Statement of NYS AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento on UAW’s Strike against General Motors

Albany, NY - The 2.5 million members of the New York State AFL-CIO stand with our brothers and sisters of UAW across this country including here in New York State at Local 774 in Buffalo, Local 686 in Lockport and Local 1097 in Rochester, in their fight for a fair contract. 

These dedicated men and women work hard every day and are the reason GM has been able to make record-level profits.

The decision to strike comes with many hardships and is never taken lightly. We strongly urge General Motors to do the right thing and quickly resolve the issues so the tens of thousands of GM workers including more than 3,500 at Western New York plants can get back to work.

The labor movement speaks with one voice and will stand shoulder to shoulder in support of our union brothers and sisters for as long as it takes to get a fair and equitable contract. Our UAW brothers and sisters will have the full resources of the New York State AFL-CIO at their disposal throughout this fight. 

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The New York State AFL-CIO is a federation of 3,000 unions, representing 2.5 million members, retirees and their families with one goal; to raise the standard of living and quality of life of all working people. We keep New York State Union Strong by fighting for better wages, better benefits and better working conditions. For more information on the Labor Movement in New York, visit www.nysaflcio.org.