pride in accomplishing goals that will ensure members’ safety and health…and will protect their families if they are sick, disabled or killed. I love a good fight for the things that count and I am so proud to be associated with so many people who spend their lives protecting us all from sickness and harm.

Vincent Variale began as an EMT for NYC in 1995. As an EMT he received life-save citations, “EMT of the Year”, “Union Delegate of the Year” and “Rescuers” awards for his actions at WTC on 9/11/01. In 2001 he was promoted to lieutenant and was elected president of the EMS Officers Union in 2009, currently serving his 5th term. Recent accomplishments; civil service exams for EMS officers & unlimited sick leave for those who responded on 09/11/01.

What are your organization’s goals for 2025?
Parity with other first responders.

How can policymakers support your organization?
Follow NYS law by providing civil service exams for EMS and creating funding to help with EMS recruitment and retention. Remember this is not just about EMS, the lives of all NY’ers are at risk.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Providing help and assistance to others. Whether it’s saving a life using EMS skills or assisting union sisters and brothers with problems and or issues. It’s a great day when you have accomplished something that has made the day better.

Al Vincent, Jr. became executive director of Actors’ Equity Association in 2022. Taking the helm at a pivotal moment, he doubled down on growing the union, expanding Equity’s capacity for internal and new organizing campaigns. He is also a founder and treasurer of Actors’ Equity PAC. Before joining Equity, Vincent was senior vice president at retail union UFCW. He also sits on several nonprofit boards, and founded Empower PAC, supporting campaigns that benefit working families.

What are your organization’s goals for 2025?
We will ensure that our members have a voice in our industry, the labor movement and the broader political landscape. Because that landscape is shifting, we’re mobilizing our members to be more engaged than ever. We’ll maximize their work opportunities, secure arts funding and shore up support systems nationwide. We’ll also be bringing that worker power to the bargaining table for two crucial CBAs: the Production Contract for Broadway, and our new contract for Disneyland.

How can policymakers support your organization?
Policymakers must understand the economic impact that the performing arts have as a catalyst for economic stability and growth. According to Americans for the Arts, the typical arts attendee spends $38.46 locally beyond the cost of admission – from dinner and drinks to parking and babysitting. Additionally, as federal protections for workers are under attack, state and local lawmakers must step up and ensure workers in their jurisdictions are protected under local law.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I love it every time I get a chance to engage with our members and hear what’s on their minds, and there’s nothing better than taking their stories about their experiences and translating them into action that helps them thrive at work.

Michael Volforte has served as the director of the New York State Office of Employee Relations since 2013 and worked in the public sector labor field for over 27 years. As director, he oversees collective bargaining and labor management with 10 unions that represent approximately 170,000 Executive Branch employees and implements negotiated compensation and other benefits. As counsel, he also oversees the representation of agencies in contract grievance and administrative matters before PERB.

What are your organization’s goals for 2025?
My team is focused on ensuring that employment in the executive branch of New York State reflects Governor Hochul’s focus on making life affordable for working families and protecting the mental health of New Yorkers. We’re pursuing multiple initiatives consistent with these themes and look forward to working on them with our union counterparts.

How can policymakers support your organization?
These are challenging times for public sector employees, and in many instances, for private sector employees too. Policymakers at the State level can help by ensuring that employees’ rights remain respected and protected.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Ensuring that hard-working public employees have access to excellent benefits. For example, at Governor Hochul’s direction, in the past two years we’ve negotiated fully paid, 12 weeks of paid parental leave. It’s remarkable to see how many employees have utilized the benefit and how well received it has been.

Randi Weingarten is president of the 1.8 million-member AFT, which represents teachers; paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; higher education faculty and staff; nurses and other health care professionals; local, state and federal government employees; and early childhood educators. The AFT is dedicated to the belief that every person in America deserves the freedom to thrive, fueled by opportunity, justice and a voice in our democracy.

What are your organization’s goals for 2025?
For generations, public education and labor have been engines of opportunity for working families, but the new federal administration is threatening that. We’re fighting back, but also fighting for the progress that these institutions enable. We’re building community and pressing our case in Congress, in the courts and in the court of public opinion. And last week – alongside parents, educators, students and clergy – we fought cuts to public schools with over 100 actions across America to Protect Our Kids.

How can policymakers support your organization?
Policymakers need to support, not smear, the public schools that 90% of American kids attend. Americans did not vote to undermine or destroy our schools, but to strengthen and improve them. That means making them safe and welcoming places that engage kids and help them get good jobs straight out of high school, an agenda that has strong bipartisan support.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Being out in the community with kids, my members and the people they serve. Our members are the people who make a difference in the lives of others, whether they’re students, patients, or the public at large. I’m on the road most weeks of the year to have their backs–at the bargaining table and on the picket line – but also to lift up and fight for the vital work they do every day.