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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

32BJ ENDORSES RAMIREZ FOR ASSEMBLY

New York, NY—32BJ SEIU, the largest private-sector union in New York, today announced its endorsement of Hector Ramirez for the state Assembly in the 86th District of the Bronx. This endorsement follows an extensive membership-screening process, in which Ramirez received overwhelming support from members for his commitment to affordable housing, creating good jobs and economic development.

“Through his work in the community, Hector Ramirez has shown a strong commitment to working people,” said Mike Fishman, 32BJ President. “32BJ is proud to get behind candidates like Ramirez who will make New York a state that works for working people.”

The union has also endorsed close to a dozen other Bronx-based state Senate and Assembly candidates, including Rubén Díaz and Jeffrey Klein for state Senate and Peter Rivera, Vanessa Gibson, Jose Rivera, Naomi Rivera, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Michael Benedetto, Carl Heastie, Carmen Arroyo and Marcos Crespo for state Assembly.

Last week, 32BJ launched its on-the-ground election efforts, in which members are working full-time on a membership voter outreach campaign, including phone banking, door-to-door canvassing and other member mobilization in support of the 32BJ’s endorsed candidates.

Leading up to the primaries, 32BJ members will be working around the clock to talk to members about endorsed candidates, the importance of this year’s election and to recruit volunteers to speak to voters in their neighborhoods.

“Politics plays a very important part in the lives of working people,” said Bronx resident Rosa Cortes, who is also a cleaner at Madison Square Garden and 32BJ member for 5 years. “We’re ready to hit the streets to support candidates who will fight for us in Albany.”

With 70,000 members in New York, 32BJ is known for its strength in mobilizing members and voters to support endorsed candidates. During the 2008 state elections, hundreds of members volunteered to speak with voters about the union’s endorsed candidates. In recent years, 32BJ has strengthened its political endorsement program by putting resources toward door to door campaigns as well as mailers, phone banking and other independent expenditure to reach voters.

This election work is part of 32BJ’s “State that Works” program - a policy agenda focused on creating good jobs and an affordable state through economic development, contracting and tax abatement programs.

With more than 70,000 members in New York, 32BJ is the largest private-sector union in the state.

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