Labor Power Players

Maritza Silva-Farrell is the executive director at ALIGN, a long time organizer, political strategist, and a movement leader with a track record of winning campaigns in the progressive movement. Maritza has been spearheading coalition building, strategic organizing, and policy interventions at ALIGN for over a decade, playing a key role winning transformational policies forging powerful alliances that benefit workers, immigrants, women, low-income communities of color, and the environment.

What sector does your union service (healthcare, construction, etc.)?
We are a nonprofit, not a union.

What brought you to organizing and/or the issue of worker advocacy?
My experiences working as an immigrant and seeing the exploitation in the workplaces because of their immigration status.

How will New York’s labor force evolve in the next five years?
The labor force will have increased unionization rates and worker power.

What kind of impact does organized labor have on local communities?
When workers are organized and have better wages and working conditions, local communities thrive.

Dr. Skinner is a nationally recognized expert in the labor and employment impacts of climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy. She directs the Labor Leading on Climate program at Cornell University’s ILR School and serves on the board of the Climate Jobs National Resource Center. Skinner’s work in New York helped launch the union-led Climate Jobs NY coalition as well as climate jobs programs and coalitions in Maine, Texas, Rhode Island, and Illinois. Skinner also serves on New York State’s Climate Action Council Just Transition Working Group.

Jonathan Smith is in his fourth term as president of the New York Metro Area Postal Union, the largest local in the APWU. President Smith is a national leader in the fight to maintain a public Postal Service and resist privatization. He has called for the Postmaster General of the United States, Louis DeJoy, to either resign or be fired. President Smith is a vice-president and member of the executive board of the New York City Central Labor Council.

What sector does your union service (healthcare, construction, etc.)?
Postal Service.

What are the benefits that unions (your particular union, if applicable) offer their members?
Representation, contract negotiation, labor education.

What brought you to organizing and/or the issue of worker advocacy?
The need for workers to have respect on the job.

How will New York’s labor force evolve in the next five years?
Must get stronger and more unified.

What kind of impact does organized labor have on local communities?
Organized labor uplifts all workers, not just union members.

Faye Smyth is the president of IAFF Local 4959, the Uniformed Fire Alarm Dispatchers Benevolent Association, a group of 200 workers who collectively process almost 600,000 incidents each year. The UFADBA offers health benefits, financial services, discounted car insurance, and supplemental insurance plans to its members. It has also established an Education and Assistance Fund to provide scholarships to the children of members as well as emergency support funds. Ms. Smyth also serves as the chairperson for the UFADBA Welfare Fund.

Andrew Solar-Greco was elected president of the Stony Brook chapter of the faculty and staff union, United University Professions, in June 2021 on a platform of grassroots organizing committed to empowering rank-and-file members. As the representative of one of the largest UUP chapters, and a Stony Brook alumnus himself, Andrew has quickly established himself as a change-maker in UUP, committed to growing membership in the post-Janus era by embracing a ‘back to basics’ model of unionism that is in a constant state of organizing.

What sector does your union service (healthcare, construction, etc.)?
Public higher education.

What are the benefits that unions (your particular union, if applicable) offer their members?
Our union gives members an opportunity to collectively bargain wages, benefits, and fight for workplaces that have dignity and respect. We are the only organization on campus that brings faculty and staff together across our differences and unite us.

What brought you to organizing and/or the issue of worker advocacy?
A desire to join with my fellow unionists and build worker power. To fight for improving our working conditions and our students’ learning conditions.

How will New York’s labor force evolve in the next five years?
Baby Boomers have and continue to retire at very high rates. The US labor force will contract; with fewer eligible workers, bargaining power of those that remain will increase. Unions must embrace younger leaders and engage in succession planning.

What kind of impact does organized labor have on local communities?
We set the standards for non-unionized labor and play a critical role in advocating for legislation that benefits all. The more funding SUNY has, the more working people and disadvantaged communities have access to public higher education.

Mary E. Sullivan has fought tirelessly on behalf of workers for over 35 years at the grassroots, statewide, and national levels. By mobilizing workers and encouraging internal communication, she’s helped position CSEA as one of New York’s largest and most influential unions. She began her career working for the Herkimer County Department of Social Services and advanced through the union ranks to become CSEA’s second woman president. She’s been a driving force behind CSEA’s Leadership Education and Development program and serves as a key player in CSEA’s International Union, AFSCME.

What sector does your union service (healthcare, construction, etc.)?
Workers providing essential public services throughout New York.

What are the benefits that unions (your particular union, if applicable) offer their members?
CSEA offers the power of collective action and strength in numbers to deliver a voice for workers on the job, as well as numerous benefits. Learn more at cseany.org/advantage

What brought you to organizing and/or the issue of worker advocacy?
I got involved with our union when I was asked to serve as a voice on behalf of my co-workers. I quickly realized the need for union protections, benefits and representation, and have helped lead the fight ever since to demand fairness and respect.

How will New York’s labor force evolve in the next five years?
New York must be more competitive to meet the growing demand for essential services. In order to position ourselves for the future, New York must collaborate with workers and their representatives as partners in recruitment and retention.

What kind of impact does organized labor have on local communities?
The labor movement historically built the working and middle class, and when workers organize, they help shrink the income inequality that has put too much wealth in the pockets of too few, which drives too many in our communities into poverty and crime.

Dennis went to work for the New York Telephone Company in 1969 as a splicer’s helper. He started his union career during the seven-month strike against the Telephone Company in 1971 when he was elected a shop steward. Dennis was re-elected as District 1 vice president in 2019. Prior to that, Dennis was appointed assistant to the vice president of CWA District 1 in 2005. Dennis had the responsibility of collective bargaining throughout the District, which involved hundreds of collective bargaining agreements covering all members in District 1.

What sector does your union service (healthcare, construction, etc.)?
Telecom, healthcare, public sector.

What are the benefits that unions (your particular union, if applicable) offer their members?
Strong contracts, great benefits, unity in the workplace. The unity and determination of CWA members resulted in big gains to raise up working families, improve our communities and advance the interests of America’s working people.

Tony Utano serves as president of TWU Local 100, a union representing 41,000 active New York City metropolitan public transportation workers, including subway train operators, maintenance workers, mechanical repairmen, and public bus drivers. Local 100 also represents workers at several private transportation firms. Union members are entitled to benefits such as medical, dental, vision, and hearing care, grievance assistance, housing assistance, and access to scholarships and childcare funds.

Having gotten his start in the soft drink industry at 15 as a summertime helper for a Pepsi distributor, Joe Vitta then joined Local 812 at age 18. He was elected shop steward in 1982 before joining the executive board as a trustee and business agent in 1987. He continued to climb the ranks, and now serves as president. Mr. Vitta is also a vice president of the Teamsters National Brewery and Soft Drink Conference, and chairman of the 812 Pension Fund and the Local 812 Health Fund.