ELECTION 2008: Powers gets AFL-CIO nod, meets with labor leaders

Local News

July 1, 2008

By Neale Gulley<br><a href="mailto:gulleyn@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Neale</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Tue Jul 01, 2008, 01:03 AM EDT

AMHERST — Democratic congressional hopeful Jon Powers met with various labor union representatives at his Amherst campaign headquarters Monday.

The meeting emphasized an endorsement by the New York state AFL-CIO late last week.

The 2.5 million-member coalition decided to throw its weight behind Powers, one of four Democrats seeking the party’s nomination in a September primary, early. The decision is often reserved for conventions held in August.

AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes has cited support from numerous labor leaders within the district as a basis for the body’s endorsement.

New York’s organization represents about 111,000 members throughout the area. The district encompasses all or part of seven counties throughout Western New York, portions of Niagara and Erie counties, including Lockport are represented.

“I think people feel that we’re going to best represent the working men and women of this district,” Powers said.

The candidate, as well as aides and Teamsters Local 264 representative Richard Lipsitz discussed some of the issues most relevant to the endorsement.

Among them are:

• The Employee Free Choice Act, which aims to ease the process of unionization.

• Fair trade agreements and policies designed to promote domestic industry by “leveling the playing field.”

“When I talk to working men and women across the district they’re not looking for an advantage, they’re looking for a level playing field,” Powers said of the often controversial North American Free Trade Agreement.

• Opportunities for Western New York to become integral in developing, producing and implementing products and services capable of supporting “green” manufacturing and lessening dependence on fossil fuels.

Also, Powers said health care is a critical component in need of reform from a labor standpoint.

It’s all part of a broader regional labor and environmental plan that aides say expands as Powers makes the rounds, knocking on doors and soliciting feedback from potential constituents.

“We’ve got a crowded race and primary and Jon is the one with volunteers and boots on the ground,” Powers’ communications director Victoria Dillon said.

She said Monday was the last day of this fundraising quarter and that 75 percent of the campaign’s contributors donated $50 or less. Complete figures were not available.

“There aren’t a lot of members who are out knocking on doors. It really speaks to this hometown support — today was about organized labor coming out and saying ‘here’s our guy.’ ”

The spot was vacated by four-term incumbent Tom Reynolds this year, when he announced his retirement.

Also seeking the party’s nomination are three other Democrats: millionaire Akron industrialist Jack Davis, Buffalo environmental attorney Alice Kryzan and Erie County Legislator Kathy Konst. Clarence business executive Christopher Lee is running for the Republican line in the race.

Text Only

Local News

Shovel-ready park has perks
At first glance, the big, orange road sign announcing vacant property on Lockport Road as a “shovel ready certified” building site seems a bit gratuitous.
To companies looking for new places to launch a business, it’s not. The sign in their eyes is a welcome mat, for in three words a community pronounced itself ready, willing and able to make a deal quickly.

February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Roy-Hart to play the big stage
A group of local students will be performing this month at Kleinhans Music Hall just before a BPO concert.
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will welcome the Royalton-Hartland High School Mixed Chorus as part of the BPO’s Community Spotlight program on Feb. 19 at Kleinhans in Buffalo. The chorus will perform under the direction of Carolyn Unitas Roos and accompanied by Janice McKinney.

February 3, 2012
Former NFTA cop sentenced
A former Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority police officer will spend six years on probation for sending a sexually explicit photo to a teenage girl, a girl he later had a sexual encounter with.
In addition, John W. Ingham will spend 25 weekends in the service of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Work Program. Ingham was sentenced Thursday by State Supreme Court Justice Richard C. Kloch, Sr. Ingham will also register as a sex offender.

February 3, 2012
Speakers address SPCA contract
Animal rescue volunteers want the City of Lockport to hit the SPCA of Niagara where it hurts — in the pocketbook — and help force reform of the troubled animal welfare organization.
Volunteers from multiple small, private rescue groups, and the SPCA itself, descended on the Common Council Wednesday to talk about the city’s ongoing involvement with SPCA.

February 2, 2012 4 Photos
Liberty Tire cited for 'multiple' violations
The City of Lockport will require Liberty Tire Recycling to obtain an operating permit in order to avoid being declared a hazard.

February 2, 2012
Instant millionaire
Paul Schneider had just gotten off the phone with his girlfriend when he called her back with some breaking news.
“She was teasing me and said, ‘so you hung up the phone with me to scratch your scratch offs?’” Schneider said. “And I said, ‘It’s a good thing I did because I won a million dollars.’”

February 1, 2012 1 Photo
Fire code crackdown vowed
City code enforcement officers are planning an inspection blitz at the multi-building Liberty Tire Recycling complex, in the hope of helping the company avoid another huge fire, officials said Monday.
Liberty Tire, 470 Ohio St., likely will be cited for one or more fire code violations after fire struck the facility this past Friday. A large pile of tires, stored behind one of the buildings, caught fire when a live industrial power line fell on the pile. The power line had partly melted due to a short circuit inside a building.

January 31, 2012 2 Photos
NFTA cuts will make transportation difficult
NFTA cuts will make it difficult, if not impossible for Buffalo-area commuters to get to work in Lockport and Lockport residents to get to Buffalo.
Millie Spencer, who lives near the Walden Galleria, takes four buses and an NFTA train to get to Lockport for her job as a graphic artist four days a week.
“This will threaten my job,” said Spencer who is married and has four children. “We’re down to one car and my husband’s job takes him all over the place. What would I do? I don’t know.”

January 31, 2012 1 Link
Prepared patriots
At mobilization ceremonies across the state this weekend, hundreds of servicemen from the Army National Guard were cheered on their way to training for a possible overseas deployment.
More than 1,800 soldiers assigned to the 27th Brigade Combat Team mobilized before heading to Camp Shelby in Mississippi to train for an expected deployment to Kuwait this spring. In Lockport, nearly 75 men from Company A of the Brigade Special Troops Battalion were thanked for their previous — and coming — service to the nation at a ceremony Sunday. Likewise, 90 were sent off in Geneseo Saturday, and more in Buffalo and Rochester.

January 30, 2012 1 Photo
Town recycling numbers are up
The Town of Lockport seems to have taken a bigger interest in recycling.
At a Town Board meeting Wednesday, Councilman Paul W. Siejak said for all of 2011, the town recycled 27.55 more tons than it did a year ago. Electronics recycling, which the town started in July, totaled 4,914 pounds.
For the electronics recycling, the town receives 5 cents per pound, which means Lockport was paid $245.70.

January 30, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

ELECTION 2008: Powers gets AFL-CIO nod, meets with labor leaders

Site Map

Contact Us