Passage of Veteran's Buyback Bill a Huge Win for Labor and Veterans
Kevin Eitzmann
"Just two days after Memorial Day, it is fitting that we honor those who served our country, not just in words, but in actions. We thank Governor Cuomo for signing the veterans' service credit bill, recognizing honorably discharged service men and women who sacrificed so much for all of us.By approving this bill the governor is validating the service of all of our veterans and for the first time equally recognizing the women who proudly served our country.We also thank Speaker Heastie, Majority Leader Flanagan, and Independent Democratic Conference Leader Klein for understanding how critically important this legislation is to our veterans.We are particularly appreciative of the years of leadership from Senator Larkin and Assemblywoman Paulin on the veterans' buyback bill. They never gave up, fighting hard to make this day a reality.This is a big victory for labor as we stood in solidarity on this issue year after year; but more importantly, this is a huge win for our veterans.While we can never show enough gratitude to our veterans who provided the ultimate public service, this law will help to honor them with the deep respect and appreciation they so deserve."
Mario Cilento, President NYS AFL-CIO