AFL-CIO endorses Cuomo

ALBANY – The state AFLCIO formally endorsed Gov. Cuomo’s reelection bid on Thursday four years after staying on the sidelines.

The endorsement came a day after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that no longer requires government workers to pay dues to public labor unions.

“With the labor movement and the middle class under attack, it is vital that the people of New York have a battle-tested leader with a track record of proven results to get things done,” state AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento said.

He cited Cuomo’s successful push for a $15 hourly minimum wage, creation of a statewide family leave program, deductibility of union dues and his recent vow to protect New York’s unions from this week’s Supreme Court ruling.

In a seeming shot at Cuomo’s Democratic primary foe, actress/activist Cynthia Nixon, Cilento said “actions speak louder than words, and leadership isn’t just saying you are going to do something, it’s about getting things done and having a real, tangible, positive effect on the people you represent